Are there any members of American Association of University Professors out there? Have you experienced any advantages to membership, such as networking or information??
I've had the fortune (or misfortune) to attend some AAUP meetings. Frankly, I wasn't impressed. The chapter at the institution I was at was focused on faculty welfare - to the exclusion of most anything else. They do champion some things I'm strongly in favor of - like academic freedom and the need for full-time faculty. They do so, however, for very different reasons then I do. Realize that AAUP chapters aren't always labor unions. On many campuses there is no collective bargaining unit at all. Regards - Andy
Thanks, Andy, for your comments. I received a spam from them a few days ago and looked up the site. It seems like a very legitimate association. I just wonder how may professors are members and what kind of tangible benefits exist. Sure, the site claims certain benefits, but is it true? What organizations would benefit a budding instructor who has dreams of becoming tenured? Thanks, Gary
I would suggest that AAUP membership is a must for anyone planning on full-time employment as a faculty member and useful for adjuncts as well. At some institutions, the AAUP makes up the collective bargaining unit. At many institutions, the AAUP is an advocate for faculty on many issues (academic freedom, employment, discrimination, etc.) Networking is probably not one of the advantages of AAUP, which is better done through your discipline-specific professional organizations, but AAUP is an excellent source of information about administrative abuses (i.e., places you DON'T want to work.) I am the adjunct representative on the AAUP local executive board at my institution. I have been a member of AAUP for more than 10 years. As an adjunct, the dues are very reasonable and include a subscription to Academe. Hworth