We hope you enjoy this issue of The AAUPdate! (Sorry it arrives a bit late.) If you are a member of our chapter, you’ll get these updates regularly in your inbox. If you’re not a member, you are invited to subscribe to receive these updates by email. Please also feel free to forward this along to colleagues!
AAUP@CU Chapter Committee Activities:
★ The Advocacy Committee continues its work in Congressman Lawler's district: the goal is to influence public opinion and government decision-makers in order to shape policies that affect District 17, including related to Medicaid cuts and cuts to climate research at Lamont Doherty Observatory Center. The Advocacy Committee has also started an active collaboration with the Indivisible network on Staten Island and they will use the AC’s flyers to inform public opinion on the same issues in District 11. The AC is actively flyering in Ossining at the local farmers market (Saturdays). The next flyering date will be Saturday, October 25th.
On October 7th the Advocacy Committee hosted a training session with Erica Vladimer on communication strategy for our advocacy work. Erica is the communications coordinator for Invest in Our New York (IONY). She leads the development of IONY’s messaging, provides various communications-based training for organizations and individuals, and supports elected officials in their efforts to enact the IONY legislative package.
She provided useful material that may be accessed via these links below.
★ The Communications Committee in collaboration with the Organizing Committee, continues to build a network of departmental liaisons to enhance commutation across faculty in different schools and departments. It is also collaborating with other AAUP committees on forthcoming statements and initiatives.
★ The University Senate Committee invites all chapter members to register for and attend the next Senate plenary, Friday, October 24th at 1:15 pm, and to invite a friend or colleague to do the same. The more of us who recognize the Senate, follow its proceedings, and can share its accomplishments on behalf of shared governance, the better. Did you know that all plenary proceedings are available on the web? Agenda items and materials for upcoming meetings, as well as minutes of past meetings, are posted the week of the next plenary. For example, the October 3 proceedings minutes will be available the week of October 20. Find out who your Senator is and ask them to bring a question to the President or Senate chair, or ask them what their Committees are working on.
Add the following Fall Senate plenary dates to your calendar: November 21 and December 12.
Relevant News & Links:
A rejection of the ‘compact’ from MIT – and recently Penn, Brown, and USC have also said ‘no’ (CNN)
Academics must seize the means of knowledge production (Public Books)
Columbia must now show courage and empathy (Spectator)
Upcoming Events:
Join your fellow Columbia University colleagues at the No Kings march in Manhattan on Saturday, October 18th! This march is endorsed by AAUP and will carry on Columbia University’s proud tradition of saying NO to Kings (College.)
Meet the Columbia crew at Morningside beforehand or at the march:
Morningside – Leave from the subway station for 1 train at 116th & Broadway at 10:15 (we will be there from 10-10:15 outside waiting) bring your OMNY or MetroCard and take the subway together down to midtown
Main march Columbia meetup – 10:45am, 48th St. & 6th Ave., in Fox Square (in front of Fox News building!).
What to bring:
Comfortable walking shoes
Signs without wooden sticks (we also will have some Columbia signs if you want to travel light)
Wear – Columbia gear, or yellow per the official march organizers
Also another event to add to your calendar:
‘Academic Freedom Under Autocracy’: a panel with Olatunde Johnson (Columbia Law), John Shattuck (Tufts), and Keith Gessen (Columbia Journalism), to be held Tuesday, October 28th at the Forum at Columbia University (5:30pm). It is cosponsored by Columbia World Projects, the Committee on Global Thought, SIPA's Technology, Policy and Innovation Concentration and the Initiative for Policy Dialogue. https://worldprojects.columbia.edu/events/academic-freedom-under-autocracy