AAUP–Penn

Wealthy People Have Always Shaped Universities. This Time Is Different.

“The University of Phoenix has itself been a prime example of many of the problems that Mr. Rowan has highlighted in his attacks on academia”

Did you hear that a stunning 92% of GETUP-UAW members voted to authorize a strike? It’s time for Penn to come the table instead of trying to coerce faculty and staff into strikebreaking (“ensuring instructional continuity” =🐀), because these grad workers are ready to win a fair contract now

The fight for the freedom to teach and learn won’t stop until we get the billionaires out of our classrooms—until we stand up across the sector to reclaim higher ed as a true public good, free to all, without debt, free from censorship, with dignity for all workers and communities. (3/3)

Rowan uses his wealth to buy influence and to attack students and higher ed workers from behind closed doors—but our demonstration shut down Apollo that day because he was afraid to face us. The message was heard through; the DP announced his successor on the Wharton Board later that day (2/2)

Two weeks ago today a coalition of NYC unions incl @psc-cuny.org, @aaup.org chapters, @debtcollective.bsky.social, @higheredlabor.bsky.social & student groups took the fight against Trump’s loyalty oath “compact” for higher ed to its billionaire author, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan (1/3)

Today, @aaup.org @aaup-penn.bsky.social @psc-cuny.org outside Apollo Global Management's Midtown office to protest Marc Rowan's "Compact for Higher Education". PSC-CUNY President James Davis explains why this assault on higher ed undermines academic freedoms and our democracy itself.

UNL Faculty Senate approves historic no-confidence resolution The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Faculty Senate voted 60-14 to approve a no-confidence resolution against Chancellor Rodney Bennett. It's believed to be the first such vote in the university's histo...

“For the first time, we are delivering a united message to the Regents: We will not accept a lack of transparency, the exclusion of faculty from decision-making, or the erosion of our university’s 156-year-old mission to educate Nebraska’s students.”

– UNL AAUP President Sarah Zuckerman

Three people in a video call screenshot. From left to right: Chenjerai Kumanyika (AAUP National Council Member), Todd Wolfson (President of AAUP/VP AFT), and Veena Dubal (General Counsel, AAUP). All are seated in front of bookshelves.

“Students, faculty, and staff are the ones stepping up to defend their institutions and higher education, while administrators run for cover.” -- @proftwolf.bsky.social on the what the AAUP v. Trump win means for the University of California.✊ @aaup.org @ucaft.bsky.social @uc-faculty.bsky.social

This is a win for us all!! ✊👏🎉

Philly Housing Authority plans to lay off more than 300 workers in 2026 The layoffs come as the authority is pursuing an ambitious expansion plan.

NEW: The Philadelphia Housing Authority is planning sweeping layoffs that will affect more than 300 of the agency’s 1,200 employees.

Instead of directly employing union electricians, carpenters and other workers, beginning next year, the agency will contract out for those jobs as needed.

Statement on the President's Announcement of Austerity Measures November 18, 2025 Dear Colleagues, We are writing with deep dismay over yesterday’s announcement of austerity measures made without meaningful, representative consultation with faculty, staff, or stud...

destruction comes for The New School

"The university's cycles of austerity+consolidation, betray a pattern where we are all being asked to work more for less, and at the expense of students and workers. We must stand together."

docs.google.com/document/u/2...

Workers of the Met, Unite Plus more news for your Tuesday morning.

"After half a decade of organizing, nearly 1,000 workers at the Metropolitan Museum of Art told mgmt that they want a chance to form a union."

Someone's been reading their McAlevey: "We didn't want to petition before we were sure we had a supermajority of support" ✊

hellgatenyc.com/met-union-nl...

Yesterday, our union was proud to join public higher ed workers across PA. Our coalition is unprecedented and growing. Community college and PASSHE, and Pitt, Temple and Penn State workers are calling on Harrisburg to fully fund public higher ed. Let’s go from the bottom 10 to the top 10.

WE WON. I am *begging* you to take note of who did this. *Not* UCLA admin—they’re still scuttling around behind closed doors, attempting to appease—but FACULTY AND STAFF, led by AAUP.

Table of Harvard Management Co, Inc.'s top public traded holdings. Top holdings are 1) iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF, 2) Microsoft, 3) Amazon, 4) SPDR Gold Shares, 5) Booking Holdings, 6) Alphabet, 7) Meta, 8) NVIDIA

Harvard's endowment now has almost $443 million invested in BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF

Universities can win against fascism when faculty, students and staff come together to take action.

This decision is huge for not just UC, but all of us.

It was driven by faculty with #AAUP, and wouldn't have happened if they had waited for administration to save them.

#edusky
#academicsky

Harvard Custodians Begin Two-Day Strike for New Contract | News | The Harvard Crimson Harvard custodians launched a strike shortly after 10 a.m. on Monday after union negotiations broke down on the eve of their contract’s expiration, their first strike in at least 50 years.

Harvard custodians launched a strike at 10 a.m. on Monday after union negotiations broke down on the eve of their contract’s expiration, their first strike in at least 50 years.

Hugo C. Chiasson and Amann S. Mahajan report.

Facing unprecedented labor violations, Starbucks workers overwhelmingly agree to strike indefinitely Unfair wages, chronic understaffing and hundreds of ULPs have led to a Starbucks Workers United super-majority vote to strike.

Starbucks workers are on strike. Chronic understaffing, unfair wages and hundreds of unfair labor practices pushed a 92% super-majority to walk out on Red Cup Day and beyond.

The Working People Podcast with @maximillianalvarez.bsky.social speaks with the baristas on taking an indefinite stand.

JOIN HIGHER ED WORKERS FROM ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA AT A RALLY FOR RESPECT AND FULL FUNDING! RALLY FOR RESPECT MON, NOV 17, 2025 | NOON PENNSYLVANIA STATE CAPITAL HARRISBURG, PA REGISTRATION: https://tinyurl.com/y7s4usk8 HIGHER ED LABOR APSCUF UNITED TSW 1088-04 University

Tomorrow at noon! Join higher ed workers from all across PA in Harrisburg for a rally for respect and full funding! Register here: tinyurl.com/y7s4usk8

OREI failed to answer questions about alleged academic freedom violations, AAUP-Penn says In an interview with the DP, a member of AAUP-Penn said that the OREI did not attend a follow-up meeting on Nov. 3 with the faculty group to hear and respond to questions outlined in the report.

Penn's Title VI office failed to discuss allegations of violating academic freedom!

“The administration does not answer in any meaningful way to faculty...to staff or students, but instead has shown repeatedly that it answers to donors, lobbying organizations, & politicians."

- AAUP - Penn

Marc Rowan--a billionaire responsible for Trump's devastating loyalty oath compact--will step down from his advisory role at the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania in summer of 2026!

AAUP President Todd Wolfson discusses our November 7th action that led to this step forward.

Don't Buy Starbucks! At any location, today and beyond, while workers are on ULP strike!

As of this morning, Starbucks workers across the country are officially ON STRIKE. And we're prepared for this to become the biggest and longest ULP strike in Starbucks history.

Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX

Marc Rowan is trying to end academic freedom as we know it.

The billionaire Trump donor is demanding higher ed institutions to sign a loyalty oath to gain access to federal funds.

Here's how faculty, students, and @aaup.org @psc-cuny.org @debtcollective.bsky.social responded.

After faculty raise concerns, UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor says university will not sign Trump's higher ed compact Lee Roberts called the "preferential treatment" proposal a clear infringement on academic freedom.

UNC-Chapel Hill's chancellor says the university will not sign on to a higher education compact from the Trump administration.

www.wunc.org/education/20...

IU lecturer removed from class during intellectual diversity investigation A lecturer in the Indiana University School of Social Work has been removed from teaching one of her classes Diversity, Human Rights, and Social Justice while the university investigates a complaint...

Indiana University removed a Lecturer from her "Diversity, Human Rights, and Social Justice" course after a student filed a complaint about a graphic the instructor showed in class, which included "Make America Great Again" as an example of "Covert White Supremacy."

www.wfyi.org/news/article...

CT professors call on higher ed leaders to reject Trump's compact and defend higher education The compact asks colleges and universities to align their practices and policies with the president's agenda.

“reject the Trump administration's so-called compact, which asks colleges to make sweeping changes to policies and practices to align them with the president's agenda.”
#TheCTDifference @csuaaup.bsky.social

@aaup-penn.bsky.social Vice President Lorena Grundy took to the streets alongside @psc-cuny.org @debtcollective.bsky.social and more to denounce Trump ally and billionaire Marc Rowan's assault on academic freedom.

Students and faculty at over 100 US universities protest against Trump’s attacks Student, national and local groups across US organized day of action to condemn Trump’s assault on academic freedom

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

A coalition of AAUP chapters in Atlanta stood up today for the future of higher education and marched from Morehouse College to Clark Atlanta University!

@neatoday.bsky.social

#defendacademicfreedom