Who We Are

We are the University of Chicago chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP–University of Chicago), a democratic membership organization that advocates for the interests of University of Chicago faculty and staff and for a just university that plays a constructive part in the life of city, the community, and the world. We have hundreds of members from across campus, and welcome members from all units, departments, and divisions of the University of Chicago, including all those employed primarily in research and/or teaching at a professional level regardless of title, including standing faculty, contingent faculty, graduate researchers and instructors, postdocs, and librarians, archivists, curators, and technicians whose work involves or substantially contributes to research or teaching. Our goals include promoting academic freedom and meaningfully shared university governance; improving working conditions; and building solidarity among university workers across ranks and job categories at the University of Chicago and across institutions. We are a member-led chapter, and our advocacy is defined by the priorities you choose to work on together with colleagues.

In addition to the elected Executive Committee, there is currently an active Stewards Council, with department representatives; a Non-Tenure-Track Faculty Committee; a Member Defense Committee. We also have internal committees for planning our programming and managing membership issues. We also regularly establish ad hoc committees to deal with current issues including those related to ICE and immigration enforcement; the Kalven Report and institutional neutrality; and issues specific to the sciences. Contact us to join the Stewards Council or an existing committee—or to start a new one.

We are a member of AAUP Advocacy Chapter Local 6741 of the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO.

About AAUP
Founded in 1915, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has advocated for academic freedom and shared governance that prioritizes the voice of faculty for over a century. It defines equitable policies of academic employment and advances professional ethics and teaching standards that foster a just society. AAUP centers meaningful faculty and staff participation in decision-making processes and aims to build worker solidarity across campuses in the United States. It represents academic employees of universities and colleges in labor disputes, contributes research and policy on crucial issues in higher education, and fights for the economic security of the profession through direct advocacy and the creation of chapters.