Below is the press release issued by Ohio University AAUP about the silent protest that will be held at the January 17 Board of Trustees’ meeting.

President, Secretary, At-Large Position to be elected

We are now seeking nominations for the 2020 Ohio Conference AAUP Board of Trustees’ elections. In accordance with our governing document, you must have been a member for at least two years and current on your dues to be eligible for a trustee position.

Nominations should be sent to Sara Kilpatrick, Executive Director, at sara@ocaaup.org no later than January 31, 2020. 

Below are the positions to be elected directly through the Conference elections this year. Those who are elected will serve a two-year term beginning September 1, 2020.

• President
• Secretary
• At-Large Member: Private Institution (nominee must be a member of a private institution)

The President shall preside at Conference meetings and, with the approval of the Trustees, arrange for the Conference meetings and appoint Chairs of the standing committees; shall execute such matters as are referred to him or her at Conference meetings and by the Trustees; and, in consultation with the Trustees, shall take such other actions as are judged necessary to carry out the objectives of the Ohio Conference, and shall report at the next Conference meeting any actions taken by the Trustees during the time between meetings. The President shall serve as delegate to the Biennial National AAUP meeting.

The Secretary shall keep the Ohio Conference records, including minutes of meetings of the Trustees and of the Conference.

The Conference has four Saturday Board meetings in Columbus each academic year that trustees are expected to attend, one of which is the Annual Meeting. They also oversee the executive director and provide direction for the organization.

Serving on the Board of Trustees is a rewarding way to engage in statewide AAUP issues and state government advocacy. If you have any questions, contact Sara Kilpatrick at sara@ocaaup.org. 

Send a message to your congressperson.

The Drake Group — an organization of academics that pushes for intercollegiate athletic reform — has spearheaded legislation in Congress to establish a Congressional Advisory Commission, which would be charged with undertaking a two-year comprehensive study and making recommendations for college athletics reform.

The bipartisan bill, H.R. 5528, formally called the “Congressional Advisory Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics Act of 2019,” would examine intercollegiate athletics finances, as well as numerous issues aimed at protecting the well-being of student-athletes.

For years, the Ohio Conference AAUP has turned a critical eye toward Ohio’s public university athletic programs, which (except for Ohio State) spend more money on sports than they earn, with the vast majority of that spending going toward coaches’ salaries and lavish athletic facilities.

We encourage our members and others to take a minute to send a message to your U.S. House Member asking them to co-sponsor the bill. The more co-sponsors the bill receives, the better chances it has to advance. This bill could be the first step toward real change for the better in intercollegiate athletics.

Click here to learn more about The Drake Group.

Click here to send a message to your State Senator asking them to oppose HB 164.

Last week, the Ohio House of Representatives passed House Bill 164 — the so-called “Student Religious Liberties Act” — which, if signed into law, would prohibit K-12 teachers from penalizing students for giving incorrect answers on tests or other schoolwork, if those facts conflict with their religious beliefs.

The bill’s sponsor, State Representative Timothy Ginter (R-Shelby), has built a reputation of introducing legislation based upon his personal religious beliefs; so the introduction of this bill was no surprise. What’s alarming is that his colleagues in the House supported this problematic bill.

HB 164 now moves on to the Ohio Senate for consideration. Click here to send a message to your State Senator asking them to oppose HB 164.

Our colleagues from the Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT) issued a statement calling the bill “unnecessary,” further stating that it “has the potential to infringe on the academic integrity of our public schools.” We agree.

The bill also has implications for higher education. Students exiting the K-12 system need to be critical thinkers and understand scientific fact. Ohio is setting up students for failure by preventing teachers from correcting factually-incorrect answers. This also could impact College Credit Plus courses taught by high school faculty or college and university professors.

In addition, although the bill is probably aimed at science content such as evolution, how long will it be before “religious” belief is used to justify complaints about climate science, political history, etc.?

Moreover, imagine what it would be like if a similar bill were passed that applied to post-secondary courses. Bad ideas get traction if they are not countered; and that is why we are asking our members to take action.

We urge our members to contact their Ohio Senators to ask them to oppose this misguided legislation. Click here to send a message to your State Senator asking them to oppose HB 164.

On November 8-9, the Ohio Conference welcomed members from across the state to Columbus for the 69th Annual Meeting.

At the November 8 reception, two exceptional, long-time AAUP leaders whose terms will be wrapping up at the end of this academic year were honored: AAUP President Rudy Fichtenbaum and OCAAUP President John McNay.

Speaking about Fichtenbaum, OCAAUP Executive Director Sara Kilpatrick recalled his rousing testimony against Senate Bill 5 in 2011, and commended him for his outstanding service as National AAUP President during challenging times.

Turning to McNay, Kilpatrick praised his activism over the last eight years as OCAAUP President, citing his numerous times testifying to the Ohio Legislature, op-eds written, organizing work, coalition meetings attended, and so much more.

Fichtenbaum and McNay each were presented with a plaque commemorating their long-time service.

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Melody J. Stewart — the first African American woman elected to the Court — spoke at the November 8 dinner. She shared her journey as an undergraduate music student to law student to ultimately running a positive, educational campaign for the Supreme Court.

During the November 9 business meeting, the assembly approved the 2020 budget, changes to the Code of Regulations, and three resolutions. Reports were given by the President, Executive Director, and chairs of the Government Relations, Committee A, and Pension Committees.

The keynote luncheon address was delivered by Professor Tom Nichols of the U.S. Naval War College and Harvard Extension School. Nichols spoke about his book, The Death of Expertise.

During his remarks, Nichols lamented today’s know-it-all society, in which real expertise is devalued and Americans seem to have an opinion on everything even when they know little to nothing on a particular subject.

In response to a question, Nichols recommended that people focus on their local communities in terms of trying to make a positive difference instead of being overwhelmed by the onslaught of national and international news.

The final piece of the program was a presentation by Wright State AAUP members Gretchen McNamara and John Martin about “lessons learned” from their recent strike.

McNamara and Martin discussed all aspects of the three-week strike at WSU — everything from the breakdown of negotiations to taking a strike vote to organizing picketing and even the emotional aspects of going through such an intense, high-stakes process.

Of the lessons learned from the experience, the presenters advised other collective bargaining chapters to have a strike fund, talked about the importance of having a united faculty and student activists, as well as the importance of communications with reporters and on social media.

Thank you to all members who attended and made this a successful and productive meeting! Mark your calendars for the 2020 meeting, slated for November 6-7 in Columbus.