Statement by UL System President Randy Moffett on AAUP’s Censure of Northwestern and Southeastern
“Given our recent interactions with the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) during their purported investigation, we are certainly not surprised by their decision. The report issued by the AAUP contained well over 100 flaws including numerous errors and omission of key evidence that shows each university followed its handbook, management board rules and policies, and state laws in handling personnel matters. Furthermore, the AAUP blatantly ignored the dire financial situation that propagated actions by our institutions and continues to be a challenge. University of Louisiana System schools have lost $187 million in state funding since 2008 and will lose an additional $54 million next year.
“If the AAUP wants to be a relevant organization, its efforts would be better served by working with higher education in advocating for adequate funding of institutions, thus mitigating the need for universities to close programs and associated faculty positions. The UL System would certainly be willing to work with the AAUP should it decide to adopt this more proactive stance that would better benefit faculty and students.
“Placing universities on a censure list has little, if any, practical implication as the AAUP is an advocacy group that holds no authority over higher education institutions and represents less than four percent of instructional staff at degree-granting institutions nationwide. In fact, all institutions currently on its list maintain full accreditation, which is a true, independent measure of quality delivery of educational services.”
A marked up version of the final AAUP report as well as all correspondence between the UL System and AAUP can be found on our website at www.ulsystem.edu/AAUP.
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ABOUT THE UL SYSTEM: The University of Louisiana System is the largest higher education system in Louisiana enrolling about 94,000 students at Grambling State University, Louisiana Tech University, McNeese State University, Nicholls State University, Northwestern State University, Southeastern Louisiana University, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the University of Louisiana at Monroe, and the University of New Orleans.
