AAUP is for faculty of all political orientations who believe in academic freedom, shared governance, economic security, and the contributions of higher education to the common good.
AAUP-MIT is home to 75 faculty who are committed to academic freedom and strengthening faculty governance at the institute. These incluce 50 tenured, 14 untenured, and 11 non-tenure track faculty members.
Advancing Academic Freedom
The AAUP’s core mission has been to advance academic freedom and shared governance; to define fundamental professional values and standards for higher education; to promote the economic security of faculty, academic professionals, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and all those engaged in teaching and research in higher education; to help the higher education community organize to make our goals a reality; and to ensure higher education’s contribution to the common good.
I have always admired AAUP for its definition of and stand on academic freedom dating from the 1940s. We, as academics, have a responsibility to both society and the free search for knowledge. In the last ten years we have seen an assault on both — we are seen as pariahs. Our role now is to ensure that our institutions retain their integrity and openness. This cannot be done administratively, it is our job, a new burden we have to vigilantly bear.
– Andy Lippman, Senior Research Scientist, MIT Media Lab
I have a longstanding interest in democracy, inequality and public interest technology. I joined the AAUP because higher education in the US is facing an unprecedented set of attacks and academic freedom is increasingly on the line. AAUP is a space where faculty can discuss and debate, make sense of what is happening, and take action, together, to strengthen academic freedom and shared governance in our institution.
– Catherine D’Ignazio, Associate Professor of Urban Science & Planning, Department of Urban Studies & Planning
Day of Action for Higher Ed
As part of the National Day of Action for Higher Education on April 17, 2025, MIT AAUP has organized a day full of events.
Want to Get Involved?
Care about the issues the AAUP tackles? Want to help build the MIT Chapter? We need you, whether you’re a faculty member, part of MIT’s teaching or research staff, a postdoc, or a graduate student! Please take a moment to fill out our form to let us know a bit more about you, the issues you most care about, and ways how you’d like to contribute!
Join the AAUP
We welcome your contributions and participation, whether or not you are a member of the AAUP. However, if you hope to be a voting member of our chapter, you’ll need to become a member of the national organization.
According to our Chapter bylaws, eligibility for membership shall extend to any person who holds a professional position of teacher, researcher, graduate student, or related professional appointment, excluding faculty and others who sit on academic council, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who are national members of the American Association of University Professors, except for associate members. All chapter members may vote in chapter matters.