AAUP-Purdue chapter members and other faculty across the Purdue system organized faculty to push back on the Board of Trustees’ decision to adopt an undergraduate civics literacy graduation requirement systemwide over the objections of the University Senate, and without consulting the faculty Senates of Purdue-Northwest and Purdue-Fort Wayne, or the governing body of the Purdue schools at IUPUI.
Our chapter hosted a letter-writing campaign to Trustee JoAnn Brouillette, where almost 200 faculty sent letters to the Board. The campaign is still up, even though the Board voted. Here’s a link to see the campaign.
Our AAUP colleagues at Purdue Fort-Wayne have also compiled a list of resources pertaining to this latest overreach by the Board.
Press
2019
2020
- Feb 24, 2020: Inside Higher Ed, by Colleen Flaherty, “And Civics Literacy for All.”
- April 22, 2020: Journal & Courier, by Emily DeLetter, “Purdue University Senate shoots down resolution for civics literacy exam as a requirement for graduation.”
- April 22, 2020: Inside Higher Ed, by Colleen Flaherty, “Purdue Senate Votes Down Civics Requirement.”
- in West Lafayette.”
2021
- April 22: Forbes, by Michael Nietzl, “Will Other Universities Join Purdue In Adding A Civics Requirement?”
- May 6: Mitch Daniels on Washington Journal, C-SPAN
- May 27: Purdue Exponent by Natalie Fedor: “Professors push back on civics literacy plan”.
- June 7: Forbes, by Emily Chamlee-Wright, “Questions of Governance and Civics Surface at Purdue”
- June 10: Purdue Exponent by Joe Duhownik: “It’s Deliberately Insulting”.
- June 10: Journal & Courier Commentary “Purdue Senates Govern Purdue’s Curricula, Not Trustees.”
- June 11: Inside Higher Ed, by Colleen Flaherty: “Undemocratic civics at Purdue?”
- June 11: Mention in Dave Bangert’s newsletter, “On tap today: Purdue and a civics education graduation requirement”
- June 11: AAUP-Purdue WL, FW, and NW press release
- June 11: WLFI news, by Joseph Paul, “Purdue: Students must pass civics literacy test to graduate”
- June 11: Journal & Courier reply commentary by Board of Trustees
- June 11: Purdue Exponent by Natalie Fedor, “Civics literacy to begin this fall
- June 14: WBAA by Ben Thorp, “Purdue Trustees Pass New Civics Literacy Requirements, Some Faculty Say Process Wasn’t Followed.”
- June 14: Star City News 6 pm, 7pm, 9pm, 10pm.
- June 15, Based in Lafayette, by Dave Bangert, “Campus politics and Purdue’s new civics graduation requirement.”
- June 16, WPTA21, by Jeff Neumeyer, “Purdue Fort Wayne faculty rep. objects to new civics literacy requirements for university’s students”
Documentation
Static resources
- FACT SHEET including timeline, and publicly available contact information for relevant players
- PHOTOS for press use
- Board of Trustees Bylaws – Article VIII Section 1
- Bylaws of the University Senate (West Lafayette)
- Purdue Northwest Constitution
- Purdue Fort Wayne Constitution – PDF – Article IV Part A, Point 4, then Part B, then VII.
- University Code – Intercampus Faculty Council
- Purdue University Code – PDF
- University Senate FAQ that A4.00 and A4.05 of the University Code are still in effect. Item 5.
Dated resources
- 3/2020 Working Group Report responding to charge of developing civics literacy graduation requirement for West Lafayette campus.
- 3/2020 SD 19-17 Senate Document: Degree Requirement for Civics Literacy
- March, April 2020: University Senate meeting minutes for March and April with discussion of civics literacy graduation requirement. Vote on SD 19-17 in April 2020 was 28 in favor / 51 opposed / 2 abstentions. The resolution did not pass.
- 4/19/21 Slide from President Daniels’ remarks to the Senate announcing the Board’s intent to adopt civics literacy requirement despite Senate’s vote against.
- 4/19/21: Purdue News story announcing details of civics literacy graduation requirement
- 4/19/21 SD 20-60: University Senate document introduced in May continuance of April University Senate meeting: “On the need to demonstrate civics literacy through shared governance.” SD will be voted on in September 2021 Senate meeting.
- 5/19/21 AAUP Purdue (WL) executive committee letter to Trustee Brouillette
- 5/21/21 Trustee Brouillette letter to AAUP Purdue (WL)
- 6/7/21 Agenda for Board of Trustees Academic and Student Affairs Committee posted with statewide designation on civics literacy requirement for the first time.
- 6/9/21 Joint AAUP Purdue West Lafayette, Northwest, and Fort Wayne letter to Trustee Brouillette once statewide commitment was revealed on 6/7/21.
- 6/10/21: Letter from PNW faculty senate chair Kim Scipes to Provost Akridge protesting civics literacy requirement application to Purdue Northwest without senate involvement. Posted with permission.
- 6/11/21 Civics literacy proficiency graduation requirement proposal from Provost Akridge, shared with AAUP on 6/12/21.
- 6/16/21 Letter from BOT to AAUP system chapters
- 9/13/21 University Senate Document 20-60, On the Need to Demonstrate Civics Literacy Through Shared Governance. Passed University Senate 66 in favour, 10 opposed, 2 abstained.
- 9/13/21 Presentation by Senator Pawley advancing SD 20-60. Prepared remarks are included starting p. 10 of minutes. Slides are included in Appendix D of the minutes, p. 78.
- 10/18/21 Report of the Senate Chair on sharing outcome of SD 20-60 to Board of Trustees. Presented to University Senate October 18, 2021. Documentation on pp. 7-8 of approved meeting minutes.
- 10/18/21 Senate of Purdue Northwest votes unanimously to endorse SD 20-60. Letter to University Senate Chair Beaudoin from PNW Senate chair Kim Scipes.
- 11/19/21 Senate of Purdue Fort Wayne votes unanimously to endorse SD 20-60. Resolution.
We will continue to update this page with more resources.