Welcome to the 2026–2027 academic year. The Purdue chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) looks forward to continuing our work on behalf of faculty, staff, and graduate students across the West Lafayette and Indianapolis campuses. As you saw with last year’s successful call for the University Senate to pass a vote of no confidence in Provost Wolfe, our chapter advocates for shared governance, academic freedom, and fair working conditions, which shape each of the priorities outlined below.
Dissatisfaction over University Leadership
For the past several years, faculty, staff and students have expressed dissatisfaction with Purdue University leadership, as evident in the recently released COACHE Survey data. We will continue to push for University administration to address the campus’ growing concerns about Purdue’s leaders’ ability to lead us into the future of education.
COACHE Survey Data https://www.purdue.edu/academics/faculty-affairs/initiatives/coache-results-institutional.html
Hiring and Searches
Leadership transitions are among the most consequential decisions a university makes, and the faculty’s voice in those decisions is a cornerstone of shared governance. Our chapter is committed to working with the University Senate and the Board of Trustees to ensure meaningful faculty participation in the upcoming presidential search. We will likewise support colleagues in colleges conducting dean searches this year. We also renew our call for an increase in tenure-track positions, which remain essential to institutional stability, academic freedom, and the long-term quality of instruction and research at Purdue.
Displaced Faculty
We continue to stand with Honors College faculty displaced by the reduction in force initiated by Provost Wolfe. Our chapter will press University leaders and administrators to meet its obligations with these colleagues, including support for internal job placement and sustained assistance from Human Resources for those seeking positions elsewhere.
Surveillance and Faculty Monitoring
We will continue to monitor administrative initiatives that expand oversight of faculty work, including programs such as Elements, Simple Syllabus, and the Course Demand Dashboard. Our concern is not with data collection as such, but with the absence of clear limits on how these systems are used, who has access to the information they generate, the quality of these tools in terms of user interface and accuracy, and whether they may be applied in evaluation or personnel decisions. We will seek transparency from the administration on each of these points.
Artificial Intelligence
Purdue’s expanding relationship with AI vendors and platforms raises questions about pedagogical autonomy, student data, and intellectual property. We are particularly attentive to expectations that faculty incorporate AI tools into their classrooms, and the expectations that students must comply with AI initiatives. Decisions about instructional methods belong to the faculty who teach the courses, and we will advocate for that principle as university policy develops.
Getting Involved
This work depends on member participation, and we welcome colleagues who wish to join a working group, share information relevant to any of the priorities above, or simply learn more about the chapter. Membership information is available here: https://aauppurdue.org/
In solidarity,
President: Stephanie Masta
Vice president: Position Open
Secretary: Temi Adeoye Olenloa
Treasurer: Jennifer DeBoer
Member-at-large: Reed Kurtz
Immediate past president: Erin Moodie