In late November, a committee within the Northwestern chapter of the American Association of University Professors published a report criticizing the administration’s COVID-19 response, calling several budgetary and academic decisions out of line with the mission of education.
A national nonprofit organization, the AAUP identifies and defines key educational and professional values in order to set standards for higher education and promote academic freedom. The November report, compiled by NU-AAUP committee members, examined the actions of the University against the standards set by the AAUP nationally. While the AAUP tends to focus on scholarship rather than broader administrative actions, the report steps beyond the boundaries of scholarship, approaching budgetary, accreditation and governance concerns.