Q: How do I join National AAUP?
A: You may join here: https://www.aaup.org/membership/join. Your dues category is based on your annual academic income. Dues are tax-deductible professional expenses, AAUP being at the national level a 501(c)3 organization.
Q: How do I join the local chapter at JMU?
A: Joining the AAUP-JMU local chapter does not give you National AAUP membership or access to these resources. Joining your local chapter is confidential: to be added to our list, simply send us an email at aaup.jmu@gmail.com with your preferred email (non-jmu).
Q: How do I pay my chapter dues?
A: Separate from the AAUP membership our chapter is requesting a small annual due from our members. Our local chapter fee is $10 annually per member, this fee will go to supporting our chapter’s website, and all or social activities. To pay your chapter due of $10, please use PayPal and send the money to our account, at cba.jlang@gmail.com; this can be considered “giving money to a friend” since it is a donation, and if you have any questions or need to contact our treasurer you can use this same email address.
Q: So if I simply become a friend of the chapter, am I an official AAUP member?
A: If you decide not to pursue a membership right now we cannot call you a “member”, per AAUP guidelines, but we want to keep you in our circle so we are calling you “friend” of JMU-AAUP, and we will include you in our meetings, events, emails, etc. Your membership to this national organization gets you some perks, like access to workshops and the publication Academe, but the real benefits are less tangible, they include the types of support that only an association can provide, and the knowledge that your money goes into supporting faculty across the country.
Q: It is late in the semester, can I still become a member?
A: Yes! We welcome new members at any time!
Q: I am a part-time or adjunct faculty member. Am I welcome to join and participate?
A: Absolutely! The AAUP is for every academic member of the campus, including graduate students.
Q: Why should I join AAUP?
A: Joining National or supporting your local chapter allows everyone to better communicate on common concerns, share and spread information. It also provides us as faculty the power and safety we need to win effective changes. Large numbers of faculty standing together on an issue is more effective than a few isolated voices.
Q: What are the common topics discussed in the chapter?
A: We are here to educate faculty on their rights but also to listen to their concerns and act on it. Some of our main considerations are academic freedom, shared governance (active involvement of faculty in decision-making processes and priority-setting), transparency, work load, job security… Our members decide the issues to discuss and be involved in.
Q: I thought that the Faculty Senate was the faculty voice on campus, how different is AAUP from the Senate?
A: We do work closely with the Senate (whose voice is only advisory) and collaborate on many occasions, but AAUP is an independent association, not related to the university. In our chapter, all members are necessary and have a voice and everyone can join without going through an election process as Senators do.
Q: I’m sold! How can I become more involved in the chapter?
A: We have ongoing open positions to serve on different committees according to your skills and interests. We have a low time commitment with one or two hours of service a month. – Communication Committee: We are looking for people interested in maintaining our website, creating newsletters, and handling our social media. – Research and Development Committee: For this committee, we are looking for people who would research legal or quantitative information, policies, help write letters, motions, etc…. – Organizing Committee: This committee is in charge of outreach and you’ll get to know your colleagues across campus and help with identifying and listening to faculty concerns and recruiting.
Q: That’s great! How and when can I join a committee?
A: For these committees, you can nominate yourself or a faculty anytime during the year.
Q: Which email should I use to join and communicate?
A: We recommend that you use a personal email address (non-jmu). Your membership is confidential and the list of our members is not published or shared with the university.
Q: I still have questions….
A: We’ll be happy to hear and answer them! Contact us at aaup.jmu@gmail.com and let’s talk!