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NC-AAUP
Annual Business Meeting Minutes Saturday, April 2, 2005 in Boiling Springs, NC Pres. Weinberger convened the meeting at 2:30pm. The minutes of September 18, 2004 Annual Business Meeting were approved and will be on the NC-AAUP website, http://www.aaup.appstate.edu/nc Treasurer’s Report: Dr. Sangster gave the Treasurer’s Report (report attached to Secretary's copy of Minutes). Approval of the Treasurer’s Report was moved and seconded. The motion passed. Old Business: None. Vote on By-Laws: The new By-Laws were discussed as well as how they can be ratified as the NC-AAUP’s new Constitution. Drs. Pubantz and Hughes explained some of the key changes in these new By-Laws. For example, the new By-Laws reflect a structure build on individual AAUP members in NC, rather than on AAUP chapters. Additionally, there are now two-year terms for officers, rather than one-year terms. (For these By-Laws, see the NC-AAUP website, http://www.aaup.appstate.edu/nc) A motion to adopt the By-Laws was made and seconded. The motion passed. Election of Member at Large (Private Institutions): Pres. Weinberger called for nominations from the floor. Dr. Ron Williams was nominated and accepted the nomination. There being no further nominations, it was moved, and seconded, to elect by acclamation Dr. Williams as the at-large member representing private institutions. Academic Bill of Rights: Pres. Weinberger explained that the Academic Bill of Rights was very recently introduced in the North Carolina legislature, and is in a Senate Committee on Education. A member brought copies of the Senate Bill 1139 for people to read. After a discussion another member presented a resolution opposing Senate Bill 1139. A motion to accept this Resolution on Academic Freedom in North Carolina was made and seconded. After two friendly amendments, the motion passed. The Resolution was as follows: NC-AAUP Resolution on Academic Freedom in North Carolina WHEREAS academic freedom is necessary to advance all areas of human knowledge; and WHEREAS government control of university teaching and research is antithetical to the free exchange of ideas; and WHEREAS numerous protections for the academic freedom of both students and faculty alike are already substantively built into the codes, missions, and visions of the University of North Carolina system; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The North Carolina Conference of the American Association of University Professors calls on state legislators to oppose Senate Bill 1139 because the Academic Bill of Rights proposes to remove academic expertise as the standard for decisions about teaching and research at universities. Only the scholarly expertise of the faculty should continue to determine the content of teaching and research. We urge all faculty and administrators at North Carolina colleges and universities to join us in our opposition to this political intrusion on academic freedom. It was suggested that the Executive Committee create a press release featuring this Resolution, add it to our website and newsletter, and send it to the Chairs of both the NC Faculty Assembly and the Association of Independent Universities in NC. New Business: 1) Election of the Delegates to the ASC meeting (June 10) and the National AAUP meeting (June 11-12) in Washington, D.C. Each State Conference can have 4 delegates at ASC and 2 delegates at National. Pres. Weinberger called for nominations. The nominees were: Dr. Ron Williams; Dr. Martha McCaughey; Dr. Francine Madrey; Dr. Gabrielle Weinberger. (Dr. Jeff Butts, who will be at the meetings anyway, agreed to serve as an alternate). The results of written votes submitted by members were: for ASC—Drs. Weinberger, Williams, Madrey, and McCaughey; and for National AAUP—Drs. Williams and McCaughey. 2) A resolution on Collective Bargaining was submitted on behalf of a member who could not be present at the meeting. The Resolution was referred to the Executive Committee. Announcements: The members present expressed their thanks to the faculty of Gardner-Webb University for hosting our meeting. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. Respectfully submitted, Martha McCaughey Secretary
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