AAUP-CSU Newsletter, May 2026

Greetings AAUP-CSU Members and Supporters,

As another semester comes to a close, AAUP-CSU is working on ways to inform our campus community about the consequences of this year’s budget cuts. Continue reading for information about a brief survey in which you can tell us how the April 15 firings impacted your unit. Then join us at our monthly general meeting to help us strategize how to publicize survey results, continue to demand transparency and accountability from the administration, and build our membership so that we can work toward our goal of collective bargaining.

As we prepare for the end of another academic year, celebrate solidarity & community at the May Day events planned in our community.

The AAUP-CSU newsletter will be on hiatus for the summer and will return in August 2026.

[Take Action] [Stay Informed] [Get Support] [Join AAUP-CSU]

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Take Action

Northern Colorado May Day Events!

There are two May Day events being planned in our community. AAUP-CSU will have a table at each. We hope to see you there!

Friday, May 1, 1:00-6:00pm | City Park

May Day Picnic in the Park. Community members and local organizations will be gathering in City Park in Fort Collins for an afternoon of no work, no school, no shopping, and solidarity.

Sunday, May 3, 12:00-2:00pm | Edora Park

Please join AAUP-CSU and partner organizations for the annual May Day Picnic on Sunday, May 3 from 12pm – 2pm. This family-friendly celebration of unions and labor will include food, games and activities, pro-labor speakers and more. Please come join us to celebrate spring and the end of the semester, while working to support workers in the Northern Colorado Community. Register: https://www.mobilize.us/coloradoea/event/941671/

Get the NoKingsAAUP to join the QR-based scavenger hunt.

Monthly meeting | Monday, May 4, 4:00-5:00pm | Ramskeller

We gather monthly to plan actions, discuss concerns, and build solidarity. All are welcome (faculty, staff, students, and community members). Come let us know how the recent administrative cuts hit your department and help us pressure the administration for more budget transparency and responsible fiscal management that prioritizes students and employees. We’ll also discuss our plans for expanding membership so that we can work toward our ultimate goal of gaining collective bargaining rights.

Promote AAUP-CSU to Your Colleagues!

As part of our ongoing membership campaign, we have designed postcards that you can distribute to colleagues and post on your office door. Let folks know that we are working for them! Reach out to Kari Anderson if you’d like a stack of postcards!

Stay Informed

CSU’s Administration Pushes Layoffs Despite Improved Budget Outlook

On Monday, April 13, CSU’s VP for University Operations Brendan Hanlon announced that his committee would recommend that the University cut 178 full-time equivalent positions. While some of those positions are currently empty, scores of colleagues across campus were laid off on Wednesday, April 15th. CSU’s administration is making layoffs despite the fact that it no longer expects the State of Colorado to significantly cut its support for CSU. In January, President Parson suggested that state funding for higher education could decline by $50 million next year. CSU now expects less than a $1 million reduction in state support. Indeed, CSU projects a $11.3 million increase in tuition revenue next year (and a $6.3 million in net tuition revenue, after accounting for the associated increase in financial aid). Nevertheless, CSU’s administration is proposing to cut College budgets by $13.9 million or by 5%

Although the administration has provided very little information about these layoffs, over a hundred faculty members from every CSU College completed the AAUP-CSU’s confidential survey about the impact of these budget cuts. (You can still fill out the survey yourself here.) The survey responses show that these layoffs came as a complete surprise to many long-time CSU employees. Several colleagues recount being fired by a College Dean who would not tell them how that decision was made or who else is being let go. Faculty raises have failed to keep pace with inflation for years, but stagnant wages pale in comparison to job loss. One colleague wrote that, “The families of the laid off faculty members are devastated.” Unsurprisingly, the layoffs are concentrated among non-tenure-track faculty. Another colleague wrote: “No CCAF member should feel safe. Any of us could be cut.”

Our survey also reveals very low confidence in CSU’s administration. The vast majority of faculty disagree that “CSU’s administration has clearly communicated what budget cuts will be implemented in my unit”, that “the process for proposing, evaluating, and implementing budget cuts has been transparent”, or that “these budget cuts serve the best interests of CSU.” These cuts are clearly undermining the morale of faculty who get to keep their jobs. One colleague notes, “Many faculty and staff are looking for other positions.” When asked how they think CSU should address its budget problems, faculty most commonly suggest reducing our Athletics subsidy, tackling administrative bloat, freezing top salaries, and rethinking expensive projects like the new Spur campus.

While CSU’s administration often gives lip service to “shared governance”, these cuts reveal a very different reality. Faculty have not received basic information about what programs and positions are being cut, let alone had input into those decisions. CSU’s leaders may think that it is easiest to run a University from the top down, but faculty have little faith that the administration is addressing our biggest budget challenges. Our colleagues overwhelmingly disagreed with the statement that “I am optimistic about CSU’s future despite the current budget challenges.” The AAUP-CSU believes we should use our Faculty Council apparatus to hold CSU’s leadership to account. But this episode also highlights the importance of our ultimate goal: unionizing CSU faculty and bargaining collectively over our wages and working conditions.

AAUP National is Leading Opposition to Trump’s Attack on Higher Ed. Read the New York Times’ Coverage

The article notes:

The speed and the seeming arbitrariness of the new administration’s threats against universities left many schools shellshocked. Trump officials described professors as “the enemy,” tried to strip funding from research universities and pushed schools to sign a compact that would allow the government to exert more control over private institutions. Meanwhile, red state legislatures gutted faculty power and eroded tenure. In response, school leaders often concluded that their best bet was to stay quiet and avoid drawing attention to themselves. The chaos in higher education has turned the A.A.U.P. into a “fighting organization,” said Todd Wolfson, the president of the group. “When people are feeling insecure they need a home and a place that they think can defend them,” said Dr. Wolfson, a Rutgers professor and former union leader there. “The A.A.U.P. has stepped into that breach.”

Read the full article on the NYT site. CSU employees can access a free subscription to the NYT through the university’s Commitment to Campus program.

Is Your Salary Keeping Up with Inflation?

AAUP-CSU has developed a tool to calculate whether your annual merit raises are keeping pace with inflation. On average, when adjusted for cost-of-living increases, many faculty are worse off than they were in 2020. Try out the calculator and see where you stand.

Get Support

AAUP works for you!

Read the AAUP’s recently published report on academic freedom and collective bargaining.

Check out AAUP’s collection of reports, articles, and books on a variety of topics in AAUP’s Issues in Higher Ed page. Use their research to advocate for faculty and students on our campus!

Membership has its benefits! Check out the resources available to national AAUP members, including webinars, toolkits, a subscription to Academe, and benefits from the American Federation of Teachers.

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