Faculty councils across Colorado have voted to form a mutual defense compact to protect public colleges and universities from federal attacks. As the Trump administration seeks to reshape American higher education, “faculty councils, AAUP chapters, and student organizations across the state are going to continue to act in concert to communicate and oppose these changes,” says AAUP-CSU President Mary Van Buren. “But it’s up to the [university] administrations to really make this effective.”
Filed under Uncategorized
In partnership with more than a dozen other local groups, AAUP-CSU will be participating in the AAUP National Day of Action for Higher Education on November 7.
Check back frequently, as this list will continue to expand. If you wish to have a table at the event, please complete the form here (with logo – requires Gmail account or without logo – no Gmail required)
More information coming soon!
Filed under Uncategorized
AAUP-CSU and YDSA are Collaborating to Offer a Free Screening of the Acclaimed Film the Librarians
11/07/25 | CSU | 6:30pm
Behavioral Sciences Building A101
Doors open at 6:00pm; Unclaimed seats released at 6:20pm; Film starts at 6:30pm
Tickets are Free with Registration HERE.
As an unprecedented wave of book banning is sparked in Texas, Florida, and beyond, librarians under siege join forces as unlikely defenders fighting for intellectual freedom on the front lines of democracy.
Join the CSU chapters of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) for this free screening.
Arrive early to learn more about local efforts to support academic freedom and resist partisan attempts to control research, teaching, and student support at CSU.
Nearest Parking (Free after 4pm, no permit required) just east of the building (map here) and at the South College Parking Garage (map here).
Filed under Uncategorized
The Colorado University Boulder Faculty Senate voted on October 23 to approve the AAUP Resolution to Establish a Mutual Defense Compact for Colorado Institutions of Higher Education and to reject “loyalty oaths” that require universities to align their principles with partisan priorities. Read more here.
The mutual protection resolution has already passed the CSU Faculty Council and the Associated Students of CSU, and AAUP chapters throughout Colorado continue their efforts to build this important infrastructure to protect our institutions of higher education.
Filed under Stay Informed
Starbucks Workers United in Colorado ask community members to support unionized Starbucks workers as they fight for the first national fast food service union contract in the United States.
Here are some basic facts about the fight they are up against:
This fall and winter, the campaign is heating up across the country and starting with more than 70 practice pickets nationwide. Each picket will have off-the-clock workers from surrounding area union shops, all standing together as one. This action is just one step in an escalation that will build toward Workers United’s biggest strike in over 100 years. We need support now, more than ever, as we force Starbucks back to the bargaining table. But this fight isn’t just for baristas; it’s a rallying cry to labor members and allies everywhere to take a stand against injustice and oligarchy.
Workers United is calling on all our local allies to stand with this October 26 from 10 AM-12 PM on our Mega Practice Picket line outside the College and Stuart Starbucks (1708 S College Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80525-1009). “We would love to have members of other labor unions, along with allies, there to help us make Fort Collins practice picket the biggest and loudest, so Brian Niccol can hear us all the way from his new $100 million office in California!” Michael Wilkins (michael.wilkins@workers-united.org).
Filed under Uncategorized
The AAUP-CSU showed up strong and braved the high winds to stand up at the No Kings Rally in Fort Collins CO. Check out some of these wonderful images from the rally.
Filed under Event Announcement
The Oct. 18, No Kings March will likely be the biggest day of protest in US history, and the AAUP-CSU wants to ensure that this includes strong and clear support for higher education.
When making your signs, please consider promoting a message of support for Academic Freedom, Research Integrity, Curricula Independence, Student Support Services, and other key values of higher education.
The Trump Administration is bribing and threatening universities to exert direct control over educational activities to censor and silence research and education from topics ranging from Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice to Science and Health. We must stay strong and organize to resist these attacks.
If you are marching in Northern Colorado, please consider adding one of the following slides to your sign to help support the American Association of University Professors at Colorado State University.
Come to the AAUP-CSU Sign-Making party (Thursday, Oct 16, 4:30-6:30 PM, LSC Room 386) to get some logo stickers and to make signs with us.
Please print and cut out as many copies of this flyer as you can and help us to pass them out at the march. We will have extras at the AAUP-CSU booth on Saturday.
Here are a few slogans that could help to promote the AAUP message to protect academic freedom, research integrity, curricular independence and free speech at universities.
Filed under Event Announcement, Highlight
So far, the AAUP-CSU Postcard Campaign for Free Speech, Academic Freedom, and Student Centers, in partnership with the ASCSU, has collected and delivered more than 400 postcards to CSU Chancellor Tony Frank and the CSU Board of Governors! The campaign has already played an important role to help convince the CSU Administration to withdraw their disastrous changes to the Free Speech and Peaceful Assembly policies.
But, we are not done fighting yet. Free speech, academic freedom, and student services at our universities are still at risk!
The troubling changes to free speech and peaceful assembly have been withdrawn this time, but continued faculty, student, and community engagement is essential to ensure that the administration meaningfully consult, in the spirit of shared governance, with affected parties before making policy changes that have such profound and lasting effects on our university and our community members.
We now have proof that this campaign is working, and we need your help to expand this effort!
If you attend the No Kings Rally in Fort Collins on October 18, 2025, stop by the AAUP tent and fill out a postcard. Bring as many supporters to the table as you can find.
If you cannot attend, but you want postcards to share with colleagues, friends, neighbors, and family members—anyone in the CSU community or the state of Colorado is invited to fill out a postcard—contact Communications and Organizing Co-Chair Karrin Anderson.
See what others are writing!
The postcard campaign will continue through the end of the Fall 2025 semester.
AAUP-CSU is pleased to announce that following discussions with President Parsons at Faculty Council on October 7, 2025, CSU administration has withdrawn their recent changes to the Freedom of Speech and Peaceful Assembly policy.
AAUP-CSU thanks all who took time to submit comments or postcards surrounding this policy and the more general topics of Academic Freedom and Shared Governance. Once again, we learn the power of unity:
When we Fight We Win.
But, we are not done fighting yet.
Unfortunately, withdrawing these policy changes was not soon enough to prevent a CSU student from being publicly harassed and intimidated with insults and threats by CSU officials for chalking on the LSC plaza on the afternoon of October 7, 2025. AAUP-CSU and representatives across campus were horrified to learn of this incident when they were discussed at faculty council. This injustice highlights the potential impacts and long-range consequences that poorly considered policies can have on employees and students.
The radical changes have been withdrawn this time, but…
Continued and increased faculty and student engagement is essential to ensure that administration meaningfully consult, in the spirit of shared governance, with affected parties before making policy changes that have such profound and lasting effects on our university and our community members.
Read more about the policy and AAUP-CSU’s advocacy response here:
Join or Support AAUP, and help us to continue to protect our constitutional rights and academic responsibilities.
Filed under Action, Highlight, Stay Informed
Dear AAUP Members and Supporters and all CSU and Fort Collins Community Members,
AAUP-CSU invites you and your colleagues, friends, and family of all ages to three fun, yet important democratic actions that AAUP is taking over the next two weeks to fight for the rights and careers of our students, staff, and faculty. We desperately need your help right now to protect academic freedom, free speech, student services, and the sciences, research, and arts at CSU.
Please sign up to volunteer here:
On Thursday, October 9, members of the AAUP and CSU community members will be attending the CSU Board of Governors Meeting at 9:00am in the Long’s Peak room of the Lory Student Center to speak about faculty, student, and staff concerns regarding recent changes to the free speech policy, the continuing need to support CSU services, and to voice concerns about how the budget will affect jobs and services across campus. If you are available at 9:00am, please join to support our efforts on these crucial issues. Arrive early to fill out a comment postcard to be given to the BoG. This event was a resounding success. thank you to all who joined!
On Thursday, October 16, the AAUP will be co-hosting a Sign-Making Party from 4:30pm – 6:30pm in the Lory Student Center, Room 386. At this event, we will have music, conversation, and shared arts and crafts supplies for participants to express their support for the sciences, arts, and humanities; for education; for freedom of speech; and for so many other issues that are under attack in the current political climate. Bring your colleagues, friends, and families for an evening of fun and creativity. Donate a few extra sign-making supplies to share if you are able.
On Saturday, October 18, the AAUP will be joining IndivisibleNoCo, dozens of other local groups, and thousands of Fort Collins residents to attend the No Kings Rally and March (9:00-11:30 a.m. in Civic Center Park, 201 Laporte Avenue in Fort Collins). AAUP will have a tent and tables to distribute information about recent attacks on academic freedom and the lawsuits that the AAUP has won to protect faculty, students, and staff at US Universities against illegal executive overreaches. We will be collecting statements on postcards to demonstrate that CSU and Fort Collins community members still care about our constitutional rights and about education and research in the humanities, arts, and sciences.
There are many fun and easy ways to help!
Bring your friends and family to our sign-making party on Thursday, grab a few of our AAUP Logos and QR Code Stickers to display proudly on your signs to support education, science, and the arts. Wear an AAUP pin at the march, and help us to pass out flyers to support the work that AAUP is doing to protect our freedoms. Bring as many people over to the AAUP table as you can so they can learn more, and so they can sign postcards to tell CSU administration that we care deeply about our rights.
More information about these and many other events can be found on the AAUP website here: https://aaupcsu.org/
Encourage your colleagues to sign up as local members or supporters of AAUP-CSU (https://aaupcsu.org/join-and-support/), so that they too can take part in this movement (ask us about low or zero-cost memberships). And as always, please let us know if you would like to get more involved in planning or supporting future AAUP events or actions.
When we unite and fight, we win.
Yours, in solidarity,
The Communications and Organizing and Executive Committees of the AAUP-CSU
Filed under Action, Event Announcement, Highlight
AAUP National Updates
