End of Year Chapter Gathering

This Thursday, May 7, 4–7pm

Haw River Tap Room
300 East Main St, Unit C, Carrboro, NC 27510
(between Cat's Cradle & Amante Pizza)

Please make every effort to join us for (or at least stop by) our year-end gathering. No one is expected to stay the entire time, although of course all are welcome to. Families are welcome including kids, and our VP Erik Gellman has generously offered to buy everyone a drink! (Haw River has delicious non-alcoholic beverages, too.)

It's been a tumultuous year and a transformative one for our chapter. We'll (very briefly) review our work together and have an open-ended discussion about how we can build on the organizing we've done this year, how we can welcome more colleagues to join us, and how we can be accountable to and inclusive of all our members.

Please join your fellow members for an all-too-rare opportunity to gather in person as a chapter.

SCiLL Report Lawsuit

The vote was 64–1 in favor of filing suit. Thanks to all members who voted.

We met again this morning with the Duke First Amendment Clinic, who is representing us pro bono. We will follow up with more details soon. (The wheel of justice turns slowly..)

If you are willing to get involved in this chapter campaign, by for example offering an anonymous statement for the initial complaint, please email Michael Palm at mwpalm@gmail.com or Erik Gellman at esgellman@gmail.com. (The survey was anonymized, so if you indicated this on the survey, please email one of us.)

UNC System Working Group Meeting

Wednesday, May 13, 2:30pm (via Zoom)

The UNC System Policy Working Group meets via Zoom on Wednesdays at 2:30pm. Our next meeting will be on May 13. For more information or to join the group, please contact David Ambaras at dambaras@gmail.com.

This group is the best way for AAUP to continue to take the lead in advocating for UNC faculty rights, now by addressing the new requirement that syllabuses uploaded to the public database must include a "statement affirming that the course engages diverse scholarly perspectives," and also to address the proposed integration of the syllabus repository into Canvas, which is "under consideration" by the "Syllabus Repository Taskforce."

May 15–17: Scholars at Risk Event at the National Humanities Center (RTP)

Our chapter has been invited to participate in an event hosted by the Scholars at Risk network focused on defending academic freedom. If you are interested in attending (or just curious), please contact Michael Palm at mwpalm@gmail.com.

Get Involved

If you are interested in serving as a liaison for your department or unit, please email Erik Gellman at esgellman@gmail.com.

If you would like to help with these updates or with our chapter's website and social media, email Michael Palm at mwpalm@gmail.com.

NC AAUP is the fastest-growing non-union AAUP chapter in the country. Encourage colleagues to join here.

Please Vote: SCiLL Report Lawsuit

If you are a member and haven't voted yet, please do so here by 5pm this Friday, May 1.

Our chapter is considering filing suit against UNC to compel them to release their report about the School for Civic Life and Leadership. Several local media organizations have filed suit, and they are supportive of us filing suit, too. We have met with Duke's First Amendment Clinic, who will represent us free of charge.

End of Year Gathering

Thursday, May 7, 4–7pm, Haw River Tap Room, Carrboro

Please make every effort to join us for (or at least stop by) our year-end gathering. You are not expected to stay the entire time; families including kids are welcome. And our VP Erik Gellman has generously offered to buy everyone a drink!

This will be a welcome (and too rare) chance to gather together, and we'll discuss our priorities and goals for next year, as well as how to better serve and engage more members and colleagues.

May Day

Friday, May 1, 11am–1pm, UNC Quad

Please join us on the quad from 11–1 on Friday for a campus-wide May Day celebration! AAUP will be picnicking, listening to music, hearing from speakers from across campus, and celebrating with our colleagues in UE 150 and TransparUNCy.

Chapter Officer Elections

The following officers have been elected by acclamation to the UNC-CH AAUP Executive Committee:

• President (2 years) — Michael Palm
• Vice President (1 year) — Erik Gellman
• Secretary (2 years) — Gilby Jepsen
• Treasurer (1 year) — Nina Martin
• Rep to Faculty Council (2-year) — Sherryl Kleinman
• Rep to Faculty Council (1-year) — [vacant]

Thank you to Karen Booth and Elyse Crystall for your service and leadership over the years!

Please contact any of the above officers if you'd like to serve as the second representative to Faculty Council.

May 15–17: Scholars at Risk Event at the National Humanities Center (RTP)

Our chapter has been invited to participate in an event hosted by the Scholars at Risk network focused on defending academic freedom. If you are interested in attending (or just curious), please contact Michael Palm at mwpalm@gmail.com.

Get Involved

If you are interested in serving as a liaison for your department or unit, please email Erik Gellman at esgellman@gmail.com.

If you would like to help with these updates or with our chapter's website and social media, email Michael Palm at mwpalm@gmail.com.

NC AAUP is the fastest-growing non-union AAUP chapter in the country. Encourage colleagues to join here.

End of Year Chapter Gathering

Thursday, May 7th, 4pm–7pm

Haw River Tap & Table
300 East Main St, Unit C, Carrboro, NC 27510
(next to Cat's Cradle)

Join fellow members for an open-ended gathering. Come when you can, kids et al. welcome.

It's been a tumultuous year and a transformative one for our chapter. We'll review our work together and discuss how we can build on the organizing we've done this year, how we can welcome more colleagues to join us, and how we can be accountable to and inclusive of all our members.

Support Faculty Council Resolution on SCiLL This Friday, April 17

• Encourage Faculty Council reps to vote YES to this resolution. The list of FC members is here.

• Attend the Faculty Council meeting to reaffirm our insistence that a university should follow its own rules. 3–5pm at 2001 Kerr Hall, Eshelman School of Pharmacy. (A timed schedule will be circulated on Thursday.)

Several local media organizations have filed a lawsuit to compel UNC to release the SCiLL report.

"According to the lawsuit, the school's critics have said that the school's 'very establishment, the process by which it was established, and many of the actions taken by its appointed leader, Dean Jed Atkins, have violated UNC academic policies, traditions, and procedures related to curriculum, hiring, faculty tenure and status, faculty governance and funding.'" (wral.com)

SCiLL Out of Chapel Hill: A TransparUNCy Community Assembly

Tuesday, April 14, 7pm, Campus Y

Voting Through Wednesday, April 15, for UNC-CH Faculty Council

See this doc for voting recommendations made by members on the listserv and folks otherwise affiliated with AAUP. Thanks, Rosie! (Check your UNC email for a message titled "Your ballot for the 2026 Faculty Election.")

North Carolina AAUP Annual Conference

Saturday, April 18, 10am–1pm

Registration is now live for this year's virtual AAUP NC Annual Meeting! Join colleagues from chapters across the state. More info and schedule here. Register here.

42nd Annual Black Workers for Justice Banquet

Saturday, April 18, 5pm, Wake County Commons Building (Raleigh)

Our chapter is sponsoring a table at the 42nd Annual Black Workers for Justice Banquet. If you are interested in attending, contact Abbey Hatcher at abbeyhatcher@gmail.com.

Next Week: Palestine Liberation Week

Our colleagues in UNC Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine have co-organized (with SJP and TransparUNCy) a series of events next week, including Friday, April 17th, 5pm in the Hanes Art Center Lobby and Sculpture Garden: a panel discussion about the mural that was destroyed last fall (an act of censorship that our chapter protested), followed by an opening reception for a new mural that has been installed.

May 1: May Day Celebration

UNC-CH AAUP is hosting a May Day Celebration in collaboration with UE150, TransparUNCy, and some other to-be-announced campus organizations. Please join us from 11am to 1pm on the quad for a picnic and speakers celebrating workers internationally.

https://www.workersunionunc.com/statements-campaigns-unc/may-day-2026-uncch

May 15–17: Scholars at Risk Event at the National Humanities Center (RTP)

Our chapter has been invited to participate in an event hosted by the Scholars at Risk network focused on defending academic freedom. If you are interested in attending (or just curious), please contact Michael Palm at mwpalm@gmail.com.

Next Chapter Working Meeting

Friday, April 24, Noon–1pm

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89195114865?pwd=qf2kY5jKF6utphBBKn4ghkszHa6lLT.1

Meeting ID: 891 9511 4865
Passcode: 091726