Michigan Conference American Association of University Professors

Michigan Conference Chapter Development Program

A major function of the Michigan Conference is to assist chapters in expanding their membership. The conference sets money aside every year to fund membership drives. While the national and state AAUP will gladly provide technical and financial assistance in addition to some manpower, the bulk of the effort must be undertaken by the chapter members. This document is only designed to be a guide, offering general suggestions. To be successful, a membership drive must have a coherent plan. Please contact the conference for help in designing a campaign plan for your school.

Chapter Creation

1. Elicit seven (7) AAUP members. Chapters must have a minimum of 7 national AAUP members.
2. Adapt a constitution. A sample constitution and by-laws are available from the national AAUP website.
3. Elect officers. Elections should be held according to the guidelines outlined in the constitution. Chapters should at minimum elect a president and treasurer.
4. Notify the state and national AAUP of your new chapter status. When the minimum standards are met, the national AAUP will officially recognize the chapter. With that recognition, the chapter will become part of the state conference.
5. Create a chapter mission specific to the needs of your institution and its faculty. This mission informs others as to the purpose of your chapter. A good mission focuses the energies of the chapter members and assists membership expansion.

Keys to Expanding Chapter Membership

A thorough plan. Membership drives cannot be run ad hoc. A plan must be in place that efficiently utilizes assets, sets timetables and proves a clear message. A good plan allows people to know that role and work together constructively.

Activists. A successful drive needs a dedicated core of activists. These individuals should come from a variety of disciplines to allow maximum name recognition during the drive. The activists act as stewards for their departments, coordinating drive functions, making introductions between faculty and membership recruiters and alleviating the concerns of their colleagues.

A strong leader. A campaign manager must be the face of a membership drive while ensuring the actions reflect the campaign plan. Ideally, the campaign manager is not the chapter president, creating a buffer between the actions of the chapter and the goals of the AAUP.

Information distribution. Every campaign must be awash with information. Multiple information sources can address a myriad of faculty issues. The more information which addresses each type of concern, the more likely someone will respond. Printing costs on this scale can be overwhelming however. Instead, print eye-catching posters and brochures that address the most common issues. To provide more depth and breadth, create a website that people can browse at their leisure. Make sure these informational sources also contain

• Goals of the AAUP (national + your chapter)
• Why people need to be an AAUP member
• Successes of your chapter (or a nearby chapter)
• The theme/spirit of your membership campaign

Visual Cues. People are naturally attracted to successful, popular organizations. Use newsletters, posters, buttons, etc to increase the visibility of your chapter and membership drive. Use numbers and statistics to illustrate your success.

Familiar Faces. Even in the academic world, people trust the messenger more than cold facts and statistics. Have recruiters focus on their close colleagues first and expand the drive outward. New members can be used in recruiting as long as they understand the specifics of the AAUP or are paired with someone more experienced.

Tailored Arguments. When recruiting new members, their professional concerns should dictate the logic used to enroll them. While the core AAUP tenets of academic freedom and tenure are important to nearly all faculty, some individuals will be swayed by arguments on different topics. Therefore, a key step before an office visit is to discover what professional troubles a faculty member has had; then prepare the bulk of the argument on that topic. Sometimes, that knowledge cannot be found beforehand and the recruit must touch on a number of topics before finding a colleagues concerns. When preparing for office recruiting visits, be sure to prepare arguments and evidence in the following topics:

• Academic Freedom and Tenure
• Shared Governance
• Economic Advancement
• Professional Standards and Ethics
• Gender and Family Issues

Few people in higher education have not, at one time, been at odds with the system whether it was due to policies or individuals. The key to a convincing argument is to thoroughly address concerns dear to the faculty member.

Perseverance. Do not give up on someone who says “no.” AAUP organizers say it takes an average of seven (7) contacts (personal, visual cues or informational communication) to get a positive response. Be patient, be persistent, and be persuasive.

When you are ready to begin a membership campaign, please contact the Michigan Conference office to prepare a detailed campaign plan.