Michigan Conference American Association of University Professors

Legislative Objectives

Legislative Objectives 2007-2008

STATE APPROPRIATIONS

The AAUP supports a level of state appropriations which:

1. Enables Michigan's public colleges and universities to pay faculty salaries which are competitive with salaries at similar institutions in other midwestern states.
2. Increases or maintains funding of applied and basic research.
3. Increases or maintains funding for efforts to improve Undergraduate teaching, including monetary rewards for excellence in teaching.
4. Increases or maintains funding for public service activities.
5. Recognizes enrollment growth as part of the Institution's funding base.
6. Lowers the percentage of the costs of higher Education paid by an individual student through tuition and fees to no more than 35% of the total cost of the individual student's education.
7. Is not accompanied by language which mandates or unduly influences tuition levels at individual colleges and Universities.
8. Funds all of Michigan's community colleges at levels specified in the state's funding formula.

REVENUES

1. The AAUP supports increased state revenue if needed to maintain appropriate levels of funding for higher education.
2. The AAUP supports efforts to reform state government as long as those reforms reflect an increased financial commitment to education.
3. Inasmuch as the Headlee limit may be adjusted when responsibility for funding a program or programs is transferred from one level of government to another, as a consequence of constitutional amendment (Article 9, Section 26 of the state constitution), and such a transfer of K-12 funding has occurred, the AAUP strongly supports the appropriate increase in that limit, so that all valuable state programs, including higher education, can be properly funded.

PRIVATIZATION

The AAUP opposes privatization of state government operations, except after study with wide public participation and demonstration that it will improve quality and reduce costs without negatively impacting employees.

DEVELOPMENT OF A FUNDING FORMULA

The AAUP supports inclusion of faculty in the development or modification of any formulas for funding higher education.

STUDENT CONCERNS

1. Student Aid. The AAUP supports expanded state aid to students attending public colleges and universities through scholarships, both need and merit-based, and work-study programs.
2. Reciprocity. The AAUP supports legislation permitting public colleges and universities to make reciprocity arrangements providing for instate tuition with neighboring geographical areas.

EDUCATIONAL PLANNING

1. Retraining. The AAUP supports legislative support for college and university programs designed to retrain workers who become unemployed because of decreasing business activity in their occupations.
2. Continuing education. The AAUP supports legislative support for college and university programs aimed at expanding and updating the knowledge and skills of workers who are already employed in their chosen career field.
3. Community college districting. The AAUP opposes consolidation of community colleges or community college districts which will not reduce administrative costs or include a millage rate adequate to meet district needs.
4. Grants to improve K-12 education. The AAUP supports appropriate grants to postsecondary institutions to fund specific programs designed to improve the quality of K-12 education in schools near such postsecondary institutions.
5. Improvement of quality of K-12 education. The AAUP supports initiatives to improve the education of students in the K-12 system so that they can perform at specified levels of competency, thus negating the need for remedial education after graduation from the K-12 system through either institutions of higher education or the business community. For these objectives the AAUP supports measures to attract more qualified college graduates to teaching in K-12 schools, decreasing class sizes, support for appropriate modern technology in instruction, improvement in school libraries as well as support for efforts in postsecondary institutions to improve the preparation of students who plan teaching careers.
6. Social services. The AAUP supports a balanced and adequately financed system of social services in order to strengthen those social and community institutions, such as the family, that complement and underlie educational development. The AAUP opposes measures which do not allow welfare recipients to meet their work requirements through post secondary education.
7. The AAUP opposes measures which undermine support for the public school system, such as charter schools and voucher programs.
8. Planning commission. The AAUP encourages strengthening of governmental agencies which study the needs of higher education, with due regard to the responsibility in this area delegated by the State Constitution to the State Board of Education. The AAUP does not support the formation of a permanent new planning commission.

LABOR LAW

1. The AAUP supports legislation to provide public employees with the right to strike.
2. The AAUP opposed legislation which would prohibit or discourage public employees from collectively bargaining.
3. The AAUP supports legislation which makes it illegal to permanently replace workers who exercise their right to strike.
4. The AAUP supports legislation which forbids employer attempts to invalidate, in whole or part, collective bargaining agreements.

WOMEN AND MINORITIES

1. Encourage support for the disadvantage. AAUP supports legislation that would support the advancement of socio-economically or historically disadvantaged.
2. Equality. The AAUP supports legislation that would prohibit discrimination and guarantee equal treatment, employment opportunities and employee benefits to all regardless of age, race, ethnicity, religion, sex or sexual orientation.
3. Gender-based laws. The AAUP supports sex-neutral amendments to any currents gender-based laws.
4. Affirmative action enforcement. The AAUP opposes moving affirmative action enforcement to an agency other than the Department of Civil Rights.
5. Equal rights amendment. The AAUP supports passage of an equal rights amendment.
6. Minority students. The AAUP supports the development and implementation of special programs to recruit and retain minority students in educational institutions. The AAUP supports programs which facilitate the progression of minorities from the K-12 system to community colleges, four-year institutions and into masters' and doctors' programs.

PROFESSIONAL RIGHTS

1. Lobbying restrictions. The AAUP opposes any attempt to limit the right of a faculty member to communicate directly with a public official to influence legislative or administrative action.
2. Faculty governance. AAUP opposes legislation which would allow boards of trustees to negate established policies of shared governance at public colleges and universities or to impose policies which violate AAUP standards of faculty participation in governance.
3. Curriculum mandates. The AAUP opposed any legislation or attempt by the university governing board to mandate university curriculum. The AAUP also opposes any attempt to alter faculty hiring to include any criteria other than professional abilities.