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American Association of University Professors (AAUP)-OSU Chapter Records, 1928-1997

Collection Overview

Title: American Association of University Professors (AAUP)-OSU Chapter Records, 1928-1997

ID: MSS AAUP

Primary Creator: American Association of University Professors. Oregon State University Chapter

Extent: 4.0 cubic feet. More info below.

Arrangement: The paper records are organized into 8 series and date primarily from 1967 to 1983. The microfilm records are organized into 8 series and cover the years 1928 to 1966.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

Abstract

These records were generated by the OSU Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and document faculty activities pertaining to academic freedom, loyalty oaths, budget issues, and collective bargaining.

Scope and Content Notes

Given differences in the series designations and date ranges between the paper and microfilm records in this group, the microfilm reels are described separately below and in the inventory.

The paper records are organized into 8 series and date primarily from 1967 to 1983. Series I contains correspondence, memoranda, minutes, and reports generated by the AAUP committees and the executive board dating from 1955 to 1987. Series II primarily consists of correspondence between the chapter and the national AAUP office, the Oregon Federation of AAUP chapters, other chapters in the state, Oregon State Board of Higher Education, Associated Students of OSU, and the Oregon State Employees Association. The subjects addressed in the correspondence include state and federal legislation concerning University faculty and funding, an evaluation of President MacVicar, the chapter's response to a report on the re-organization of higher education in Oregon, and affirmative action programs.

Series III is made up of newsletters and publications dating from 1962 to 1997 from the OSU chapter as well as the Oregon Federation of AAUP chapters and the national office. Materials from other OSU Faculty groups (OSU Federation of Teachers, OSU Faculty Association) are also in this series. Series IV consists of lists of OSU AAUP members and chapter officers, prospective members at OSU, and rosters of all the chapters in the country.

Series V pertains to collective bargaining and the chapter's involvement in the 1975 Employment Relations Board (ERB) hearing on the development of a bargaining unit for OSU academic faculty. The transcripts of the hearing, as well as an index to the proceedings and legal briefs for the case (ERB case C-375) are in this series. Series V also documents the chapter's petition campaign for elections on the issue of faculty unionization. These materials cover the years 1977 and 1983, and include correspondence, surveys, informational materials, faculty forum papers, and collective bargaining agreements from other Oregon universities.

Series VI contains newspaper clippings relating to AAUP's collective bargaining activities, the impact of budget cuts on education, legislation affecting faculty records, discrimination lawsuits, and tenure issues. They cover the years 1967 to 1983. Series VII are treasurer's reports dated from 1968 to 1983. Series VIII consists of photographs of AAUP members taken at national and local chapter meetings in 1970.

The 4 reels of microfilm primarily consist of chapter constitutions, correspondence, meeting and committee minutes, reports, and newspaper clippings covering the years 1928 to 1966. The records on microfilm are organized into 8 series. Some of the issues highlighted in the microfilm records include the Chancellor selection controversy of 1933, loyalty oaths, and political (particularly Communist) affiliations.

Biographical / Historical Notes

Since its establishment in 1927, the OSU Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has addressed issues concerning faculty academic freedom and welfare including loyalty oaths, Oregon's re-organization of higher education in the 1920s and 1930s, state budget cutbacks, tenure review standards, and faculty benefits and salaries. From 1975 to 1983, the chapter actively campaigned to bring collective bargaining rights to OSU academic faculty. The chapter's involvement included participation in public hearings on the development of a faculty bargaining unit in 1975 and petition campaigns for an election on faculty unionization. Despite the chapter's success in helping to bring the union question to a vote in 1977 and 1983, both of the measures failed. Finally, in 2018, a faculty union at OSU - the United Academics of Oregon State University - was certified. In 2020, the first Collective Bargaining Agreement and Constitution and Bylaws were ratified.

Administrative Information

More Extent Information: 4 microfilm reels

Related Materials: Other AAUP-OSU Chapter materials are located in the OSU Memorabilia Collection (MSS MC) and the D. Curtis Mumford Papers (MSS Mumford). The Special Collections and Archives Research Center also has records of numerous other faculty staff and student organizations.

Preferred Citation: American Association of University Professors (AAUP)-OSU Chapter Records (MSS AAUP), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives, Corvallis, Oregon.

Other URL: A preliminary container list was created for this collection on or before November 19, 2015.

Creators

American Association of University Professors. Oregon State University Chapter
American Association of University Professors. Oregon State College Chapter

People, Places, and Topics

Collective bargaining--College employees--Oregon.
Oregon State University--Faculty.
Universities and colleges--Employees--Labor unions--Oregon.
University History

Forms of Material

Photographic prints.


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.