Let’s build faculty power in Oregon, together!
AAUP-Oregon defends higher education and academic freedom through local organizing and political advocacy, and I am happy to share with you that the work of championing faculty and graduate employee rights in the state of Oregon continues to move forward.
My name is Victor Reyes. Today, I am proud to announce that with the unanimous support of the Executive Committee, I have accepted an interim appointment as Director of AAUP Oregon. In this role, I will continue the work done by my predecessors, Matt Burris and Ashley Bromley. I have worked closely with both of them over the last 6 years, first as an OSU faculty member and organizer for United Academics of Oregon State University (UAOSU), then as a member of the AAUP Oregon Executive Committee, and I am excited to help your local chapters build faculty power at your institutions and in the state of Oregon.
And to defend academia, we must build power.
As the Chronicle of Higher Education notes, higher education is on the ballot. From the relative safety of our state, we have seen what university boards and state legislatures feel emboldened to do in states where university workers lack reliable allies in the statehouse and a strong culture of organized labor.
This election, that safety is endangered here in Oregon.
Getting involved now is essential. It begins by casting your ballot and engaging with others about the legislative issues that are important to you. If you have not voted yet, please take the time to consider AAUP Oregon’s legislative endorsements as well as those of our friends at AFT Oregon and Oregon AFL-CIO. We need to elect legislators who not only respect worker’s rights and value the mission of higher education institutions but are also willing to fight for those rights and values in Salem.
Oregon is also experiencing ever-intensifying misinformation about the integrity of our elections, and as educators it is our duty to dispel these falsehoods when we encounter them. From start to finish, Oregon’s elections are run with high standards. Accurate registration lists, secure and transparent ballot counting, and post-election audits are built into vote by mail to ensure the integrity of our elections. You can learn more here.
Voting, however, is just the beginning of how we can defend higher education and our institutions. United by a shared goal and collective action, we can build a better future for higher education in Oregon, but it will take all of us working together to succeed. I look forward to working with you to create that future for Oregon’s students, staff, graduate employees, and faculty.
In solidarity,
Victor Reyes, Director of AAUP-Oregon
