New Deal for Higher Education Legislative Outreach

AAUP Oregon Members,

Even as semesters and terms wind down and we slowly move toward the end of the Academic Year here in Oregon, we at AAUP Oregon keep fighting for our principles. Today, I’m writing to you about an excellent opportunity to do just that!

There has been significant movement at the federal level on free college, one of the core parts of AAUP’s push for a New Deal for Higher Education. Out of all the legislation on the table, it’s clear that Sen. Sanders’ College for All bill does the most. What can you and your colleagues do to fight for a more equitable and visionary free college program?

Join AAUP and AFT on Monday, May 17 at 11am PT to learn more about A New Deal for Higher Ed: Paths to College for All

Register Here for this national-level meeting.

Because we are excited about the possibilities of College for All, AAUP Oregon will also be hosting a meeting on May 20th from 4pm – 5pm PT  to make concrete plans for legislative outreach, particularly to our Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden. We need as many faculty, staff, students, and community members taking part as possible to make sure our voices are heard loud and clear!

Register Here for the AAUP Oregon session!

I hope to see all of you at both of these important meetings.

In Solidarity,

Avinnash Tiwari
Vice President – Political Action
AAUP Oregon

Chair, Politics Committee
United Academics of the University of Oregon

More Information about A New Deal for Higher Ed: Paths to College for All

Aimee Loiselle (postdoctoral fellow at Smith College and incoming co-chair of Scholars for a New Deal), Nicole Hochsprung (senior associate at AFT Higher Ed), and Kaitlyn Vitez (government relations officer at AAUP) will discuss the free college programs on the table in Congress this summer. The College for All bill takes important steps towards better faculty job security, but congressional leadership and President Biden seem more interested in a smaller-scale free community college plan. How can we influence this debate to get better working and teaching conditions for faculty? Our speakers will brief attendees on the key differences between the competing bills, ways that Biden’s American Families Plan can be improved, and how we can collectively take action to guarantee free college and fair pay for all.

Here are summaries of the three competing bills:

• American Families Plan (Biden) https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/28/fact-sheet-the-american-families-plan/
• College Promise Act (Baldwin, Levin, Murray, & Scott) https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/americas-college-promise-act-2021
• College for All (Sanders and Jayapal) https://jayapal.house.gov/2021/04/21/college-for-all/

Further resources can be found on the New Deal for Higher Education campaign website. Recordings will be posted of these and other webinars as well as upcoming events in the news and updates section. 

For more information, email aaup@aaup-oregon.org.