Professional Code of Conduct Grievance Filed

PSU-AAUP filed a Division A Grievance on behalf of association members on February 10th. In our last newsletter, we warned that PSU students and others are being invited to post material from their classes to an alt-right “Woke at PSU” site that professes to chronicle “The Self-Destruction of a State University.” The organizers of this “Woke@” campaign across the nation want to compile information on faculty who incorporate racial and social justice in their teaching. At least two of our colleagues used their Twitter accounts to advertise the campaign. At least one member has already been targeted by the campaign. 

Within 48 hours of learning of the campaign and our colleagues’ participation in promoting it, we filed a grievance on behalf of not only the member whose materials had already been posted, but all of our members who could find themselves the target of viral harassment through this campaign. Invitations to harassment and endangerment violate the professional code of conduct and we are asking Administration to take appropriate action.  

If you have any concerns about this, either for yourself personally or more generally, please feel free to reach out to the VP of Academic Freedom and Grievances at jenniferhruth@gmail.com (don’t forget the “h”).  PSU-AAUP stands with our brave colleagues whose important work we wish to support in the face of demeaning, distorting, and potentially dangerous attacks.