News from AFT Higher Ed Archive

At gatherings big and small; in cities and towns; on street corners, campuses, bridges and town squares; in parks, train stations, city halls and more—AFT members will join with allies nationwide on Oct. 18 for a “No Kings” day of action even bigger than the one we held in June. Millions of people are coming together to reclaim our democracy, denouncing Trump’s authoritarian power grab and peacefully embracing the power of the people to demand dignity, affordability and opportunity for all. Here’s how you and your members can get involved. Here’s where you can find an event near you.

 

When the Trump administration demanded “loyalty oaths” to force colleges and universities (including the University of Virginia, above) to support the president unconditionally, top leaders at the AFT and the American Association of University Professors called the move what it is: “entirely corrupt.” The offer of preferential treatment for institutions that court government favor “stinks of favoritism, patronage, and bribery in exchange for allegiance to a partisan ideological agenda,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten and AAUP President Todd Wolfson, who urged institutions to reject such collusion. Read their scathing statement here and sign the petition against compacts here. Image: Saadiq Hasan/Wikimedia Commons.

 

 

Karen Schindler runs a lab where she and her students conduct research on fertility—work that could make all the difference for someone starting or building their own family. The work is personal: Schindler has her own infertility story to tell. But this research is threatened by the Trump administration’s cuts to science. Learn more about Schindler’s work and why it is important not just to her and her students, but to the thousands of people who could benefit from it.  

“Most would have to drop out.” That’s the warning from AFT member and professor Eric Rader if Pell grants are slashed. For community college students, this isn’t speculation—it’s survival. Federal aid is the bridge to a degree, a career and a shot at a better life. That’s why the AFT and AAUP are launching a national campaign to fight for the future of higher education. Watch the video, and learn more about the campaign here.

 

A federal court has ruled: Trump’s policy of arresting and detaining noncitizen students and faculty members for exercising their freedom of speech violates the First Amendment. The ruling is the result of a case brought by the American Association of University Professors, the Middle East Studies Association and several AAUP chapters with the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. “This case would not have been possible without the work of courageous members of the AAUP and MESA, who came forward to testify to how the Trump administration policy created a climate of repression and fear on university campuses,” said AAUP President Todd Wolfson. Read more here. Image: AFT Staff, AAUP.

 

The Fall 2025 issue of American Educator is a call to action for defending democracy and strengthening public education. Educators and researchers explain how authoritarian leaders weaken society to gain power and how economic inequality leads to democratic erosion, and they outline a proactive model for fighting disinformation and building a more resilient democracy. Also in this issue, learn why the “failing U.S. public school system” is a myth, what’s wrong with school voucher programs, and how union members are supporting students amid devastating education program cuts by the Trump administration. Read more here.

 

Mary Elizabeth Modica thought she had it made when she first graduated from college—and then her student loans came due. She plunged into poverty, weathering the recession by working multiple jobs and trying to work with the loan forgiveness system, but to no avail: The English language learner teacher still owes six figures. Today, she is working hard to ensure her students aren’t locked out of higher education because of financial restrictions like hers. Read her story on AFT Voices.