Your Penn State AAUP chapter unites faculty across the Commonwealth to re-envision our university as an institution that serves the common good and general welfare of our citizenry. Our mission is to promote a supportive, equitable and just climate for all.


Your chapter promotes equity and economic security for all faculty and graduate students. Together, we help the higher education community organize to make your goals a reality. Faculty, graduate students, and academic professionals of all ranks, at all of Penn State’s campuses, amplify your collective voice by joining your AAUP chapter, yellow join tab.


Current initiatives


March 31, noon on zoom, register in advance here.


Independently audited financial statements by accounting firm Deloitte in 2022 show that Penn State made $100 million more than we cost to run in 2022, see pp. 2-3 (this report is dated November 21, 2022). We are $2.6 billion in net assets wealthier than we were in 2020 (p.9). Independently audited financial statements by accounting firm Deloitte in 2021 show that operating revenue in 2021 was $500 billion greater than operating expenses (p. 2-3), and in 2022 it was $!00 million greater. These documents show that in 2022, our liquid net assets without donor restrictions is over $5 billion (see p. 9, net assets without donor restrictions). For fun, look at how much more in reserves we have now than we did in 2013 when Howard Bunsis and Rudy Fichtenbaum were last on campus just after this AAUP chapter was formed, to support organizing. 


BUT WHAT ABOUT THE BUDGET? Alright, you really want to hear about it? The $166 million Proposed Operating Budget for 2021-2022 deficit PSU President mentions as justification for cuts and layoffs was later projected to be $127 million a few months after it was first proposed and could be easily absorbed by the surplus Penn State annually generates with revenues greater than expenses by $600 million in the last two fiscal year combined. The story remains the same going back in time, each year: Penn State runs at a profit, which is why Moody's and S&P give us such high credit ratings. Moody's details Penn State's massive and growing liquidity and forecasts "continued revenue gains" and praises our "outsized unrestricted monthly liquidity of $7.8 billion provided a very strong 462 days cash on hand in fiscal 2021, which is about double the peer median" (Moody's Credit Opinion, Penn State, April 22, 2022, p. 4).


Penn State also publicizes our excellent credit ratings and reports by Moody's and S&P. See this May 2022 press release and expect another coming soon in April or May, ahead of administration predicted layoffs due to bugetary woes. Don't let this talk of budget crisis lull you into acceptance of these decisions as a fait accompli. The financial statements show the full picture, and so do the Moody's and S&P credit ratings and reports. AND so does Penn State's own PR on itself.

The AAUP cares about:

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is a national organization uniting faculty across disciplines and institutions. AAUP members include faculty across all ranks, researchers, post-docs, librarians, graduate students, and academic professionals. AAUP has merged with AFT (American Federation of Teachers) to become the largest union in the higher education industry. Founded in 1915, the AAUP has helped to shape American higher education by developing standards and procedures that support equity and quality education and drafting comprehensive policies addressing work-related issues.


The AAUP has led national and local equity efforts concerning racial and gender discrimination, contingent faculty, immigrants’ rights, ethics, academic freedom, administrative transparency, and faculty governance.