DEFENDING ACADEMIC INTEGRITY ● PROTECTING FACULTY RIGHTS
This Labor Day, we are redoubling our efforts to protect faculty workers
While keeping our eyes on the November elections, we at AAUP/AFT continue to push back against state and national administrations that seek to devalue higher education at every level.
Preserving academic programs and protecting the faculty who teach them remains at the forefront of our agenda. Several universities are currently experiencing near-unprecedented rates of program eliminations. The case of Syracuse University, which eliminated nearly 90 programs this year, is making headlines–but alas this is not a unique case. Financial challenges and programmatic cuts are currently taking place at dozens of higher-education institutions across the nation. Contributing factors include systematic efforts by the Trump administration to prevent international students from studying in the US, which has wiped out a major source of income for many universities. The White House has also made it harder for students to receive tuition assistance, which in turn hurts the financial streams of universities. The AAUP is actively pushing back through high-profile lawsuits and educational initiatives.
The arrival of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has created a paradox in higher education: it is a technology promoted as a labor-saving device; yet AI is increasing the amount of labor required of faculty. We are being compelled to redesign courses and assessments—often returning to decidedly “low-tech” methods such as handwritten and oral examinations, in-class writing, and individually tailored assignments. Moreover, faculty must additionally investigate suspected AI misuse, document academic-integrity cases, master changing technologies, revise syllabi and policies, and navigate increasingly complicated accommodation requirements. An Education Advisory Board (EAB) survey reported by Inside Higher Ed found that seven in ten faculty members said their workload had increased because they redesigned assessments in response to AI. The AAUP has similarly concluded that AI implementation is adding to faculty workloads, while a 2026 study characterized academic-integrity enforcement and assessment redesign as forms of largely “invisible labor” absorbed by faculty. Therefore, AI is not simply a pedagogical problem; it is also a labor issue. The AAUP aims to address this growing problem in the coming months.
Here in South Carolina, Executive Order 2026-14, issued last month by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, requires state agencies and employees to notify law enforcement when traveling abroad and when hosting official foreign visitors or delegations. While recognizing the legitimate security concerns underlying the order, both AAUP/AFT-CCU and AAUP/AFT-SC have urged university authorities to implement it with caution. In an official letter sent to Governor McMaster last month, the AAUP/AFT urged that the order be scaled back significantly and that it is applied “only those nations that the federal government has deemed to present true economic, military and political threats.”
As we celebrate Labor Day 2026, it is crucial that we remain focused on present and emerging threats to the integrity of academic work. Ignoring these threats subverts the very meaning of Labor Day, which is meant to honor the contributions and achievements of American workers.
In Solidarity – Joseph Fitsanakis, PhD, President AAUP/AFT-CCU
AAUP-CCU 