AAUP Re-Elects Cary Nelson as President

by E Wayne Ross on April 17, 2008

The Chronicle News Blog: AAUP Re-Elects Cary Nelson as President

Members of the American Association of University Professors have given Cary Nelson a second two-year term as president. Mr. Nelson is a professor of English at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Since he took office, in 2006, Mr. Nelson has tried to increase the association’s flagging membership rolls with a national campaign. He has also begun a twice-monthly online newsletter to AAUP members and issued statements on politics in the classroom and academic freedom.

Mr. Nelson was challenged for the presidency by Thomas E. Guild, a visiting professor in the business school at Oklahoma City University. Mr. Guild’s campaign Web site said the AAUP was facing a financial crisis — running a deficit and liquidating investments to meet its staff payroll. He garnered 41 percent of the vote. Only 6,156 of the 40,000 AAUP members eligible to vote cast ballots.

The members also voted in a slate of officers to the National Council, which is the AAUP’s governing body. Results are available on the AAUP’s Web site. —Robin Wilson