"The massive demonstrations, student occupations, & unified faculty strikes across Argentina are an inspiration to educators & workers everywhere. Public higher education belongs to the people—not oligarchs, financiers, or authoritarian politicians." — Todd Wolfson, AAUP President #AcademicSky

We again would like to point to our Faculty Council Resolution from this fall in calling for BSU to adhere to its own policies and procedures when a similar issue arises in the future: bsuaaup.com/fc-resolutio...

This is literally what such policies are for--to guide action in fraught circumstances and provide guiding principles to strengthen your resolve in the face of outside pressure.

All of this could have been avoided if Ball State had abided by its own policies and statements, pointed to them when conversing with angry donors, and used that time to let cooler heads prevail.

To Suzanne, who shared it to a limited audience in a non-public post; B) not understand Suzanne's job; and C) be most concerned about donors and recruitment.

It is noteworthy that in his statement defending the settlement, Mearns seems to A) misunderstand how Facebook works and shifts responsibility for the publicity of this post from Todd Rokita, the Indiana attorney general who made it national news.

It seems that the lesson Mearns is hoping BSU faculty and staff will learn from this is that $225,000 plus legal fees is an acceptable price for improperly firing and violating the constitutional rights of an employee who becomes inconvenient.

This just a month after university-wide budget cuts were announced. This settlement money could have been used to restore nearly all of the cuts from Student Affairs for next year. Or reopened the Office of Inclusive Excellence. Or halved the budget hit taken by CCIM.

Ball State spends $225,000 plus lawyer's fees (President Mearns retained a Jones Day partner out of DC) for the termination of Suzanne Swierc. Mearns defends his decision to fire her and calls this "a modest monetary payment" (www.thestarpress.com/story/news/l...).

An excellent opinion in @insidehighered.com on the importance of sociology and the social sciences, and how true intellectual diversity directly opposes authoritarian control of academic freedom www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...

"Applying those principles inconsistently, the group [BSU AAUP] argued, leaves faculty, students and staff uncertain about what behavior is allowed and creates an atmosphere of fear." @aaup.org snwrks.co/3ncjau4

Lots of mentions of the @aaup.org, as well as references to our survey and chapter president, Dr. Indigo Koslicki! www.indystar.com/story/news/e...

@aaup.org , @aft.org and others are sponsoring a mass call on Sunday about strategies to pressure our schools to stop investing in partners that fund ICE and the DHS. Join the call this Sunday at 7 PM. Register using the link: www.mobilize.us/aft/event/89...

@thefireorg.bsky.social expresses concerns about the university's decision to discipline students for visiting the Admin Building in Nov, 2025. FIRE urges BSU to take multiple actions, including some that align with our chapter's Statement on Freedom of Expression from September. bit.ly/45KWq4E

Higher Ed has positive impacts on the lives of every American, from training doctors to developing tech innovations. Political interference threatens that. Do you have a Higher Ed impact story? Share it in the comments or on this survey: buff.ly/H9dC7xG @AFTHigherEd.bsky.social @AAUP.org

University workers do cutting-edge scientific research that saves lives and makes us healthier. But Trump & Congressional Republicans want to cut funding for this critical, lifesaving research. Tell Congress: Stop the cuts to research! buff.ly/MhLiaBy @aaup.org @aft.org

Universities are enmeshed in their communities. BSU immersive learning projects connect students with Munsonians for mutually beneficial collaborations--from installing solar panels to documenting local history. Higher Ed helps communities thrive! buff.ly/jsNrCt9 @AFTHigherEd.bsky.social @AAUP.org

100%, @rweingarten.bsky.social. "When we fight for higher education, we are fighting for everyone." #HigherEdBenefitsEveryone @AAUP.org @AFTHigherEd.bsky.social spectrumnews1.com/wi/milwaukee...

Calling True Crime fans! If you find bones while digging, who investigates? The sheriff dept's million $$ crime lab? Nope. Often it's the local university's Anthropology Department. True True Crime fans know the importance of funding Higher Ed. buff.ly/unPT6NO @AFTHigherEd.bsky.social @AAUP.org

Higher Ed transforms lives. A number of BSU students, faculty & staff are first-generation college goers. They know first hand how a college education can change a life trajectory for the better. Political interference and funding cuts threaten future stories like these: buff.ly/sdr1c3h @AAUP @AFT

Higher ed workers say: Condemn the Compact! Here is CSU-AAUP, AFT Local 6745 member A. Fiona Pearson, professor of sociology at Central Connecticut State University, calling for us to unite in the face of these attacks on higher ed! @aftct.bsky.social

When politicians attack higher ed, they’re not just hurting students & faculty. It hurts: ✅Patients who rely on medical research ✅Workers who reap the benefits of innovation ✅ All of us who benefit from a strong economy www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAKJ... @AAUP @AFT

On this Day of Action for Higher Ed, we applaud IU Bloomington's faculty council for urging IU to reject Trump's compact. Political interference from D.C. will negatively impact what Hoosiers are allowed to teach and learn and which Hoosiers can go to college. buff.ly/rdeBJwW. @aaup.org @aft.org

Higher education is a public good, not a political football. It's time to make our voices heard and demand our elected officials protect this vital institution. Add your voice to ours! Tell Congress to invest in our future. www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAKJ... @AFTHigherEd.bsky.social @AAUP.org

“I feel very strongly that we need to do all we can to stand against the notion that there is anything good about making compromises of the sort the Trump administration is asking universities to do." — Maria Bucur, AAUP Indiana University Bloomington

BSU faculty teach classes that transform students’ lives and do research that can change the world. They create opportunity and strengthen Muncie and Indiana. On this Day of Action, re-read VJ Rubenstein's op-ed on the impact of funding cuts on higher ed: tinyurl.com/mr2ac2mf @aaup.org @aft.org

Today, with a 31-4-6 vote, BSU's Faculty Council approved our resolution on Free Expression! bsuaaup.com/fc-resolutio... This shows that faculty across 31 depts remain concerned about the firing of an employee for private statements and are not ready to forget the threat this poses to us all.

Our KYR event on international travel with CUNY CLEAR went great on Tuesday! If you couldn't make it, here's a handy document to help you navigate dealing with CBP for both citizens, LPRs, and non-citizens: drive.google.com/file/d/1NNDT...

If you're in Muncie, join us at the Fallen Heroes Memorial Bridge from noon to 2! #NoKings

Reject the ongoing censorship of student media on our campuses! “Administrative efforts to subordinate campus journalism to public relations are inconsistent with the mission of higher education to provide a space of intellectual exploration and debate” —Hank Reichman, in a new Academe Blog post

Dr. Sarah Vitale, secretary of our chapter, delivers some excellent comments and insight in this article by the NYT. See our petition in the comments. We are up to at least 352 signatures and still collecting them. @aaup.org @sarahvit82.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2025/09/29/u...

Read our statement on Freedom of Expression at Ball State University signed by hundreds of BSU faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members from across the political spectrum. You can add your name too, using the form at the bottom of this page: bsuaaup.com/aaup-public-...

We are proud of our students for reaching across the aisle and uniting against the suppression of free expression at Ball State University. Protecting free expression is a nonpartisan issue!

“People do not forfeit their First Amendment rights when they are hired by government institutions. Public employees are free to speak on matters of public concern, so long as they are speaking as private citizens..."

Please see our official statement regarding the termination of BSU employee Suzanne Swierc. Click the following link for the full statement: bsuaaup.com/response-to-... @aaup.org

The final portion of the 1st Amendment, the right to petition the government, is often not discussed but was pivotal to begin the end of slavery in the US. In 1834, the American Anti-Slavery Society began a drive to send anti-slavery petitions to DC, generating over 130,000 petitions! 1/3

Much like the militarized response to the 1970 Kent State protesters, many student protesters faced militarized law enforcement responses to the Palestine protests. www.aaup.org/news/defense...

The freedom of assembly is enshrined in our Constitution through the First Amendment. However, law professor Gregory P. Magarian asserts that after the tragedy of Kent State in 1970, the U.S. Supreme Court has shifted its focus. 1/3

The Civil Rights Movement was integral to advancing First Amendment protections of both the freedom of the press and the freedom of assembly. Regarding freedom of the press, New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964) is a pivotal U.S. Supreme Court case. 1/2

While we prepare a statement in light of recent BSU decisions, we will continue highlighting our First Amendment protections. Freedom of the press is the protected right to freely publish communications and expressions of opinions through various forms of media. 1/2

The Ball State chapter of @aaup.org is preparing a statement in response to this decision by BSU leadership. We are especially troubled that leadership made this decision on Constitution Day, when we are highlighting the freedoms protected by the First Amendment. www.facebook.com/share/p/17HP...

Ball State University’s Freedom of Expression Statement asserts that the freedom of expression “is enshrined in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and Ball State University’s Bill of Rights and Responsibilities.” 1/7

What kind of speech is not protected under the First Amendment? Incitement to violence, fighting words, obscenity, defamation, true threats, forms of harassment, speech integral to criminal conduct, and sexual content of minors are all examples of speech that is not protected. 1/2

The next portion of the 1st Amendment is the freedom of speech, and an integral part of the mission of @aaup.org. What exactly is free speech, and how has that definition changed throughout history? Listen to NPR’s Throughline episode, “We the People: Free Speech” www.npr.org/2024/07/25/1...

In Sherbert v Verner (1963), the Supreme Court of the U.S. (SCOTUS) came up with a test to see if a government action infringed on one’s free exercise of religion. This test put a high value on the free exercise of religion and set a high bar for permissible government infringement. 1/5

The Free Exercise Clause says “Congress shall make no law…prohibiting the free exercise [of religion].” Determining what counts as the exercise of religion and when the government is infringing on it has been extremely complex. 1/4

Although public schools and universities, for now, aren’t allowed to engage in explicit religious training using tax dollars, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has argued that teaching ABOUT religion is a public good. 1/6

The Establishment clause says “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” In its most basic form, this means that the United States cannot have an official state religion–unlike England, for example. 1/6

Most think about freedom of speech when they discuss the 1st Amendment, but it starts by grappling with freedom of religion. Legal and constitutional scholars divide this into two clauses: The Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause. Sometimes there is friction between these two. 1/4

Since 1915, the AAUP has helped to promote academic freedom across higher education in the U.S. Today is Constitution Day, and we are celebrating by sharing information about the First Amendment!