May 5, 2026
The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor AAUP chapter president, Julie Boland, signed a letter in support of Professor Derek Peterson, joining with national leaders from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and American Association of University Professors (AAUP), alongside AFT-Michigan, University of Michigan-Flint AFT-AAUP Local 6571, and University of Michigan-Dearborn AAUP Chapter.
During his May 2026 commencement remarks as outgoing chair of the Senate Committee on University Affairs (SACUA), Professor Peterson celebrated students and community members for their long history of efforts to hold this institution to its highest principles. Peterson was widely and wrongfully criticized for his remarks, which are publicly available here on the Faculty Senate website. The AFT and AAUP responded with a letter in support of Peterson, which reads in part:
“The AAUP and AFT call on the University of Michigan to affirm unequivocally that Professor Peterson will face no discipline for his protected speech, to reject external efforts to dictate the terms of academic expression, and to recommit itself to the principles of academic freedom and shared governance that are foundational to its mission.
At a moment when faculty speech is increasingly subject to political attack, universities must stand firm. The AAUP and AFT stand with Professor Peterson and with all faculty members who exercise their rights and responsibilities to speak, teach, and engage the pressing issues of our time without fear of retaliation.”
University of Michigan AAUP 