Let me speak plainly about two troubling shifts in how power is exercised right here in our local Auburn community. A community where a city and a university are deeply intertwined both economically and politically.
First, on June 5, the Auburn University Board of Trustees voted unanimously, without any real notice nor debate, to suddenly dissolve the University Senate, the long-standing and primary body where the faculty had at least a partial advisory voice in governance. A body where the president of the University regularly presented himself and participated in open debate on matters of vital importance to the University and our community. They dictatorially replaced it with a Presidential Academic Advisory Council that the president largely appoints and controls. At the same time, they adopted a sweeping policy claiming final, ultimate authority over every course, syllabus, curriculum change, degree program, and academic requirement.
This happened despite the fact that HB 580, a new state law lobbied for by entities directly tied to several Auburn University Trustees, does not even apply to Auburn University given the constitutional nature of its board. The trustees chose to act unilaterally and aggressively, intentionally avoiding any engagement or debate with the faculty of the university. The very same faculty who actually teach all of our students and conduct all of the research, unlike the trustees. The very same faculty who actually reside in our local community, unlike most of the trustees.
The Auburn AAUP chapter called it what it is: a shift from shared governance to top-down administrative control. Professors warn of damaged trust, morale at rock bottom, hiring and retention problems and risks to the quality of education and accreditation. These are talented individuals and experts serving our students and making up an extremely important part of our local community. They are not privately employed corporate subordinates to be managed in the absence of real partnership.
The University of Alabama Chapter of AAUP stated "an attack on the core values of any Alabama institution of higher education is an attack on the integrity of all, particularly when legislators imply that the funding of constitutionally created universities may also be at risk if they do not comply."
Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi said "Obviously I'm not in a position to comment about what happens at any other university. But here at Penn State University, I do know that my entire administration and me and the board of trustees truly value the partnerships we have had and continue to have with the Faculty Senate and we are committed to maintaining that shared governance for the University".
Now let’s look at our own City of Auburn. While unelected university trustees reached out and grabbed more direct power, our elected City Council has steadily and voluntarily handed its responsibilities over to the unelected city management team. In our council-manager system, the council is supposed to set clear policy, provide strong oversight and remain accountable to the voters. Instead, we’ve seen the management team take on broader roles in budgets, development decisions, appointments and daily governance, with the council often deferring or simply rubber-stamping. This quiet abdication weakens the direct accountability citizens deserve from the people we elect. The citizens are losing their voice in city government just as they are losing their voice at the University.
It is indeed a tale of two administrations: One an appointed body centralizing power with less input from our local citizens; the other an elected body surrendering its proper oversight to professional administrators. In both cases, the balance shifts away from open, responsive structures that respect the voices of our citizens. Real stewardship requires elected and appointed leaders to exercise their responsibilities with openness and real responsiveness, not by overreaching without broad engagement and not by quietly stepping back from their duties.
We deserve leadership with character and conscience, that values expertise where it belongs, maintains clear public accountability and keeps decisions openly connected to the families and working people of Auburn. Whether at the university shaping our students’ futures or at city hall shaping our daily lives, we are capable of more. The erosion of citizen voices both within the University and our Auburn city government must be reversed.
Citizens First means demanding better from both. Watch these transitions closely. Speak up at council meetings. Hold every level of leadership accountable. Support strong faculty voices in academia and strong policy leadership from our elected council. Auburn can and must do better for our students, our families and our future.
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