Unions Launch Policy Platform to Defend and Transform Higher Education

Higher Education Unions Call for Policy Reform Ahead of 2026 Elections

AUSTIN, Texas—In a strategic move to shape the future of America's higher education, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) have jointly unveiled a national policy platform. This initiative, announced ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, aims to counteract previous governmental policies perceived as detrimental to higher education and to rejuvenate public colleges and universities across the nation.

The platform, titled “A Blueprint for Strengthening and Transforming Higher Education,” envisions educational institutions as essential public goods, vital for a thriving democracy, rather than mere corporate entities.

The core elements of this platform include:

• Restored funding: A commitment to reinvesting in public higher education to ensure that degrees can be pursued without incurring debt.
• Freedom to learn: Implementing protections for academic freedom to safeguard faculty and researchers from political and ideological pressures.
• Shared governance: Advocating for decision-making power to reside with faculty and staff rather than corporate administrators regarding curriculum and research priorities.
• Labor reform: Addressing the dependence on low-wage contingent labor and advocating for collective bargaining rights for all public institution faculty and staff.

The AAUP and AFT are urging political candidates at all levels to adopt this platform and prioritize higher education in their campaigns. The AAUP, affiliated with the AFT, represents a significant force in higher education advocacy.

“With this platform, the AAUP and AFT have crystallized the fight for higher education as a fight for the soul of our democracy,” stated AAUP President Todd Wolfson. He emphasized the importance of prioritizing the needs of students and workers over corporate interests to restore campuses as centers of innovation and public knowledge.

AFT President Randi Weingarten highlighted the global regard for American institutions, stating, “America’s colleges and universities are the envy of the world.” She expressed concerns over federal policies that reduce research funding, challenge diversity, and burden students with debt, noting these issues as political maneuvers aimed at controlling knowledge.

As the 2026 elections approach, the unions, representing 400,000 higher education members, are advocating for this platform to be embraced by candidates nationwide. They are actively campaigning in various arenas to alter how the nation perceives and values its academic institutions.

The collective vision of the AAUP and AFT culminates in a call to action: “Together, the AAUP and the AFT are fighting to make higher education the public good it should be: affordable and accessible, not a privilege for the wealthy; a central hub for world-leading research; a driver of a vibrant democracy. This platform outlines a path forward to strengthen higher education by defending it from political capture, restoring public investment, respecting labor and recentering student learning so that students receive the education they deserve.”

The AFT represents 1.8 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.

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