Ohio Conference AAUP

https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2026/07/22/ohio-state-civics-center-mandate

Ohio's Republican majority wants to force students to take courses taught only by "conservative" professors at their right-leaning civic centers at five Ohio universities--because students have shown they don't want to take these forced indoctrination courses.

At least that's how students at OSU describe the Salmon P. Chase Center on their campus according to the Hechinger Report in March 2026:
- "Civic centers get conservative professors and ideas in front of students."
- "Most of the students we talked to in Chase Center classes said those professors and course materials were right-leaning."
- "As another student put it: “It is very Republican and very patriotic. If you come in with a blank slate, you’ll probably come out a Republican.”

Only 131 of OSU's 60,000+ students enrolled in courses in the university's civic center. Sen. Cirino's new bill would require all 8,000 incoming undergraduate students to take the civics course and make sure the center profits from all of the revenue from the mandated course.

Facing low enrollment, Ohio may mandate university civics center courses They're part of a Republican push to make public education less "woke."

What does “primary responsibility” mean in shared governance?

Shared governance does not mean that everyone makes every decision together, or that faculty are just invited to offer advice after a decision has already been made.

Under longstanding American Association of University Professors principles, faculty hold primary responsibility for areas in which their professional expertise is essential, including:

• Curriculum and course content
• Teaching methods
• Research
• Faculty status and evaluation
• Academic aspects of student life

That does not make administrators or trustees irrelevant. It means decisions should be made by the people with the knowledge, experience, and institutional role necessary to make them well.

Shared governance is not endless consultation. It is a distribution of authority grounded in competence, accountability, and the educational mission.

Learn more through the AAUP’s Shared Governance FAQ: https://www.aaup.org/issues-higher-education/shared-governance/faqs-shared-governance

OCAAUP President, Gretchen McNamara and Executive Director, Jennifer Tisone Price were at the AFT Convention this week, collaborating and strategizing. The higher education landscape is rapidly changing and we need to come together to fight for student’s right to learn, scholar’s right to research, and the public good that comes from an affordable higher education experience. Delegates from AAUP Wright State University Local 6800, Faculty Alliance of Miami - AAUP, and -AFT Local #6741 were instrumental in the work of the Higher Education Committee at the convention.

Let’s keep the energy up!



American Association of University Professors
AFT

Clara Conover, lead organizer for the Ohio Student Association spoke this afternoon on a panel for the Higher Ed division at the AFT Convention! Mobilizing students, and working with and supporting faculty on our campuses is a top priority of OSA, American Association of University Professors, and the Ohio Conference AAUP. Well done Clara!

Mobilizing to fight for higher education There was packed house at the AFT Higher Education division meeting, where delegates discussed what’s at stake in the midterm elections and how members can organize on their campuses.

Call to action for our brothers and sisters at Ohio University!

https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-ou-president-gonzalez-to-bargain-a-fair-contract?source=direct_link&

https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/07/07/ohio-republican-lawmakers-university-civics-centers-arent-popular-they-want-to-require-attendance/

Just wow. But not in a good way.

Ohio's politicians still haven't been able get students to take courses at their politically-created and ideologically-driven "civic centers." So now, they're forcing thousands of students at five Ohio public universities to take a newly-created three hour civics course in the centers under Senate Bill 461.

"It's the only way they can fill all those empty seats that were funded to the tune of $24 million thanks to the Ohio legislature," according to Jennifer Tisone Price, OCAAUP Executive Director.

The Ohio Capital Journal reports only 159 Ohio State students out of the more than 67,000 were enrolled at the Chase Center for Civics, Culture and Society in 2025, according to state data. That is 0.2% of the campus.

SB 461 will require every student pursuing a bachelor's degree at Cleveland State University, Miami University, Ohio State University, University of Toledo and Wright State University to take a civics course through their school's civic center.

The legislation mandates that thousands of students take courses in these civic centers which will generate millions of dollars for the centers. It sounds a lot like forced indoctrination of college students and a desperate shakedown by some politicians to funnel money to their failing pet projects.

Ohio GOP lawmakers' university civics centers aren't popular. They want to require attendance. • Ohio Capital Journal Ohio universities' new centers created by Republican lawmakers to combat "liberal bias" aren't popular with students, so now the Republican state lawmaker who authored the law that created them wants to require attendance.