Mission Statement

The UMF AFT-AAUP (University of Michigan-Flint American Federation of Teachers-American Association of University Professors) represents the tenure track faculty of the University of Michigan-Flint. We are a democratically run union. We come together in an understanding that the success of our institution is only achievable when our contributions, as well as those of non-tenure track faculty and staff, are recognized and valued. We hold that our success is grounded in the principles of shared governance, academic freedom, the protection of tenure, equitable working conditions, and fair pay.

We also recognize that our students are the lifeblood of our institution. Our success is bound up in theirs, and theirs in ours. We therefore aim to hold the University to its highest ideals of being mission-focused and student-centered. Similarly, we are a union of professionals invested in the welfare, health, and well-being of the city and region served by our University.

To these ends, The UMF AFT-AAUP will:

• Protect academic freedom and tenure
• Engage in and defend shared and transparent governance for the success of all
• Foster a decidedly non-discriminatory, inclusive, and actively anti-racist workplace
• Ensure that the university supports faculty’s scholarship, teaching, creative pursuits, and service
• Increase funding, through legislative and political advocacy, for the support of faculty, students, and staff at the University of Michigan-Flint
• Negotiate improvements in wages, benefits, and working conditions
• Support fairness in employment practices by the University administration
• Partner with groups in Flint, Genesee County, and the wider community, including state and national partners