Dear students and colleagues,
The decision to act on Commencement day has not been an easy one. Our proposal here is the result of long deliberation among our members after the failure of our administration to follow basic principles of shared governance.
We welcome all forms of participation in this protest, and each individual faculty member should engage (or not) at their appropriate level of comfort.
Most importantly, we want to express our solidarity with our students and send a message: You are the reason this work is meaningful. We want to celebrate your accomplishments, and we care deeply about you. We are proud of everything you have achieved, and we are committed to making Middlebury an alma mater you can be proud of too.
OUR GOALS
- Inform the community of our demands and highlight what we view as a critical moment for Middlebury
- Communicate our dissatisfaction with the Administration and the Board of Trustees
- Honor the achievements of our students and colleagues
- Minimize disruptions to the Commencement proceedings
- Build solidarity around our demands and those of our students
How we will proceed
We encourage all members to display visible signs of support, from a small lanyard with the go/aaup link or QR code to a letter-sized protest sign. DIY resources are here or reach out to aaup@middlebury.edu for assistance.
We will gather with the faculty as usual on the Old Chapel Quad in our regalia. We will participate in the processional and walk through the students to our designated position in tents beside the dais.
After the National Anthem—and if you feel comfortable doing so—we will engage in a silent walkout as the President begins his remarks. To minimize disruption, we suggest exiting quietly through the back or side rather than walking in front of the stage.
We will reconvene in the Old Chapel Quad and remain there until it is time to return for the conferral of diplomas to our graduating seniors.
Afterward, we will proceed with the remainder of the ceremony as usual, including cheering our graduates, celebrating our newly tenured colleagues and joining in the recessional.
WANT TO BE PART OF AAUP?
Join our mailing list by sending a message to aaup@middlebury.edu