On the heels of an ongoing 1819 News investigative series into potential violations of state law and federal guidance, Auburn University has started taking additional steps to ensure teaching staff across departments comply with the state's divisive concepts law.
The bill's sponsors and supporters have clearly stated their goal of protecting students from being compelled to adopt radical political views by teachers and administrators.
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According to a report in The Plainsman, the student paper received emails from Beth Davis-Sramek, president of the Auburn chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP).
The AAUP is a union for faculty and staff. The group's website shows that it is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), led by Randi Weingarten.
The emails from Davis-Sramek reportedly summarized guidance from the provost's office.
A university spokesman provided The Plainsman with three emails from provost Vini Nathan, which provide guidance and deadlines for departments to demonstrate compliance with state law.
Nathan was Auburn University's dean and McWhorter chair in the College of Architecture, Design and Construction, which was the subject of one of 1819 News' prior stories after a source revealed how a loophole for accreditation is being exploited to pursue a DEI agenda.
In the first email dated October 27, Nathan addresses the deans directly to "request that you work with your faculty to review and certify that all course descriptions, syllabi, content, and instruction are legally compliant. No later than November 18th, 2025, please send me an email indicating that you have received certification from each of your faculty affirming that their course descriptions, syllabi, content, and instruction for each course offered during Fall 2025 have been reviewed with attention to applicable state and federal law and regulatory guidance."
That email was followed up with a second from Nathan five days later. Which said in part, "In response to the thoughtful questions and feedback many of you have shared, my office has drafted Additional Supplemental Guidance and Suggestions designed to assist you in reviewing syllabi, course descriptions, and instructional materials."
Among the guidance found on that page is a "Syllabus and course content review rubric," focused on the law. "This optional rubric is intended as a self-assessment or departmental discussion tool to help faculty determine that course syllabi and course content reflect Auburn University's standards of academic freedom, objectivity, transparency, and compliance with Alabama Act 2024-34 (Ala. Code § 41-1-90 et seq.)," the description reads.
This rubric stands in stark contrast to the one that 1819 News reported on last month, which focused on how professors could grade themselves on their efforts to integrate divisive concepts into their classrooms.
The university also announced that the Office of the Provost and the Office of General Counsel would be holding 22 one-hour training sessions. Those sessions were held on Monday and Thursday of this week, "To further support faculty who may have specific questions about their course content and SB 129."
The sessions were "designed to continue the dialogue, offer additional guidance, and address specific questions," and to "ensure meaningful discussion." Each session was limited to 20 participants, as indicated on the registration page.
The university has not responded to a request for comment by 1819 News on these most recent efforts.
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