Academics are inclined to think of their work as a pure calling.1 But the fact remains that the profession of higher education—like all professions—is embedded in various rules, assumptions, and programs that further the fiduciary obligations of the profession and also protect the rights, agendas, and self-interests of the profession’s members.2 Throned at the organizational peak of academia are a number of professional associations often referred to collectively as “One Dupont Circle,” since many of them are headquartered at that address in Washington, DC. These organizations are dedicated to improving pedagogy and leadership according to their own visions and agendas.
Despite losing a measure of prestige and influence in recent decades, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), founded in 1915, remains the foremost professional association in higher education. Though it deals with an array of higher education
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