From our colleagues at Western Carolina University AAUP:
Since August 2026, Western Carolina University AAUP members have been fighting back against gen ed course capacity increases. On average, Fall 2026 gen ed course capacities increased by 13% year-over-year. These capacity increases will diminish students’ educational experiences, force additional work on already-overworked and underpaid faculty members, and likely violate shared governance principles.
When AAUP members pressed Provost Starnes via email to commit to supporting faculty and ensuring that these unexpected capacity increases were temporary, he stopped responding. Due to this lack of response, WCU AAUP is now publishing its letter to the Provost originally sent on September 14, 2026. We are asking you to sign on to support our members and encourage Provost Starnes to re-engage with AAUP members. Provost Starnes must undo these detrimental course capacity increases and compensate faculty for the additional workload.
Help the campaign by signing your name to our open letter and ask that Provost Starnes publicly commit to reducing course capacities, pursue policy change to ensure faculty have primary decision-making power over future course capacity increases, and compensate faculty for their additional workload.