BY MATTHEW BOEDY

Fears About Working Conditions Deepen for Faculty in the South

The annual Faculty in the South Survey reveals optimism about AI but worsening fears about the impacts of government intrusion into curriculum and the future of the professoriate.

The survey, conducted by state conferences of the AAUP, received responses from more than 2,700 (n = 2,763) individuals in 13 states. Oklahoma was added this year to Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas. 

An open-ended question about the impact on faculty work from attacks on higher education reaped more than two thousand responses. One respondent in Texas wrote that “the pressure to tow the party line is real.” A respondent in Alabama wrote that “highly accomplished scholars at the top of their fields” are fleeing the South and academia. A respondent in Georgia wrote that “the drive to apply for federal grants is gone.” A respondent in North Carolina wrote, “I no longer feel safe doing my job as an educator interested in teaching students.” A respondent in Virginia wrote, “If I were younger, I would change career tracks.”

Overall findings from the survey indicate about 60 percent (59.4) of respondents would not recommend their state as a desirable place to work for colleagues or graduate students. This is a 5 percent rise compared to the previous year. Almost 20 percent (19.1) said they do not plan to stay in academia long term, a slight increase from previous year. 

There was also a five-point increase in the percentage of people who said they are planning to apply for a job in higher education in another state in the coming year, moving from 25 to 30 percent. This year more faculty also noted they have applied for academic jobs in other states in the last two years. Last year 25 percent said yes. This year 29 percent said they did. This year the top seven states for applications were California, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, and Colorado. Last year that list was California, New York, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. This year every state in the nation was listed at least three times. 

The survey also sheds light on the primary factors driving faculty members to seek employment elsewhere. Respondents could list multiple reasons. There were three major reasons the majority of respondents noted: their state’s broad political climate (63 percent), academic freedom (61.3 percent), and salary (50.9 percent). More respondents noted political climate and academic freedom than last year (56.6 and 45.4 respectively in 2025). Issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and shared governance again rounded out the top five. 

For the second year, the survey asked if a respondent personally in the last year had any syllabi or curriculum choices questioned by administrators. More than 20 percent (21.5) said yes. That is a six percent increase from last year. For the second year, the survey also asked respondents if they personally had any federal contracts ended by the Trump administration. Almost 13 percent (12.9) said yes. Last year that number was 10.6 percent. 

New to the survey this year was a question about artificial intelligence. The survey asked respondents if they thought their academic discipline would survive in our AI era. More than 85 percent (85.4) said yes. The survey has never asked faculty to identify their academic discipline. 

Also new to the survey was a question about accreditation. The survey described a new, unnamed accreditation group seeking federal approval as both created by public university systems in several Southern states and whose board included top employees at these systems. The survey then asked respondents if they would support their school becoming a client of this group. An overwhelming majority (72.6 percent) said no. The description matches elements of the Commission for Public Higher Education. 

Again this year the survey revealed the detrimental effects of attacks on hiring within higher education. More respondents this year compared to last said they knew of candidate hesitancy through the interview process (45.6 to 39.9 percent) and that generally applications were down (44.3 to 39.8 percent). There was a nearly six percent increase in the number of respondents who noted the quality of applications were down (41 to 35.2 percent). The number of respondents who knew of job offer refusals by candidates also rose (37.6 from 34.8 percent). Less people said they knew of no impact, 17.3 down from 21.4 percent.

The survey was open from August 4 to September 4 and utilized social media and email for distribution. While the total number of respondents was less compared to last year, the pool of respondents expanded greatly. While the survey added Oklahoma, it also added more people at more institutions in all thirteen states, targeting more than sixty-five institutions. Invitations were sent to more than 85,000 known email addresses. Those addresses were collected through public records and college and department directories. 

More than 18 percent (18.3) of respondents identified as nonwhite and 50.5 percent identified as female. The respondents encompassed a broad range of experience, status, and salary. Almost 60 percent (58.6) of respondents said they hold tenured positions. 

Final respondent count per state:

Texas: 1,023

Georgia: 616

Florida: 258

North Carolina: 237

South Carolina: 186

Alabama: 138

Mississippi: 65

Virginia: 47

Kentucky: 44

Louisiana: 41

Oklahoma: 41

Tennessee: 33

Arkansas: 14

Results from previous years of the survey can be found here. 

Matthew Boedy is the Georgia AAUP president.