Founded in 1915, the AAUP is the leading national organization championing academic freedom, shared governance, and the professional rights of faculty in higher education. With a long history of organizing and advocacy, the AAUP has been a vital force in protecting the core values of the academy—especially in moments of crisis. Stand Together for Higher Ed is proud to collaborate with the AAUP as a key ally in the movement to defend higher education. While Stand Together operates independently, we share a deep commitment to mobilizing faculty, resisting political interference, and building lasting coalitions to protect our institutions and democracy. If your campus lacks a union or an effective faculty governance body, please consider starting an AAUP chapter.

The American Council on Education is the major coordinating body for U.S. higher education, representing presidents and chancellors of more than 1,700 institutions. ACE plays a leading role in shaping public policy, conducting research, and fostering collaboration across the sector. It is especially influential in federal policy advocacy and in convening institutional leaders on urgent issues facing colleges and universities. For educators engaged in Stand Together work, ACE provides critical insight into national policy trends, federal legislation, and institutional responses to political interference, funding threats, and governance challenges. While ACE primarily serves administrators, its reports, policy briefs, and convenings can be valuable tools for faculty seeking to align campus organizing with broader efforts to defend higher education at the national level. Its podcast dotEDU is a must-listen.

AAC&U is a leading national organization dedicated to advancing liberal education, inclusive excellence, and democratic engagement in higher education. It supports faculty and institutions with research, tools, and networks that strengthen general education, equity-focused pedagogy, and campus climates that resist censorship and political intrusion. For Stand Together Teams, AAC&U offers powerful frameworks and allies for defending the educational mission of colleges and universities against culture war attacks.

We Are Higher Ed is a grassroots movement organization, established in spring 2025, to defend higher education against political attacks. Its co-founders are on the National Team of Stand Together for Higher Ed, and its website is an excellent source of information—including news, op-eds, letters, petitions, events, and more—about attacks against higher ed and broad-based efforts to disarm those attacks and mobilize the higher ed community in self-defense. Check out their cool t-shirts!