BOONE—Dr. Michael Moore, an emeritus professor in the Department of History at Appalachian State University, has received the 2015 Award for Academic Freedom and Faculty Governance from the university’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP).

The award recognizes a member of the university community whose outstanding service has enriched the university by defending, supporting and working to advance academic freedom and faculty governance across the campus.

The chapter singled out Moore’s contributions to Appalachian’s AAUP chapter, his service as a former chair of the Faculty Senate as well as his broader commitment to academic freedom and shared governance over a 36-year career at Appalachian.

The AAUP chapter saluted Moore’s “years-long dedication to faculty governance, due process, and academic freedom,” which count among AAUP’s core principles. From 2004-06, Moore served as chair of the Faculty Senate, and was a member of the Faculty Senate from 1997 to 2006. He has also, for many years, been a member of Appalachian’s AAUP chapter, during which he served two terms as chapter president.

One nominating letter praised Moore’s role in a recent conflict over academic freedom on campus, during which he “was able to present as a relatively neutral party concerned specifically with the principles of due process, academic freedom and faculty governance when he spoke with people and that in such an intense time this was very useful for our chapter.”

It was also noted that Moore was “a consistent presence at AAUP” and that he encouraged “chapter members … to start new initiatives including a blog, a Facebook page, a newsletter and plan both a report to Faculty Senate [and the] campus.”

Moore, who received his Ph.D. from the University of Washington, taught in the Department of History from 1971 to 2006. From 1974 to 1975, he was the director of Watauga College. He was a faculty senator from 1997-2006 and senate chairperson from 2004-2006. He was also the editor for many years of Albion, a major scholarly journal devoted to British history.

Founded in 1915, the AAUP is a national organization of American college and university professors which has chapters on over 450 campuses. According to its website, the AAUP’s mission is to “to advance academic freedom and shared governance; to define fundamental professional values and standards for higher education; to promote the economic security of faculty, academic professionals, graduate students, post‐doctoral fellows, and all those engaged in teaching and research in higher education; to help the higher education community organize to make our goals a reality; and to ensure higher education’s contribution to the common good.” Prominent members have included John Dewey and Albert Einstein.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.

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