Dan O’Connor (Rutgers)
Biography
Associate Professor, Department of Library & Information Science, Rutgers University. Niagara
University (B.A.) and Syracuse University (MSLS & PhD). At Rutgers, I have served as Chair of Collective
Bargaining, as President of the Rutgers AAUP (now AAUP/AFT), and currently as Chair of the New
Brunswick Faculty Council which functions as senate for our central campuses. I am the President of the
New Jersey State Conference of the AAUP which includes Bloomfield College, Centenary College, Drew
University, Felician College, Georgian Court University, Monmouth University, New Jersey Institute of
Technology, Princeton Theological Seminary, Rider University, Rutgers University, Saint Peter's College,
Union County College, and The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. I have served on the
AAUP Collective Bargaining Congress’ Executive Committee. I have also served on the Council of the
American Library Association as well as on its Committee on Accreditation. My teaching and research
include academic and public libraries and information technology and informatics.
Candidate Statement for AAUP Council At-Large Position
It is with enthusiasm that I stand as a candidate for AAUP Council where our organization is faced with
addressing the very definition of a university education. AAUP began with a promise that academic
freedom and livable benefits would be available to higher education faculty but that promise is slowly
being broken by the denial of those guarantees to non-tenure track and part-time faculty. We are seeing
changes in higher education that may result in a societal inability to define an educated person. Online
education, the erosion of tenure with its threat to the integrity of academic freedom, and the
movement toward performance budgeting represent trends that may force us to redefine the role of a
faculty member in our society. I pledge to bring forth these and related issues if elected to the AAUP
Council. It is with respect for the AAUP’s ideas and ideals that I seek your vote.