American Association of University Professors presents Glenn Howze Academic Freedom Award to George Flowers

Published: May 04, 2020

Article body

The Auburn University Chapter of the American Association of University Professors, or AAUP, recently awarded the Glenn Howze Academic Freedom Award to George Flowers, dean of the Auburn University Graduate School.

The Glenn Howze Academic Freedom Award is presented annually to a person who has demonstrated high ethical standards and professionalism in his or her field of specialization and has also made significant contributions to advocating, protecting and extending academic freedom at the university. While the AAUP chapter has honored two campus presidents with this award, it has never been presented to any other campus administrators.

Flowers is a professor of mechanical engineering and has served as dean of the Graduate School since 2008. The chapter recognizes Flowers with the AAUP’s Glenn Howze Academic Freedom Award for the manner of leadership he has provided as dean. Flowers’ leadership embodies the principle of shared governance, recognizing that each graduate program is unique, and while insisting on and maintaining high academic standards, allowing each program to determine how best to meet those standards. Through this approach to graduate education at Auburn, he has encouraged flourishing graduate programs and promoted the kind of creativity and academic freedom which the AAUP chapter respects and encourages.

Submitted by: Mitchell Brown