A survey of higher education faculty in the South found professors are concerned about the political environment around higher education, with some fearing for their physical safety.
The annual survey from the American Association of University Professors included an open-ended question that allowed faculty to detail the problems they’re facing. Compared with previous years, there was a significant spike in faculty scared not only for their careers but also for their physical safety.
“I teach a subject that is now considered ‘controversial,’” a professor in North Carolina wrote. “As a result, I have had a non-student with a gun enter my classroom to intimidate me. I have received an email death threat from a student.”
The AAUP survey polls faculty at schools in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. The association received about 2,700 responses, with 41 coming from Louisiana universities.
Across the nation, state leaders have put higher education under a microscope. The scrutiny has been particularly acute in conservative Southern states, where changes to education laws have been extensive.
In Alabama, lawmakers eliminated faculty governance at its public institutions, where professors and instructors previously had a say in campus policy decisions.
In North Carolina, faculty are now required to post their course outlines publicly, which survey respondents said has led to them receiving threats.
In multiple states, legislators have passed laws banning the teaching of divisive topics and prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Dozens of faculty members said they had to fight back against angry alumni, political officials and student activists who attempted to get them fired or doxxed them. Doxxing is the act of publishing someone’s private information without their consent in an attempt to bring harm to them.
“I was targeted for harassment and experienced death threats,” a full professor in Virginia wrote. ”I feel less safe doing my job than in the past. I have to think through the consequences of words I write in manuscripts.”
Numerous faculty said they either self-censored or were told not to use certain “off-limits” words such as gender, racism and even transportation because it includes the word “trans.” Some faculty said administrators used AI-screening tools to review their syllabi for certain words.
Some survey respondents reported that the anti-faculty fervor has also spilled off-campus.
“I had to leave my church because the youth pastor expressed from the pulpit that academics were enemies of the faith. This impacts my work as a faculty member as an important aspect of my personal life has become inaccessible,” an assistant professor in Florida wrote.
Faculty also described fears that their students might record them and use their lectures or course materials out of context. The responses mention several incidents in which students publicized faculty comments, assignments or curricula to highlight areas of conflict with their personal beliefs.
At LSU, law professor Ken Levy was suspended in early 2025 after mentioning Gov. Jeff Landry and President Donald Trump in profane comments to his class. Levy fought that suspension in court and lost. His comments came to light when someone shared a video of his lecture with Landry, who posted it online.
The survey also found that 29% of faculty have applied to jobs in other states since 2024 and the same share are considering applying.
The top reason faculty gave for wanting to leave the South was its political climate. Other leading answers included diminished academic freedom, changes to diversity, equity and inclusion policy, low pay, limited LGBTQ+ rights and limits to reproductive healthcare.
Additional findings included 14% of faculty saying they view artificial intelligence as a threat to their academic discipline, and 13% reporting they have lost federal grants since Trump returned to office.
The Trump administration has revamped the government’s approach to academic research funding, which has included cancelling millions in grants and slashing resources for administrative costs related to research.
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