Alicia Meehan, Campus Carrier deputy news editor

According to a survey by the American Association of Professors, many professors working in the southern United States are considering moving north. Out of the professors who responded to the survey, 25% of 3,926 have applied for new jobs in the North since 2023.  The survey shows that the biggest reason why professors may want to move out of the South is the worsening political climate surrounding education. 

Another survey conducted by the American Association of Professors focused specifically on professors in Georgia. The survey found that of the 800 surveyed, over half would not encourage a fellow professor to work in Georgia. Of the 800, 25% were planning on applying to work in higher education in a different state within the year.

Professor of Religion and Philosophy, Michael Papazian said that he has no interest in moving away from his job at Berry College. Papazian has worked at Berry for 27 years. According to Papazian, executive orders and state legislation could have an influence on how Berry is run but, as a private college, it can insulate itself from any outside influence on how courses are managed.

“I have never been told I shouldn’t be teaching this, or I should be teaching that,” Papazian said. “I am left alone to do my job, and that’s more or less the way things should be.”

In 2023 the Republican Governor of Texas, Greg Abbot, signed a bill that became known as the SB17 Law. This law was made to stop efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). According to the Guardian, this caused many firings at the University of Texas. Papazian said that he does not worry about similar problems reaching Berry.

“We’re not completely insulated because we do accept federal funding, but we are a private college, so we’re not directly under the jurisdiction of any government,” Papazian said.

Assistant Professor of Communication Margaret Ndwandwe began working at Berry this fall. Ndwandwe teaches the introductory course to storytelling and the social media class. Ndwandwe said that her research on issues of race and memories makes it so that she is best employed in the South.

“My work is southern; I mostly do work on issues of race and memories,” Ndwandwe said. “Think plantation sites, Confederate monuments. It makes sense for me to be in the South.”

Along with being in a good place to physically research certain sites and monuments, she also mentioned a familial attachment to the South. Despite this, Ndwandwe understands the worries about the current administration’s actions and how it affects those working in higher education.

“On the other side, I do have genuine concerns, like many faculty members, that our rights and privileges as a faculty are being infringed upon because the current administration is volatile in terms of how they are responding to higher education as a system,” Ndwandwe said. 

Another controversy involving faculty and politics in Texas happened in early September. A student recorded a video where they shared their discomfort with the professor’s teaching about gender and sexuality. In the video, the student said that the material went against the law and their religion. The Texas A&M professor was identified as Melissa McCoul, a senior lecturer in the department of English, who was fired on Sept 9. While Ndwandwe has never had an instance of a student complaining about course material, she said that the tensest moment she’s experienced in class is a discussion surrounding the death of Charlie Kirk, former co-founder of Turning Point USA. Ndwandwe said that she appreciated how her students handled the discussion. 

“I think part of our job as good professors is to establish rapport with our students, then we can have tough conversations,” Ndwandwe said.

Ndwandwe said that not every student will be willing to participate in class discussions concerning more political topics. According to Ndwandwe, in the case of the Texas A&M student who recorded the professor’s class, the student had a problem with the course material and knew that if they went to their college’s administration, they could get the professor fired. 

Lecturer of Communication Vanessa Fowler (21C) also began working at Berry this fall. In her public speaking and communication classes, Fowler said that she starts off by reminding her students that hate speech is not protected under the First Amendment.

“You can still have your opinion, but your opinion will still have consequences and limits,” Fowler said.

Fowler said in the forensics, speech and debate community, she has colleagues that have expressed concerns about their positions. Those working at public institutions have begun to feel worried because of recent government interference in higher education, according to Fowler. 

“[My colleagues at public institutions] are worried about it a bit more so because of the pressure of having extra eyes on them,” Fowler said.

Ndwandwe said the climate inside education may not be the only reason for professors avoiding working in the South. Ndwandwe’s own job search this summer was informed by not only how the laws affect what she can say in the classroom, but also what rights she may have outside of the classroom. 

Ndwandwe listed multiple reasons for avoiding the state of Texas when searching for a position in higher education. She included reproductive rights for her and her students, as well as concerns about community acceptance as someone in a mixed-race relationship.  

“There were lots of factors beyond just the administration or political ideologies,” Ndwandwe said. “I certainly empathize with faculty members who are trying to leave the South because they feel attacked.”

Papazian said that he has no desire to move his work away from Berry and Rome. He said that he is happy where he is and has positive feelings about how the college is run, specifically regarding protection for faculty. 

“Berry itself is an extremely well-run college,” Papazian said. “Our administration has always been very protective of academic freedom.”