Academic freedom: is the freedom of teachers, students, and academic institutions to pursue knowledge wherever it may lead, without undue or unreasonable interference. At the minimum, academic freedom involves the freedom to engage in the entire range of activities involved in the production of knowledge, including choosing a research focus, determining what to teach in the classroom, presenting research findings to colleagues, and publishing research findings. Still, academic freedom has limits. In the United States, for example, according to the widely recognized "1940 Statement on Academic Freedom and Tenure", teachers should be careful to avoid controversial matter that is unrelated to the subject. When they speak or write in public, they are free to express their opinions without fear from institutional censorship or discipline, but they should show restraint and clearly indicate that they are not speaking for their institution. Academic tenure protects academic freedom by ensuring that teachers can be fired only for causes such as gross professional incompetence or behavior that evokes condemnation from the academic community itself.
Why is academic freedom important to teachers?
Academic freedom is critical for teachers at every level of education, but it is especially critical for higher-education teachers, supporting their ability to innovate, explore, and stay up-to-date on the latest pedagogical research. At the tertiary level, teachers are often employed on a fixed-term, contingency basis.
How does academic freedom protect teachers?
The Current Legal Landscape
- I. Academic Freedom of Individual Professors. ...
- II. Institutional Academic Freedom (or Institutional Autonomy) It is the business of a university to provide that atmosphere which is most conducive to speculation, experiment, and creation.
- III. The Relationship of Institutional and Individual Academic Freedom. ...
- V. ...
- V. ...
- VI. ...
- VII. ...
What are cons to academic freedom?
Here are three very related strategies which are mutually overlapping:
- Read the manifesto/letter at the University of Chicago. Consider writing something similar at your university or for your class. You might even turn it into a petition of sorts.
- Brainstorm. Do the thang. Make the case. Advocate person to person.
- Research. Read up. This demonstrates you care and this matters to you and should matter to other individuals. ...
What legal rights do teachers have in public education?
The answer is that the legal rights teachers have in public education are the same rights they have from the very start. Freedom of speech and expression are 2 of the most basic and most important rights bestowed by the state to its people. This can never be compromised and diminished if only to keep a harmonious-looking situation.
What is academic freedom of teachers explain?
academic freedom, the freedom of teachers and students to teach, study, and pursue knowledge and research without unreasonable interference or restriction from law, institutional regulations, or public pressure.
What is an example of an academic freedom?
An example of academic freedom is when an educator teaches evolution in her classroom. Liberty to teach, pursue, and discuss knowledge without restriction or interference, as by school or public officials. A school's freedom to control its own policies without government interference, penalty, or reprisal.
How can academic freedom be misused by an educator?
Refusing to write a recommendation for a student based on one's own political viewpoints is not academic freedom, it's abuse of power. The job of a professor is first and foremost to be an educator — to nourish students so they can be successful and be who they want to be, not who the professor wants them to be.
Why is academic freedom important for students?
Academic freedom plays an important role in that it allows for individual professors, as experts of the subjects they teach, the freedom to shape their courses in ways that allow for those subjects to be viewed and analyzed from different and specific lenses.
What is academic freedom in Philippine education?
(2) Academic freedom shall be enjoyed in all institutions of higher learning. (3) Every citizen has a right to select a profession or course of study, subject to fair, reasonable, and equitable admission and academic requirements. (4) The State shall enhance the right of teachers to professional advancement.
What does academic freedom protect?
Academic freedom includes the liberty to conduct research and draw conclusions rooted in evidence. Academic freedom defends researchers' right to choose methodologies, draw conclusions, and assert the value of their contributions, but does not protect against critiques of their claims.
Is academic freedom good or bad?
Academic freedom establishes a faculty member's right to remain true to his or her pedagogical philosophy and intellectual commitments. It preserves the intellectual integrity of our educational system and thus serves the public good.
What is a violation of academic freedom?
The application of academic freedom may lead to a violation of individual rights, such as the right to respect private life or institutional rights such as university autonomy, or the right of the religious community to self-determination.
What are the limits of academic freedom?
ACADEMIC FREEDOM: FOUNDATIONS, LIMITATIONS AND DELIMITATIONS Academic research is related to, but not the same as freedom of speech: While freedom of speech is a fundamental precondition for a lecturer to exercise academic freedom, the latter is limited by curricular requirements, time frames and academic rigor.
Why is academic freedom important for teachers?
Academic freedom is therefore implicit in the ability to generate new knowledge. For professors, this includes the right to pursue intellectual inquiry related to their field(s) of study and to teach in ways they deem most appropriate to the course and consistent with the core values and mission of the university.
What is academic freedom?
Academic Freedom. The concept of academic freedom is based on the idea that the free exchange of ideas on campus is essential to good education. Specifically, academic freedom is the right of faculty members, acting both as individuals and as a collective, to determine without outside interference: (1) the college curriculum; (2) course content;
Why is academic freedom important?
The work is essential because academic freedom rights are under constant attack and because a majority of today's instructors—those in temporary contingent jobs—do not have the critical protections these rights provide to the educational process. Of course, academic freedom and its attendant rights do not mean that "anything goes.".
Why is AFT important?
The AFT is working to protect this foundation from those who would chip away at academic freedom for the sake of politics, as well as from its steady erosion at the hands of a changing academic staffing structure.
What is the purpose of the U.S. system of higher education?
system of higher education is based on a rich tradition of academic freedom, peer evaluation, tenure and shared academic governance, as well as on the promotion of a range of ideas and a diversity of voices.
What is the role of faculty in higher education?
Faculty must act professionally in their scholarly research, their teaching, and their interactions with students and other faculty. Institutions of higher education and academic disciplines ensure this through policies and procedures that safeguard both students and the academic integrity of the institutions and disciplines.
Is academic freedom threatened?
Academic freedom is always being threatened from interests outside of the academy. Recently, for example, there has been a concerted nationwide movement to introduce state legislation, so-called academic bills of rights and intellectual diversity bills, that would inject political considerations into academic decision-making regarding hiring and curriculum development. Other groups have attempted to intimidate professors with whom they disagree by intervening in hiring or tenure decisions. These actions have the potential to chill an academic environment that thrives on a robust free exchange of ideas.
What is academic freedom?
Academic Freedom. Teachers in public schools have limited freedoms in the classroom to teach without undue restrictions on the content or subjects for discussion. These freedoms are based on rights to freedom of expression under the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. However, the concept of academic freedom is quite limited.
What factors affect the latitude in which a court will recognize the academic freedom of a teacher?
Factors such as the age, experience, and grade level of students affect the latitude in which a court will recognize the academic freedom of a teacher.
Is academic freedom limited?
However, the concept of academic freedom is quite limited. The content taught by a teacher must be relevant to and consistent with the teacher’s responsibilities, and a teacher cannot promote a personal or political agenda in the classroom.
What is institutional academic freedom?
In contrast, institutional academic freedom safeguards the university as a whole from government or other outside interference. It permits the university to select its faculty and to determine areas of study, appropriate teaching methods, and which students to admit.
What are the values of academic freedom?
The values behind academic freedom protect the freedom of teachers to teach and the freedom of students to learn. The separate freedoms of students and teachers may, however, sometimes conflict. In this photo, Sean Allen, a Colorado high school student, speaks during a conference on Academic Freedom in Washington in 2006.
What was the first Supreme Court case to expound upon the concept of academic freedom?
Sweezy v. New Hampshire (1957) stands as the first U.S. Supreme Court case to expound upon the concept of academic freedom though some earlier cases mention it.
What is the meaning of academic freedom in Germany?
In Germany, academic freedom, or Lehrfreiheit, stood for the idea that faculty have freedom to teach and control their research, and Lernfreiheit, the corresponding right of students to pursue their own course of study.
What rights does the First Amendment protect?
In addition, academic freedom often extends beyond the speech rights protected by the First Amendment to others, such as the right to determine the curriculum of the classroom. Institutional rules and regulations, individual contracts, faculty handbooks, collective bargaining agreements, and academic customs protect these broader concerns ...
What are the principles of higher education?
The principles assert that higher education and professional autonomy require freedom for faculty in research, publication, and teaching and identify peer review and tenure as the devices for achieving these ideals.
What was the goal of higher education after the Civil War?
After the Civil War, the goal of higher education shifted from training students for the clergy and elite professions, such as medicine, to training students for practical jobs, such as those in government and business.
What are the elements of freedom of teaching?
Its basic elements include the freedom of teachers to inquire into any subject that evokes their intellectual concern; to present their findings to their students, colleagues, and others; to publish their data and conclusions without control or censorship; and to teach in the manner they consider professionally appropriate. ...
Which university provided freedom from religious and political restraints for its teachers and students?
For example, the University of Leiden in the Netherlands (founded in 1575) provided great freedom from religious and political restraints for its teachers and students. The University of Göttingen in Germany became a beacon of academic freedom in the 18th century, and, with the founding of the University of Berlin in 1811, ...
What was the threat to universities in the 18th and 19th centuries?
Similarly, in the 18th and 19th centuries the newly emerged nation-states of Europe constituted the chief threat to universities’ autonomy. Professors were subject to governmental authority and were liable to be allowed to teach only what was acceptable to the government in power.
What is an encyclopedia editor?
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. ...
When did universities start prohibiting speech?
In the 1980s and ’90s, many universities in the United States adopted regulations aimed at proscribing speech and writing that was deemed discriminatory against, or injurious or offensive to, individuals or groups on the basis of their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or physical disability.
Is academic freedom supported by the Supreme Court?
Despite these challenges, academic freedom in the United States continued to be strongly supported by Supreme Court interpretations of the constitutional freedoms of speech, press, and assembly. This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Albert, Research Editor.
What is academic freedom?
Academic Freedom. Teachers in public schools have limited freedoms in the classroom to teach without undue restrictions on the content or subjects for discussion. These freedoms are based on rights to freedom of expression under the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. However, the concept of academic freedom is quite limited.
What are the rights of teachers?
Similar to rights to freedom of expression, public school teachers enjoy rights to freedom of association, based on the First Amendment's provision that grants citizens the right to peaceful assembly. These rights generally permit public school teachers to join professional, labor, or similar organizations; run for public office;
What is the First Amendment? What are the rights of teachers?
A leading case in First Amendment jurisprudence regarding protected forms of expression is Pickering v. Board of Education. This case involved a teacher whose job was terminated when he wrote to a local newspaper an editorial critical of the teacher's employer. The Supreme Court held that the school had unconstitutionally restricted the First Amendment rights of the teacher to speak on issues of public importance. Based on Pickering and similar cases, teachers generally enjoy rights to freedom of expression, though there are some restrictions. Teachers may not materially disrupt the educational interest of the school district, nor may teachers undermine authority or adversely affect working relationships at the school.
What is a teacher's cause of action?
A teacher who has been subjected to discrimination has several causes of action, though proof in some of these cases may be difficult. A teacher may bring a cause of action under section 1983 of Title 42 of the United States Code for deprivation of rights under the Equal Protection Clause (or other constitutional provision).
Which amendment protects teachers from discrimination based on race, sex, and national origin?
The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution protects teachers at public schools from discrimination based on race, sex, and national origin. These forms of discrimination are also barred through the enactment of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was amended in 1972 to include educational institutions.
Which amendment protects teachers from religious discrimination?
The First Amendment and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 provide protection against religious discrimination by school districts against teachers. Teaches may exercise their religious rights, though there are certain restrictions to such rights. This existence of restrictions is particularly relevant to the public schools, ...
Do teachers have freedom of expression?
Based on Pickering and similar cases, teachers generally enjoy rights to freedom of expression , though there are some restrictions. Teachers may not materially disrupt the educational interest of the school district, nor may teachers undermine authority or adversely affect working relationships at the school.
Academic Freedom and Shared Governance
Academic Freedom and Tenure
- New faculty members typically undergo a multiyear probationary period during which their teaching and research are evaluated by their colleagues. Those who meet all these requirements successfully may be awarded tenure. Tenure simply means that a college or university can not fire a tenured professor unless it presents compelling evidence that the ...
Threats to Academic Freedom
- Academic freedom is always being threatened from interests outside of the academy. Recently, for example, there has been a concerted nationwide movement to introduce state legislation, so-called academic bills of rights and intellectual diversity bills, that would inject political considerations into academic decision-making regarding hiring and curriculum development. Ot…
Academic Freedom Covers Individuals, Institutions
- Included within this concept is protecting the right of universities and colleges to engage in all aspects of intellectual activity and a faculty’s autonomy in deciding what and how to teach and what research to conduct and publish. It seeks to promote the free exchange of ideas, scholarly debates, and the search for knowledge. Academic freedom enc...
Development of Academic Freedom in U.S. Began After Civil War
- Although the concept of freedom of thought and expression has ancient roots — Socrates asserted it — the claim of academic freedom is more recent in origin, having come to be recognized in Western Europe in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It is sometimes connected with the founding of Leiden University in 1575 and the rise of social and economic lib…
University Professors Set Forth Statements on Academic Freedom
- Before academic freedom had any legal significance, professors formed the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and in 1915 set forth its General Declaration of Principles. The principles assert that higher education and professional autonomy require freedom for faculty in research, publication, and teaching and identify peer review and tenure as …
Supreme Court Links Academic Freedom with First Amendment
- Sweezy v. New Hampshire (1957) stands as the first U.S. Supreme Court case to expound upon the concept of academic freedom though some earlier cases mention it. In Sweezy, the Court reversed the conviction of a Marxist economist for refusing to answer questions by the attorney general concerning the political content of a lecture he delivered at the University of New Hamps…
First Amendment Freedoms Apply to Government Actors, Not Private Universities
- The freedom of expression and speech guaranteed by the First Amendment does not fully protect academic freedom. Under the state action doctrine, the First Amendment applies only to government actors. Therefore, while the First Amendment applies to all public universities, it does not apply to private or religious institutions. In addition, academic freedom often extends beyon…
Academic Freedom Cases Today Can Involve Professor, Student Speech
- Most constitutional academic freedom issues today revolve around professors’ speech, students’ speech, faculty’s relations to government speech, and using affirmative actionin student admissions. Examples of cases include instances where professors are disciplined for expressing their views in class or in scholarship and when a professor’s need for professional autonomy is …
Academic Bill of Rights Promoted in Response to Alleged Liberal Bias
- The values behind academic freedom protect the freedom of teachers to teach and the freedom of students to learn. Academic freedom for students does not usually constitute a separate issue, as students’ academic freedom stems from the faculties’ freedom to establish their respective disciplines and to determine which positions meet scholarly standards and are supported by pe…
Controversial Incidents Raise Questions About Campus Free Speech
- A number of high-profile incidents in recent years have called into question the adequacy of protections for free speech on college campuses.These incidents have involved punishing students or faculty members for controversial speech, imposing free speech zone policies, enforcing speech code restrictions, and disinviting controversial speakers.Other free speech adv…