Principles of Academic Freedom
1. Nature and Purpose of Academic Freedom.
Academic freedom refers to intellectual freedom in educational and research contexts, including freedoms of belief, expression, discussion, and inquiry. A commitment to intellectual freedom respects the rights of students and teachers and creates an educational context that promotes learning, development, and original research.
2. Freedom of Belief.
All individuals, including students and teachers, have a right to believe whatever they believe and to maintain or change their beliefs as they deem appropriate. Educational institutions may present alternative views but may not require belief in those views. Students may be evaluated and graded with regard to their understanding of curricular material but not on the basis of their agreement with particular viewpoints.
3. Freedom of Expression.
All individuals have a right to express their views privately and publicly and to discuss them with others. In academic contexts, students and teachers have a right to express their views on any matter relevant to the curriculum even if those views are deemed to be false, absurd, offensive, or otherwise objectionable. Some restrictions on expression are justifiable in cases where individuals are speaking in an official capacity on behalf of the institution.
4. Freedom of Inquiry.
Educational institutions should encourage individuals to pursue their own interests and ideas and should promote access to relevant sources of information. Inquiry should not be suppressed by restricting access to controversial topics or viewpoints or by hindering the formulation of conclusions that may be deemed objectionable.
5. Formulation of Curriculum.
Curriculum should be determined by teachers and other professionals on the basis of academic considerations. It is a responsibility of administrators and school boards to support justifiable curricular decisions and to educate their constituencies about the educational importance of an inclusive curriculum and the critical role of respect for academic freedom.
6. Challenges to the Curriculum.
Suggested modifications of the curriculum should not be accepted merely to resolve a complaint, but neither should such suggestions be automatically rejected as illegitimate. In general, changes that expand the curriculum are more likely to be appropriate than changes that contract or restrict it. On the other hand, additions may be illegitimate if what is added cannot be justified academically, and deletions may be appropriate if what is deleted was not academically justifiable.
7. Parental Rights.
Parents have a right to discuss their views with their own children and to communicate with the school if they have suggestions or concerns about what they perceive the school to be teaching. Schools should accept the responsibility of explaining and justifying their curricula. In general, parents have the authority to direct their own minor children's education, subject to the responsibility of the school to provide an adequate education and to respect the rights of the student.
8. Equal Opportunity.
Students and teachers have a right to academic freedom regardless of individual, biological, cultural, religious, theoretical, ideological, political, or other characteristics, backgrounds, or viewpoints.
9. Privacy.
In seeking information about potential or current employees and students, academic institutions should avoid making official inquiries that target personal expressive activities or that are so broadly or vaguely defined as to chill intellectual freedom. With regard to academic assignments, students may be encouraged to speak or write about their lives, and may choose to do so, but may not be required to reveal personal information that they wish to keep private.
10. Due Process.
Academic institutions should ensure that their judicial and quasi-judicial procedures provide sufficient due process to protect intellectual freedom.
These principles were adopted as the guiding policy of the Academic Freedom Coalition of Nebraska (AFCON) on September 11, 1999. Direct queries to David Moshman, AFCON Policy Coordinator, [email protected].
1. Nature and Purpose of Academic Freedom.
Academic freedom refers to intellectual freedom in educational and research contexts, including freedoms of belief, expression, discussion, and inquiry. A commitment to intellectual freedom respects the rights of students and teachers and creates an educational context that promotes learning, development, and original research.
2. Freedom of Belief.
All individuals, including students and teachers, have a right to believe whatever they believe and to maintain or change their beliefs as they deem appropriate. Educational institutions may present alternative views but may not require belief in those views. Students may be evaluated and graded with regard to their understanding of curricular material but not on the basis of their agreement with particular viewpoints.
3. Freedom of Expression.
All individuals have a right to express their views privately and publicly and to discuss them with others. In academic contexts, students and teachers have a right to express their views on any matter relevant to the curriculum even if those views are deemed to be false, absurd, offensive, or otherwise objectionable. Some restrictions on expression are justifiable in cases where individuals are speaking in an official capacity on behalf of the institution.
4. Freedom of Inquiry.
Educational institutions should encourage individuals to pursue their own interests and ideas and should promote access to relevant sources of information. Inquiry should not be suppressed by restricting access to controversial topics or viewpoints or by hindering the formulation of conclusions that may be deemed objectionable.
5. Formulation of Curriculum.
Curriculum should be determined by teachers and other professionals on the basis of academic considerations. It is a responsibility of administrators and school boards to support justifiable curricular decisions and to educate their constituencies about the educational importance of an inclusive curriculum and the critical role of respect for academic freedom.
6. Challenges to the Curriculum.
Suggested modifications of the curriculum should not be accepted merely to resolve a complaint, but neither should such suggestions be automatically rejected as illegitimate. In general, changes that expand the curriculum are more likely to be appropriate than changes that contract or restrict it. On the other hand, additions may be illegitimate if what is added cannot be justified academically, and deletions may be appropriate if what is deleted was not academically justifiable.
7. Parental Rights.
Parents have a right to discuss their views with their own children and to communicate with the school if they have suggestions or concerns about what they perceive the school to be teaching. Schools should accept the responsibility of explaining and justifying their curricula. In general, parents have the authority to direct their own minor children's education, subject to the responsibility of the school to provide an adequate education and to respect the rights of the student.
8. Equal Opportunity.
Students and teachers have a right to academic freedom regardless of individual, biological, cultural, religious, theoretical, ideological, political, or other characteristics, backgrounds, or viewpoints.
9. Privacy.
In seeking information about potential or current employees and students, academic institutions should avoid making official inquiries that target personal expressive activities or that are so broadly or vaguely defined as to chill intellectual freedom. With regard to academic assignments, students may be encouraged to speak or write about their lives, and may choose to do so, but may not be required to reveal personal information that they wish to keep private.
10. Due Process.
Academic institutions should ensure that their judicial and quasi-judicial procedures provide sufficient due process to protect intellectual freedom.
These principles were adopted as the guiding policy of the Academic Freedom Coalition of Nebraska (AFCON) on September 11, 1999. Direct queries to David Moshman, AFCON Policy Coordinator, [email protected].
