Definition
Academic freedom grants faculty across all appointment types—tenure track, continuing track, career track, and adjunct—the right to pursue open inquiry, engage in dialogue, and express ideas, while also expecting them to uphold responsibilities to their disciplines and to treat colleagues and students with respect. Since the 1915 Declaration of Principles by the American Association of University Professors, academic freedom has been a foundational element of higher education. Its meaning and scope have evolved over time, with the 1940 Statement of Principles further clarifying its application to research, teaching, and service.
Academic freedom is a professional code that is in place in higher education in general and at UCCS in particular to protect faculty members’ ability to teach and perform their scholarly, creative, and research activities in the highest manner of professionalism and integrity. It is also in place to protect students’ ability to learn and to engage in inquiry and discussion in the classroom and related educational spaces. Under the principles of academic freedom, discourse and inquiry are limited only by the established disciplinary standards for knowledge production.
What Academic Freedom Allows — and What It Doesn’t
Understanding both the rights and responsibilities of academic freedom ensures a respectful and productive academic environment.
Engagement in intellectual debate without fear of censorship.
Right to remain true to a pedagogical philosophy and intellectual commitments.
Comparison/contrasts between subject and any field of human knowledge.
Faculty and students the right to express views without fear of sanction unless it impairs the rights of others.
Right to draw conclusions on research that academics engage.
That political, philosophical, and religious beliefs cannot be imposed on the academic.
Right of redress if rights have been violated.
Protection from reprisal for disagreeing with administrative policy.
Right to challenge alternative views (but not penalize those that hold them).
The right to maintain academic standards.
Substantial latitude in the teaching process.
For “due process.”
Allow one to threaten, harass, intimidate, ridicule or impose views on others.
Provide the right of non-mastery of content.
Prevent other academics from articulating their disposition.
Protect from disciplinary action (although does guarantee “due process”).
Protect from penalties resulting from illegal activity.
Permit one to ignore policy or regulations (although does allow for criticism).
Prevent disagreement with processes and practices.
Protect the academic from various sanctions (such as denial of merit raises).
Defend absenteeism of the subject matter (i.e., skipping class).
Guarantee an unqualified lifetime appointment.
Shield from professional misconduct.
Protect from investigations.