Academic Freedom in the 21st Century for All Faculty

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Academic Freedom in the 21st Century for All
Faculty

• Arthur Hochner
• Associate Professor, Human Resource Mgt.
• Fox School of Business Management
• Temple University
• President
• Temple Association of University Professionals
• AFT Local 4531

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Links for further information

• AFTs Academic Freedom Statement
• http//www.aft.org/higher_ed/pubs-reports/Academic
  FreedomStatement.pdf
• My email
• ahochner_at_temple.edu

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Academic Freedom underpins our system of Higher
Education

• Freedom to conduct research, teach, speak and
  publish,
• subject to the norms and standards of scholarly
  inquiry,
• without interference or penalty,
• wherever the search for truth may lead.
• Statement on Academic Freedom, Report of the
  First Global Colloquium of University Presidents,
  Columbia U., Jan. 18-19, 2005

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Core values

• Higher education
• Sustains a free and open society
• Provides solid-up-to-date knowledge
• Develops critical intellectual tools students
  need
• Encourages debate and challenge of ideas

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The basic principle of AF

• Not identical to constitutional rights of free
  speech but that
• Educators should be making educational decisions,
  for educational reasons

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Institutional Pillars of AF TheModel of the
Modern University

• Tenure
• Protection against arbitrary treatment
• Peer evaluation
• Standards set by the community of scholars
• Shared governance
• Involvement in institutional decisions affecting
  the educational mission

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Origins of Academic Freedom

• Late 19th century, growth of graduate education
• Led to demands for freedom in scholarship and
  teaching
• These demands clashed often with power of
  business-oriented trustees
• Some faculty members fired or contracts not
  renewed

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20th century some faculty took controversial
positions lost jobs

• Supported unions (though not yet for faculty!)
• Opposed child labor
• Advocated economic reform and regulation
• Taught biological evolution
• Opposed WWI

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AAUP formed by professors from elite institutions
in 1915

• To set professional standards
• To promote the idea of scholarship
• Issued standards of academic freedom
• Became overwhelmed by number of cases to defend
• Worked to establish tenure system
• Consensus with Assoc. of American Colleges in
  1940 joint statement on Academic Freedom and
  Tenure

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Recent changes in HE are weakening AFs
foundations

• Vocational / consumerist focus
• demands to reshape curricula
• Loss of state govt. financial support
• Squeeze on budgets tuition
• Corporate management practices
• Political attacks on the academy
• Erosion of academic staffing

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Political attacks

• Charges of subversion
• Accusations of liberal bias
• Legislation introduced in 27 states
• Academic Bill of Rights associated with David
  Horowitz and Students for Academic Freedom
• Not passed in any state, but proposed for US
  Congress reauthorization of Higher Ed. Act

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Erosion of academic staffing

• As of 2005, lt 30 of US instructional staff
  tenured or tenure-eligible
• Traditional tenured positions displaced by hiring
  of masses of contingent faculty
• Insecure positions
• Low wages
• Little professional support

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Many faculty not under the Pillars of AF
Realities of the Modern University

• No claim to tenure, so less freedom from
  interference and retaliation
• No involvement in peer evaluation, so cut off
  from community of scholars
• No participation in shared governance, so
  educational decisions are made for them

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AFTs Academic freedom Standards Teaching

• Faculty as a whole responsible for the curriculum
  and methods of instruction
• Individuals primarily responsible for selecting
  instructional materials, subject to academic
  standards
• Individuals free to discuss subject matter, based
  on prevailing academic standards and good
  judgment

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Teaching (continued)

• Faculty entitled to evaluate students on basis of
  academic merit
• Faculty entitled to full intellectual property
  rights to their teaching materials

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Research

• Full freedom in choosing research subjects and
  methods, subject to professional and peer-driven
  standards
• Discoveries should be shared knowledge is a
  public good

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Participation in governance

• All faculty free to participate without fear of
  intimidation or retaliation
• Institutions to provide opportunity and time to
  participate
• All faculty share in decisions on educational
  policy, curricula, programs, accountability, etc.
• Participation in accrediting process

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What should be done?

• AFT, NEA AAUP all call for re-invigoration of
  academic freedom
• Real job protection, real rights, real
  participation
• Treating educators as professionals, not hired
  hands

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How to accomplish this?

• Open dialogue on academic freedom on campus
• Demystify academic practices for policymakers and
  public
• Negotiate and enforce practices and procedures
  for academic freedom
• Legislative action for funding