History of Academic Freedom Essay Example

put forward for the inclusion of trigger warning is that the information may trigger a post-traumatic stress disorder in a student. One example is the Oberlin College, which required its faculties to remove any triggering material if that material does not contribute directly to the course (AAUP, 2016).

This directive is opposite the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure, which required teachers to have academic freedom (Hofstadter, 1961). It also goes against the Associations Recommended Institutional Regulations on Academic Freedom and Tenure prescribed. The association directed that all members of a faculty are free from any unconstitutional discrimination by the institution. The association protects faculty members against improper discrimination and provide support to academic freedom.

The Association of American Colleges & Universities illustrates that academic freedom requires a professor to submit any claim or their knowledge to public review or review by experts and peers who are conversant with the subject (AACU, 2016). According to this organization, one of the challenges that face academic freedom is the conservative students. The conservative students are sensitive to different subjects and as such, face many alleged indoctrinations by the liberal views of faculty members. David Horowitz, who is the founder of Students for Academic Freedom, has come up with a bill fashioned as “academic bill of rights whose function is to protect the “conservative” students from the “liberal” views aired by faculty members (AAUP, 2016).

The bill has opened the door for political oversight of the faculty members of scholarly and educational work. One of the common sights against academic freedom is students interrupting a class on speeches by the proponent of the current national policies on the

ground of these leaders being involved in the war. The anti-war students interrupt the faculty member thereby limiting the amount of knowledge such an individual can impart on the less “conservative” students.

Some faculty members have also abused academic freedom. For example, in the case Martin vs. Parris, 805 F.2d 583 (5th Cir. 1986), the court held that the economics instructor dismissal was legitimate (UNCC, 2016). This was after the teacher continued to use profane language in class during his lectures. The lecturer’s utterance was found to be outside the scope of First Amendment protection because the speech did not constitute to the class subject. The language was said to have no educational function. Conversely, the language was deemed to be not protected because it an attack on the captive audience with the words having no justification or academic purpose. The lecturer took advantage of the academic freedom to deliver his out of topic remarks constituting to disturbance of the captive audience in class (UNCC, 2016). This is only one case; there are thousands of others that have not been reported to the authorities.

In conclusion, it can be identified that academic freedom has different meanings to different groups. The faculty members take the meaning differently compared to some students and other faculty members. The current trend in the education sector has seen academic freedom being suppressed with many strict rules being approved every time. The pressure comes from different groups starting with the students, guardians and even political groups. As much as faculty members are protected by the first amendment, institutions are creating their rules to deter the members from expressing themselves in class. As such,

the respective bodies should converge to discuss the way forward for academic freedom in institutions to prevent further complications and infringement of the first amendment act.

References

• AACU. (2016). Academic Freedom and Educational Responsibility. (2006). Association of American Colleges & Universities. Retrieved 17 April 2016, from https://www.aacu.org/about/statements/academic-freedom
• AAUP. (2016). Protecting Academic Freedom | Aaup.org. Retrieved 17 April 2016, from http://www.aaup.org/our-work/protecting-academic-freedom
• AAUP. (2016). Statement on Procedural Standards in the Renewal or Nonrenewal of Faculty Appointments |Aaup.org. Retrieved 17 April 2016, from http://www.aaup.org/report/statement-procedural-standards-renewal-or-nonrenewal-faculty-appointments
• Hofstadter, R. (1961). Academic freedom in the age of the college. New York: Columbia University Press.
• Menand, L. (1996). The future of academic freedom. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
• PBS. (2016). NOW with David Brancaccio. Politics & Economy. Academic Freedom After 9/11 - History of Academic Freedom | PBS. (2016). Pbs.org. Retrieved 17 April 2016, from http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/acfreehistory.html
• UNCC. (2016). Relevant Cases on Academic Freedom in the Classroom | Office of Legal Affairs |Legal.uncc.edu. Retrieved 17 April 2016, from http://legal.uncc.edu/legal-topics/classroom-policies-and-practices/academic-freedom-classroom