April 11, 2008NAGS Annual Meeting, NYC1 Academic Freedom in the 21 st 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

April 11, 2008NAGS Annual Meeting, NYC2 Links for further information AFT’s Academic Freedom Statement: reports/AcademicFreedomStatement.pdf My

April 11, 2008NAGS Annual Meeting, NYC3 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 , 2005

April 11, 2008NAGS Annual Meeting, NYC4 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

April 11, 2008NAGS Annual Meeting, NYC5 The basic principle of AF Not identical to constitutional rights of free speech but that: Educators should be making educational decisions, for educational reasons

April 11, 2008NAGS Annual Meeting, NYC6 Institutional Pillars of AF: The Model of the Modern University 1. Tenure Protection against arbitrary treatment 2. Peer evaluation Standards set by the community of scholars 3. Shared governance Involvement in institutional decisions affecting the educational mission

April 11, 2008NAGS Annual Meeting, NYC7 Origins of Academic Freedom Late 19 th 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

April 11, 2008NAGS Annual Meeting, NYC8 20 th 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

April 11, 2008NAGS Annual Meeting, NYC9 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”

April 11, 2008NAGS Annual Meeting, NYC10 Recent changes in HE are weakening AF’s 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

April 11, 2008NAGS Annual Meeting, NYC11 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

April 11, 2008NAGS Annual Meeting, NYC12 Erosion of academic staffing As of 2005, < 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

April 11, 2008NAGS Annual Meeting, NYC13 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

April 11, 2008NAGS Annual Meeting, NYC14 AFT’s 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

April 11, 2008NAGS Annual Meeting, NYC15 Teaching (continued) Faculty entitled to evaluate students on basis of academic merit Faculty entitled to full intellectual property rights to their teaching materials

April 11, 2008NAGS Annual Meeting, NYC16 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

April 11, 2008NAGS Annual Meeting, NYC17 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

April 11, 2008NAGS Annual Meeting, NYC18 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

April 11, 2008NAGS Annual Meeting, NYC19 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