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Academic Freedom Module

Academic Freedom Module

This module is designed as a stand-alone 1-to-2-hour session offering a foundational understanding of academic freedom. It can be incorporated into a graduate seminar, undergraduate class, professional development course, new faculty orientation, or used as part of a campus discussion group. 

We have provided readings, lecture notes, a PowerPoint presentation, discussion questions, as well as additional materials that can be used to expand or customize the module to fit your teaching needs.

Learning Objectives

Through this module, participants will learn to:

  • situate the AAUP and its understanding of academic freedom within a historical context;

  • explain the value of academic freedom and institutional autonomy;

  • understand the difference between academic freedom and free speech;

  • apply this robust understanding to specific controversies and situations on their campuses and beyond.

Reading

  • Jennifer Ruth and Ellen Schrecker. “Academic Freedom.” [This essay is excerpted from the forthcoming book University Keywords, edited by Andy Hines. Copyright 2025. Published with permission of Johns Hopkins University Press.]

Those teaching this module can also add and customize readings by drawing upon resources from the Academic Freedom Reading List. For example, some may want to include careful readings of primary sources (such as AAUP statement and reports). If taught as part of a graduate seminar, instructors might want to include scholarly secondary material that dives into the historical and conceptual debates around academic freedom. While someone teaching within, for example, a law school or medical school might want to focus on academic freedom and free speech, or academic freedom as it pertains to medical research. 

Lesson Plan

This module includes an opening activity designed to get students thinking about academic freedom. This opening activity feeds into a short lecture presentation providing historical context about the AAUP and academic freedom. We provide some slides as well as lecture notes to go along with these slides. The module then includes a second discussion activity designed to get at the difference between academic freedom and free speech. The module concludes with a series of discussion questions that can be used to open up a general conversation about academic freedom. 

1) Opening Activity

Start by asking what comes to mind when they hear the term “academic freedom.” Participants can discuss with a partner. And then share with the group, with answers recorded on a white board, shared document, etc. Then discuss these three scenarios. What does academic freedom mean in these cases?

 

2) ”What is Academic Freedom?” Presentation

This “What is Academic Freedom?” slide presentation provides some conceptual and historical background to academic freedom in the US context. We’ve also provided some lecture notes that can be used by the instructor to support the teaching of the content.

 

3) Discussion: Academic Freedom vs. Free Speech?

After the presentation it is possible to open a discussion about the differences between academic freedom and free speech. This can be done by looking at an excerpt from Felix Frankfurter’s concurring decision in Wieman v. Updegraff. Here are some notes for how set up this discussion.

 

4) General Discussion

With any remaining time open the class up for a general conversation. Some questions might include:

  • What are the primary differences between academic freedom and free speech? What is the purpose of First Amendment protection? How does this differ from the purpose of higher education?

     

  • The AAUP institutionalized academic freedom in the 1940 Statement. How has the state of higher education changed in the decades since? What do such changes mean for academic freedom today?

     

  • What is shared governance? How is shared governance supposed to protect academic freedom? What are some of the evolving threats to shared governance and institutional autonomy today?

  • Do your institutional policies, faculty manual, and/or collective bargaining agreement protect academic freedom and shared governance? Are these policies regularly followed by the administration? What might be needed to better protect academic freedom on campus?

 

Please provide feedback on the Academic Freedom Syllabus so we can update and refine the materials.