The AAUP’s Center for the Defense of Academic Freedom (CDAF) is now in its second year and continues to expand and consolidate its work for greater impact and sustainability. In response to the recent escalation of political and ideological attacks on higher education, CDAF brings together fifteen fellows, led by director Isaac Kamola, to examine evolving threats to academic freedom. Its next focus is to more fully integrate its initiatives into the AAUP’s core operations and reconceptualize its fellows program with enhanced staffing and professional infrastructure. With these resources, CDAF is positioned to provide vital research, tools, and institutional support for those defending academic freedom and institutional autonomy.
Over the past several months, CDAF has developed a wide range of programs and resources. Its Academic Freedom Field Guide continues to serve as a central resource hub, offering practical guidance to faculty and other academic workers. Among its most widely used tools is the Academic Freedom First Aid Kit, designed to provide immediate, actionable steps for individuals and institutions facing political or media-driven attacks.
CDAF has also organized an array of training opportunities. Its highly popular two-part op-ed workshops combine instruction in writing and placement strategies with interactive peer feedback. Participants have published opinion pieces as a result of these sessions, helping to amplify faculty voices in public discourse.
Curricular materials are another major area of growth. CDAF has developed academic freedom syllabus materials that include sample syllabus language, a class-room discussion module, and a curated reading list. These resources introduce students to foundational principles of academic freedom, with attention to four core areas: distinguishing between academic freedom and First Amendment free speech; situating the AAUP’s interpretation of academic freedom within a historical and institutional context; articulating the broader value of academic freedom and institutional autonomy; and applying these concepts to real-world controversies on campus and beyond. These materials are designed to foster both faculty and student engagement with the principles and practice of academic freedom.
CDAF’s work is complemented by its collaboration with Faculty First Responders (FFR), a mutual aid collective that provides direct support to those experiencing politically motivated harassment or targeted media attacks. FFR offers peer-to-peer counseling, conducts workshops on academic freedom and digital security, and monitors right-wing media coverage of higher education. In partnership with CDAF, FFR serves as a resource for faculty, staff, and students navigating urgent threats to their academic work and personal safety. Individuals seeking support or guidance can contact the team directly at [email protected].
CDAF also offers further engagement through Academic Freedom on the Line, a weekly Substack newsletter and special series of the AAUP Presents podcast. The center’s work on these platforms highlights emerging threats to academic freedom, commentary from scholars and organizers engaged in defending higher education, and faculty resources.
The center will continue to deepen its role as a hub for research, advocacy, and capacity-building in defense of academic freedom and to provide urgently needed tools, scholarship, and networks for those on the frontlines of today’s higher education struggles.