Defending Academic Freedom and Campus Free Speech
The freedom to learn, teach, research and have our beliefs challenged and our horizons broadened on our college campuses is under attack. Debate, discussion and open inquiry are essential to high-quality higher education as a public good, but a raft of repressive laws and policies aim to shut down access to knowledge and ban entire fields of study, undermining our intellectual freedom and other First Amendment freedoms. State legislatures continue to pass bills that attempt to limit teaching and research, ban books, cancel specific courses, and institute educational gag orders.
The AFT believes that defending academic freedom and campus free speech is fundamental to the development of new knowledge and strengthens our democracy. Students, faculty and staff must have the freedom to engage in robust debate and discussion—and to be free to disagree, while ensuring the safety of members of our campus communities. This freedom must be protected and defended so that students can learn to think critically and fully engage in a multicultural democracy.
Related Resources:
AFT Campus Free Speech Resources
AFT resolution: “Condemning Hate and Affirming Freedom of Speech on Campus” (2023)
American Educator: Defending Academic Freedom: How Bipartisan Coalitions Can Strengthen Our Educational System (2024)
American Educator: Free to Teach, Free to Learn: Examining the Lines Between Education, Discrimination, and Indoctrination (2024)
AAUP Resources on Academic Freedom