Academic freedom is the right of educators, researchers and students to think, teach, learn, research, exchange ideas, form affiliations and speak freely without fear of censorship or reprisal.

Academic freedom is integral to democratic self-governance. In fact, academic freedom and democracy are mutually reinforcing. Academic freedom thrives in a democratic framework that actively protects intellectual independence and open inquiry. As a vital pillar of democracy, academic freedom fosters critical thinking, an informed and active citizenry, and the pursuit, expansion and dissemination of knowledge. Furthermore, by advancing innovation and new ideas, academic freedom fuels solutions to address societal needs and enhance living conditions for all.

Academic freedom extends from the classroom, where it allows educators and students to explore diverse perspectives and challenge conventional wisdom, to campus life, and to the world beyond the university. Academic freedom requires the protection of rights and liberties of all members of the academic community, including faculty, affiliated scholars, students and staff, without prejudice or bias.

Because of the inherent link between academic freedom and democracy, threats to one soon become threats to the other. As such, institutions of higher learning cannot simply be the beneficiaries of democratic and academic freedoms, but have the civic obligation to actively protect and sustain said freedoms for all members of their community.

Essential characteristics of academic freedom:

• Freedom of research and inquiry. Faculty, affiliated scholars and students must be free to explore ideas, to research topics, to teach, to learn and to disseminate findings without undue interference.

• Freedom of teaching. Educators have the right to teach their subjects as they see fit—introducing relevant topics in the classroom and fostering critical thinking and intellectual growth in students.

• Freedom of Learning. As co-creators of knowledge, students have the right to:

  • Learn, explore and challenge ideas

  • Express their opinions, even when controversial, inside and beyond the classroom without unreasonable interference

  • Engage in intellectual debate and for their own conclusions

  • Be protected against improper disclosure of and reprisal stemming from their views, beliefs and affiliations

• Freedom of intramural and extramural expression. Faculty, affiliated scholars, staff and students have a right and a social responsibility to engage with one another and with the greater public. These rights and responsibilities include the right to:

  • Form organizations, unions and councils

  • Protest, speak and act nonviolently on behalf of communities and causes, whether on or off campus, without danger of reprisal by authorities inside or outside the university

  • Speak, write and otherwise engage as citizens on matters of public concern without fear of institutional censorship or discipline, so long as they make clear that they are speaking as individuals and not on behalf of their institution

• Freedom to exercise institutional autonomy. Educational institutions must have the freedom to operate their academic affairs and governance independently, including in policies of hiring, student admissions, and research support without unlawful interference.

• Freedom of shared governance. Academic freedom requires a collaborative decision-making governance structure in which faculty, affiliated scholars, and students have an actualized voice in the management of a higher education institution alongside administration and governing boards.

• Freedom of a transparent funding system. Academic freedom and institutional autonomy must be protected from undue influence, pressure, restrictions, or retaliations by public or private sources of financial support.

• Freedom to provide access to information. Faculty, affiliated scholars and students require access to information, sources, tools, and materials needed for research, teaching, and learning. Higher education institutions have an obligation to provide such access to the fullest extent possible.

• Freedom to be open to and actively include a wide variety of people and perspectives. Academic freedom requires educational institutions to actively and without bias provide the conditions where diverse viewpoints, ideas and perspectives can be shared, debated, and analyzed freely, ultimately contributing to a more informed and engaged citizenry.

• Freedom to encourage institutional accountability and transparency. Faculty, affiliated scholars, staff and students must be given the freedom to hold institutional leadership accountable when conditions of academic freedom are violated. They also have the right to expect transparency and have a voice in the rules and regulations that govern the academic community.

• Freedom of movement and association. Faculty, affiliated scholars, staff and students need the ability to move freely and associate with others, both within and outside the academic community.

• Freedom for each and every individual in the academic community. The civil liberties as well as constitutional and human rights of all members of the academic community must be actively protected, including by institutions of higher learning, for true academic freedom to exist. This extends to faculty, affiliated scholars, students and staff alike. Educational institutions should adopt policies that protect these rights and avoid those that violate them even when under political pressure.

• Shared responsibility. Protection of academic freedom and democracy is a responsibility shared by all including academic institutions and the members of their community. Academic freedom does not mean freedom from responsibility. All members of the community share the obligation to protect the conditions for rigorous, respectful inquiry—even in the face of conflict or controversy.

• Social responsibility. Education should seek truth, impart knowledge ethically, and contribute to addressing societal problems proactively.