Suppression and Prohibition: Expanding Menaces to Academic Autonomy
In the realm of American academia, the principle of academic freedom is facing a significant challenge. This is evident in recent events, such as the ousting of Harvard President Claudine Gay, which some claim was influenced by donor Bill Ackman.
The implication of such incidents is alarming, suggesting that faculty are perceived as the enemy, and that legislatures, governors, and governing boards hold the key to saving higher education. However, this narrative overlooks the importance of faculty expertise and the potential consequences for academic freedom.
According to the V-Dem Institute, academic freedom in the United States has substantially worsened in recent years. One of the major threats to this freedom is donor influence, with some donors dictating speakers, books, courses, and more at universities.
This influence is not limited to donations. Governing boards and trustees have overreached, making unilateral decisions such as revoking tenure without due process during the COVID-19 pandemic. The economic precarity of contract positions further exacerbates this issue, as faculty may censor their teaching out of fear of losing their jobs.
Political and legislative attacks on curriculum are another significant threat. Right-wing politicians and organizations have pushed educational gag orders, prohibiting the teaching of certain subjects, particularly those related to race, gender, and history. This limits open inquiry and teaching freedom.
The decline in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives is another concern. Federal executive orders and policies have reversed prior efforts to promote racial diversity and inclusion in higher education, undermining accreditation standards focused on DEI and weakening institutional incentives to maintain diverse, equitable environments.
Federal funding restrictions linked to political compliance also pose a threat. Legislation such as the Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act aims to restrict federal aid to institutions based on their stances on political issues, potentially chilling institutional autonomy.
Executive actions limiting research and disciplinary autonomy further curtail academic inquiry. New directives give teachers and administrators sole authority in disciplinary matters with minimal federal oversight, and actions restricting funding for social and behavioral research on sensitive issues curtail academic inquiry and the academic workforce.
These trends collectively reflect increasing political intervention, erosion of institutional autonomy on diversity and curriculum matters, and deteriorating economic conditions for academics, all of which threaten the core principle of academic freedom in U.S. higher education.
Partisan political operatives have also played a role in this decline. For instance, Christopher Rufo has mainstreamed claims that faculty regularly engage in political indoctrination and teach divisive and anti-American content.
In some states, such as Florida and Texas, state legislators have passed bills weakening tenure protections, giving administrators greater authority to fire tenured faculty. Over 99 bills affecting higher education have been introduced between 2021 and 2023, aiming to ban the teaching of critical race theory and other concepts.
The board of trustees at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill refused to offer a tenured position to Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of the 1619 Project. The board also established the School of Civic Life and Leadership on campus, which appears designed to teach conservative content.
The American Association of University Professors found that politically appointed board members at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill regularly "exercise their considerable power" to circumvent faculty autonomy. Right-wing activists have built a political infrastructure that portrays higher education in a negative light and justifies attacks on academic freedom.
A North Dakota bill bans state universities from hosting discussions of ideas such as "meritocracy is inherently racist." Similar bills in Tennessee outlaw teaching the idea that someone could be "inherently privileged, racist, sexist or oppressive."
The decline in academic freedom is largely due to political and social polarization. Today, 68% of faculty are working off the tenure track, often in year-to-year contracts, compared with 47% in 1987. The system of tenure was originally created to protect professors from external political interference, but fewer professors have been awarded this privilege in recent decades.
These challenges underscore the urgent need to safeguard academic freedom in U.S. higher education. Faculty, administrators, and policymakers must work together to ensure that the principles of open inquiry, intellectual freedom, and academic autonomy remain intact.
- The decline in academic freedom, as evidenced by political interventions, erosion of institutional autonomy on diversity and curriculum matters, and deteriorating economic conditions for academics, has become a significant concern in the realm of education-and-self-development and learning.
- In the midst of increasing donor influence, governing board overreach, legislative attacks on curriculum, and politically motivated funding restrictions, the importance of faculty expertise and the potential consequences for academic freedom in American academia cannot be overlooked, making it crucial for politics and general-news to highlight this pressing issue.
