Whiteness is the foundation of racism and racial violence within higher education institutions. It is deeply embedded in the ideologies and organizational structures of colleges and universities that guide practices, policies, and research. The purpose of this book is not to simply uncover these practices but, rather, to intentionally center the…

Using comparable legal information, and empirical data from over 2000 members of the UK's University and College Union and 2000 staff in universities of the European states, gathered by means of similar surveys, this paper is a comparative assessment of the "de jure" protection for, and the "de facto" levels of, academic…

This report, prepared by the Association's staff, concerns the action taken on October 2021, by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia to remove the procedural protections of tenure from the system's post-tenure review policy. It focuses on on two amendments that remove the due-process protections of tenure from the post-tenure…

Part of the acclaimed Higher Ed Leadership Essentials series, this book surveys academic freedom's history and its application in today's universities. Academic freedom is once again at the epicenter of the crisis in higher education. A community college instructor in Iowa is pressured to resign after his pro-antifa social media comments garner…

The Scandinavian states have international reputations for promoting social democratic ideals, which have long been manifest in Nordic universities, e.g. legal protection for academic freedom and university studies free of charge. However, Nordic governments have made new h.e. laws, thereby changing university autonomy and management structures,…

The present research considers the possibility that guidelines emphasizing academic freedom and faculty self-governance (i.e., those articulated by AAUP and UNESCO) might compete against national norms in shaping faculty fairness perceptions of institutional policies. We investigate the extent to which expectations of academic freedom and faculty…

Since the publication of the first edition of "Understanding Academic Freedom," the never-ending struggle to defend academic freedom has entered a demonstrably new phase. Legislation determining what can and cannot be taught in schools in Florida, Texas, and other states has intensified governing board activism that impinges on widely…

Plenty of research tells us that culture is the most essential ingredient in a healthy organization, yet there are many colleagues who wonder whether research has a healthy place in their campus cultures. The reflections here - originally offered during a discussion at the CCCU's International Forum in 2022 - offer some suggestions for nurturing…

This report is an investigation into the crisis in academic governance that has occurred in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many institutions faced dire challenges in the 2020-21 academic year; for some, the pandemic exacerbated long-festering conditions. It was found that, at other institutions, governing boards and administrations…

This report concerns actions taken in spring 2018 by the administration of Nunez Community College to terminate the services of Professor Richard Schmitt following his twenty-second year on the faculty. These actions were taken in apparent violation of his academic freedom and without affordance of the protections of academic due process to which…

Open inquiry and engagement with a diverse range of views are long-cherished and central tenets of higher education and are pivotal to innovation and knowledge creation. Yet, free inquiry on American campuses is hampered by a climate that constrains teaching, research, and overall discourse. In "Unassailable Ideas," Ilana Redstone and…

In January 2023, the AAUP announced the establishment of a special committee to review an apparent pattern of politically, racially, and ideologically motivated attacks on public higher education in Florida. Since then, the undersigned members of this special committee have interviewed more than forty faculty members and a former president at…

Faculty members play a crucial role in higher education, contributing to knowledge dissemination and offering solutions to societal issues. However, policymakers often view higher education as an industry and overlook the consequences of funding cuts, neglecting the faculty's role in student success and institutional mission. Temporary faculty…

A central goal of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is to protect academic freedom, tenure, and due process by assisting faculty governance bodies and AAUP chapters in their efforts to incorporate AAUP-recommended policies in faculty handbooks and collective bargaining agreements. This report provides a statistical analysis…

This report concerns the action taken on September 15, 2022, by the administration of Emporia State University to terminate the appointments of thirty tenured and tenure-track faculty members under a temporary "COVID-related workforce management policy" adopted by the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) in January 2021. The investigating…