Academic Freedom Statement

Academic Freedom Statement

Academic freedom and freedom of expression are two important aspects of academic freedom.

History

The modern concept of academic freedom is based on the medieval model of the university as a self-governing association of academics with the power of self-definition (via the determination of the institution's nature and mission), institutional self-perpetuation (via faculty election), and self-administration. These privileges and rights were established to shield colleges from the state and the church. They were also supported by society because they assisted universities in fulfilling their obligation to develop knowledge, pass it down through the generations, and spread higher learning and professional arts to all members of society.

Academic freedom faces increasing problems as society evolves. In recent years, these have included pressures related to the value placed on accreditation, potential restrictions on knowledge dissemination imposed by external public and private financial sponsorship of research and teaching, legal and regulatory constraints, and conflicts arising when instruction involves the practice of a profession outside the academy.

Affirmations

The essential ideals of academic freedom and speech are respected and upheld at Althash University. For the university to be a place where people may learn and grow, freedoms to do research and scholarship, teach and learn, speak up and be heard, and express oneself are essential.

We are a group of people whose sole objective is to learn more. We respect open and unfettered research and expression—tenets that underpin academic freedom—even when it comes to views that others may find offensive or incorrect.

The University emphasizes the significance of extending the basic principles of free and open inquiry and speech to all students and staff, and recognizes employees' ability to communicate freely in their position as private citizens outside of their official job. Institutions of higher education, according to the American Association of University Professors' (AAUP) 1940 Statement of Principles of Academic Freedom and Tenure, are run for the general good, not for the benefit of individual teachers or the institution as a whole. The unfettered pursuit of truth and its free presentation are essential for the common welfare.

Academic freedom for professors refers to their ability to talk and write freely in the classroom regarding topics related to the subject and goal of the course, as well as the ability to choose how they are taught. They also have the freedom to openly debate and publish their research, knowledge, and creative expression.

Academic freedom is the prerogative of the university as a whole, its component academic units, and the individual faculty members and students that make up the institution's body. Academic freedom is exercised at each level in regard to academic aims and within the limitations established by tradition and common practice in the academic community. Individual faculty members have the right to determine how they will articulate their discipline within the curricular structure established by their department, school, or college (in accordance with established governance procedures), but a faculty member cannot change curricula by redefining one subject as another, and one unit cannot legislate curricula for another.

Responsibilities

The Althash community, which includes all university stakeholders, has a responsibility to defend academic freedom and freedom of expression. The university safeguards the community's fundamental ideals of free expression, academic freedom, and mutual respect.

Respect for the rights of others is an important part of enjoying and exercising these rights responsibly. This concept is violated when others' rights, such as the right to speak and be heard, are violated. When there are imminent concerns to health and safety, the President has the authority and obligation to safeguard the online community and maintain public order.

The University is dedicated to preserving academic freedom and fostering a safe learning, living, and working environment free of discrimination, harassment, and sexual and other forms of misbehavior. Based on academic freedom protections, speech and other expression in the classroom or on the research field will not be prohibited unless it meets one or both of the following criteria: a reasonable person in the setting would find it abusive or humiliating toward a specific person or group of people, or it continues despite a reasonable objection from the person or group targeted by the speech.

Academic freedom is strongly respected at Althash, and the university faculty fiercely protects it. Nonetheless, the same university staff is opposed to the notion being misused. Academic freedom does not entail protection from legal action for criminal acts of malfeasance, nor does it give faculty members carte blanche to do anything they choose.

At each level where academic freedom is practiced, our capacity to express the rights and advantages of academic freedom is contingent on our willingness to undertake accompanying obligations. These responsibilities include the obligation to uphold the highest scholarly standards in work done under the auspices of academic freedom, the obligation to respect the academic rights of others, and the obligation to participate constructively in collective processes through which these rights are exercised. Most crucially, this implies that the university community of scholars, which includes students as scholars being taught, should be treated with dignity, with all honest perspectives and well-considered arguments respected.

References:

https://www.pitt.edu

https://www.cornell.edu/