Academic freedom

Academic freedom is a widely used and championed phrase, but an often poorly defined concept with different meanings in different cultures and different contexts. It can refer to the alleged right of students, teachers or academic institutions to do or be protected from a number of different things.

Related Topics:
Culture - Student - Teacher - Academic institutions

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The idea of academic freedom as stemming from, but different from freedom of speech (as guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution) has been described in many court cases, but is considered by some to be ungrounded.

Related Topics:
Academic - Freedom of speech - First Amendment - United States Constitution

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Many cases that have been judged to involve academic freedom are examples of:

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• government suppression of political speech
• government interference with freedom of association, or
• government endorsement of religion.

According to some, these types of cases deal with rights that belong to everyone, not just students or professors, and that the legal concept of academic freedom is ill defined and inconsistent.

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Academic freedom: Who Possesses It? ►