7-1 Academic Freedom
Academic freedom remains the cornerstone of the Academy and continues to be the right of every faculty member.
Academic freedom is defined as the freedom of thought and expression as it applies to teaching, publication, oral presentation, and extramural activities. It includes faculty members' right to choose and use materials that they deem appropriate to program or course goals in their classes without interference.
Institutions of higher education exist for the common good. United States University and society's welfare and strength depend on the uninhibited search for truth and its free expression. Academic freedom is based upon the premise that scholars are entitled to immunity from coercion in thoughts and expression and believe that United States University's mission can be performed only in an atmosphere free from administrative or political constraints and tolerant of thought expression. Academic freedom is fundamental for protecting the rights of both the faculty in teaching and the student in learning. Academic freedom is also essential to protect the faculty's rights to freely discuss and debate all ideas, however controversial or unpopular, within United States University or before the broader community. The exercise of academic freedom cannot serve as a cause for discipline, dismissal, or non-reappointment. Academic freedom does not include communication or material presented in class that constitutes discrimination, sexual harassment, illegal behavior, or encourages students or others to engage in criminal or unethical behavior.
If a faculty member's choice of course materials is challenged, the burden will be on the challenger to establish by material evidence that the challenged material is academically inappropriate for the course. The College Dean will be the academic administrator charged with oversight of this process. A determination as to the course material's appropriateness in question will be made within 60 calendar days of the date that the College Dean receives written challenge to the material's academic appropriateness in question.
Notwithstanding the broad right of faculty members to select and use academically appropriate materials for their courses, faculty members should be sensitive to the possibility that some students in a course may find certain materials to be personally offensive. Faculty members can elect to alert students at the beginning of their courses to potentially controversial course materials.
A faculty member who alleges a violation of their academic freedom should notify in writing the Faculty Senate's President. The President of the Faculty Senate will direct the faculty member's complaint to the Faculty Senate, the appropriate committee for investigation. The Committee will investigate the charge to determine the merits of the complaint. The Committee will report its findings to the Senate and, if warranted, recommend a remedy. The Faculty Senate will render a finding and recommendation within 60 calendar days of the written notice to the Faculty Senate.
Faculty members who believe that a violation of academic freedom may have resulted in an adverse personnel decision should contact the Faculty Senate President in writing. The Senate will investigate this claim and provide its findings to the Provost, with a copy to the faculty member, within 60 calendar days of receiving the faculty member's written notification. The Faculty Senate's findings will be considered in any subsequent personnel or grievance proceedings.