Faculty increasingly find themselves targets of online harassment by groups and individuals off campus for the subject matter of their research, creative expression, or teaching. Academic Professionals, too, have been targeted for the work they do on behalf of the University community. Those who seek to shape university curricula to their liking are only encouraged by an administration that issues executive orders mandating the creation of “hotlines” for complaints about educational and training programs.
Protecting academic freedom in an age of political polarization and social media saturation requires more than restraint by university administrators when they are pressured by outside forces to discipline scholarship and pedagogy that appear controversial. They need to actively resist such pressure and positively assist targeted faculty and APs, not least those who engage with the community and have answered the call to let knowledge serve the city.
Threats to academic freedom and what PSU can do about them are now on the agenda for bargaining.
This is the last of our “non economic” matters that we are dealing with at the table. As soon as we close this, we will be talking economics. Please support your bargaining team!!!
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Bargaining Updates: Plans for a Discussion about Academic Freedom. Economic Matters Coming Soon!
October 06, 2020 / PSU-AAUP