Academic Freedom

Academic freedom is the right, liberty, and conviction of teachers (and students) to pursue and teach academic matters and information, no matter how controversial or inconvenient that information or subject matter might be. This is often a controversial topic when it involves matters of religion and faith, as well as sensitive political or social matters. Legally, this freedom comes with limits. The 1940 Statement on Academic Freedom and Tenure states that academics, when speaking, need to avoid controversial matters that are outside of the subject of discussion and to indicate when writing that their opinions are their own and not necessarily those of their institution.