POLICY #6.6
SUBJECT: Academic Freedom
II. REFERENCES
- American Association of University Professors Policy Documents and Reports (1984)
- Southern Utah University Policy 5.52 Intellectual Property
- Utah System of Higher Education Policy R481 Academic Freedom, Professional Responsibility, Tenure, Termination, and Post-Tenure Review
IV. POLICY
- Southern Utah University is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic freedom is the right of scholars in institutions of higher education freely to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research. Freedom in research is fundamental to the advancement of truth. Academic freedom in its teaching aspect is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the teacher in teaching and of the student to freedom in learning. It carries with it responsibilities correlative with rights.
- In teaching: Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses of instruction, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial matter which has no relation to the subject being taught.
- In research: A faculty member is entitled to full freedom in research and in the publication of the results. Research for pecuniary return should be conditional upon disclosure to and the consent of the officials of the institution, and comply with University Policy 5.52.
- In public life: A university faculty member is a citizen, a member of a learned profession, and an officer of an educational institution. When the faculty member speaks or writes as a citizen, they should be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but the faculty member’s special position in the community imposes special obligations. As a person of learning and an education officer, the faculty member should remember that the public may judge their profession and institution by their utterances. Hence the faculty member should at all times strive to be accurate, exercise appropriate restraint, show respect for others, and make every effort to indicate that they are not speaking for the institution.
VI. QUESTIONS/RESPONSIBLE OFFICE
The responsible office for this Policy is the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs. For questions about this Policy, contact the Provost’s Office and/or Office of Legal Affairs.