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Resources on Academic Freedom
AAUP Policy Statements, Reports, & Analysis
The policies published in the AAUP’s Policy Documents and Reports, also known as the "Redbook," have been formulated by standing and special AAUP committees and governing bodies, and at times in cooperation with other organizations.
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Policy Statements
1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure.
Procedural Standards in Faculty Dismissal Proceedings. 1958.
Procedural Standards in the Renewal or Nonrenewal of Faculty Appointments. 1989 revision.
Recommended Institutional Regulations on Academic Freedom and Tenure. 2023 revision.
Academic Freedom and Electronic Communications. 2013 revision.
Protecting an Independent Faculty Voice: Academic Freedom after Garcetti v. Ceballos. 2009.
The Use and Abuse of Faculty Suspensions. 2023 revision.
Freedom in the Classroom. 2007.
Academic Freedom and Outside Speakers. 2023 revision.
Post-tenure Review. 1999 revision.
On Freedom of Expression and Campus Speech Codes. 1994.
A Statement of the Association's Council: Freedom & Responsibility. 1990 revision.
1915 Declaration of Principles on Academic Freedom and Academic Tenure.
Statement on Academic Boycotts. 2024.
Committee A Statement on Extramural Utterances. 1964.
The Freedom to Teach. 2013.
On the Relationship of Faculty Governance to Academic Freedom. 1994.
Statement on Professional Ethics. 2009 revision.
Academic Freedom and the Law
Legal Round-Up: What’s New and Noteworthy for Higher Education? By AAUP counsel. These yearly legal roundups summarize and highlight significant court decisions and legal developments on this topic.
AAUP Amicus Briefs. Summaries of, and links to, AAUP amicus briefs filed in cases involving academic freedom.
Legal Cases Affecting Academic Speech. Summaries of important cases affecting academic speech.
Faculty Rights in the Classroom. 2017. By Aaron Nisenson, AAUP counsel. An article from Academe magazine.
Academic Freedom and the Law. Updated 2023. By Edward Swidriski, AAUP assistant counsel.
Faculty Handbook as Enforceable Contracts: A State Guide. Updated 2023.
AAUP Informational Resources
Campus Free Speech FAQ. 2023. New guidance from the AAUP and AFT to help members navigate campus free speech and academic freedom in poitically charged contexts.
Webinars on Academic Freedom Issues.
Information for State Conferences About Working to Protect Academic Freedom
Speak Up, Speak Out: Protect the Faculty Voice. An AAUP issue campaign, with supporting material, that was undertaken to enhance academic freedom at public colleges and universities.
Manufacturing Backlash: Right-Wing Think Tanks and the Legislative Attack on Higher Education, 2021–2023. 2024. The first white paper by the Center for the Defense of Academic Freedom.
Investigations & Censure
List of Administrations Censured by the Association
The AAUP's Censure List. 2003. By Jonathan Knight. A descriptive essay on the AAUP's definition of "censure," which evolved through debate on pivotal issues of faculty roles, powers, and duties.
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