Publications

White Papers

Kamola, Isaac. “Manufacturing Backlash: Right-Wing Think Tanks and Legislative Attacks on Higher Education, 2021–2023.” American Association of University Professors, May 2024.

This white paper examines the one hundred and fifty bills introduced during the 2021, 2022, and 2023 state legislative sessions seeking to actively undermine academic freedom and university autonomy. This includes nearly one hundred academic gag orders as well as bills undermining campus diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), bills weakening tenure and accreditation, and legislation mandating “viewpoint diversity” and academic programming. This white paper examines the network of right-wing and libertarian think tanks, working closely with Republican politicians, that pushed this legislative attack as part of a manufactured culture war backlash against educators and academic institutions.

Executive Summary. Full report (PDF).
Comprehensive overviews of the report are available at Inside Higher Ed, The Conversation, and Exposed by CMD.

Action Reports

Pandya, Sahin and Isaac Kamola. "Responding to Freedom of Information (FOI) Requests at Public Universities." Action Report #1, Center for the Defense of Academic Freedom, AAUP, July 8, 2024.

Kamola, Isaac. "Responding to Turning Point USA (TPUSA) and Other Provocative Student Groups on Campus." Action Report #2. Center for the Defense of Academic Freedom, AAUP, October 31, 2024.