Faculty and Student Research in Practicing Academic Freedom

Enakshi Sengupta, Patrick Blessinger, Enakshi Sengupta, Patrick Blessinger

• Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781839827020
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Higher Education

Events in recent years, including instances in which academics have been jailed for protesting against corrupt political regimes, have demonstrated that the concept of academic freedom is under threat. Presenting case studies which reveal real-life examples of enforced silence, this book examines the concept of academic freedom in the context of globalization and outlines the challenges posed to the development of higher education.
Offering a balanced view, which also showcases positive improvements in transparency and accountability, the authors examine the role of racial and gender biases, paired against rights and responsibilities, to highlight the drivers of restrictions on academic freedom. Including case studies from Turkey, Iraq, Pakistan and Hungary, along with examples of interventions and programmes intended to uphold freedom values, this volume provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges and potential solutions to securing and practicing academic freedom.

PART I

COUNTRY-SPECIFIC PRACTICES

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO FACULTY AND STUDENT RESEARCH IN PRACTICING ACADEMIC FREEDOM

Enakshi Sengupta and Patrick Blessinger

ABSTRACT

Academic freedom has been the topic of debate and discussion since the concept evolved in academia. It has been a controversial topic that has different dimensions and explores the significance of this concept with relation to knowledge development and enhancement of student’s progress. Academic freedom expects faculty members to submit their ideas and research results to rigorous peer review and to experts who excel in the subject matter. The current debate surrounding the topic lacks clarity and has taken a different shape in different countries. In some countries, it has assumed the role of individual freedom, in some the collegial and institutional freedom, and in others it respects the freedom of students. Apart from teaching–learning, it is the freedom to conduct research and explore new avenues of knowledge. In this book, the concept of academic freedom is examined in the lights of globalization and challenges it poses to the development of higher education. We have seen that in recent years the concept of academic freedom has been threatened and some academics expressing their right of academic freedom were fired from their academic position, and in some cases, were imprisoned. Such case studies where academic freedom was silenced have been highlighted in this book. Authors have tried to explore how the concept has been balanced with transparency and accountability and what role did racial and gender biases played in pairing with rights and responsibilities. Case studies from Turkey, Iraq, Pakistan and Hungary have been presented along with other interventions and programs meant to support and uphold academic freedom.

Keywords: Academic freedom; knowledge; transparency; accountability; debate; globalization; institutional freedom; political regime; faculty members; student’s progress

INTRODUCTION

1980s saw a spurt in the growth of the concept of academic freedom (Marginson, 1997). Some academics writing about this topic also suggested that freedom is becoming increasingly constrained in modern universities. Warning bells have been ringing making members of higher education aware of the fact that constriction will lead to deterioration of public debate the practices of pluralistic democracy (Melody, 1997). Some have even warned that this constraint on freedom might result in the poor relationship between students and faculty members and a fall in teaching standards with an emphasis on conducting “safe” research instead of speculative ones which might challenge the existing status quo (Kayrooz, Kinnear, & Preston, 2001). The economic downturn, globalization and internationalization of higher education have left its fingerprints on this concept. Increasing fiscal pressure and constraints on universities in the recent decade have resulted in the changing nature of higher education. Assessment and evaluation of academic performance and trends toward marketization and commercialization of universities with growing societal concern have led to a radical change in the teaching–learning pattern of an institution of higher education (Schuller, 1995).

Tracing back in history to view the contemporary origin of academic freedom, we travel back to 1940, which took its shape after a series of joint conferences in 1934. The concept of academic freedom was studied and debated by representatives of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), which defined and defended the academic freedom of college professors to teach and conduct research along with delving into issues of academic governance and collective exercise of academic freedom (Sengupta & Sumer, 2020). These debates and discussions are collectively called as the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure. The text was further modified in 1989 and January 1990. Changes were superficial in nature and were restricted to language in order to remove gender-specific references that were found in the original text. The document was codified to promote public understanding and support of academic freedom, tenure and agreement in keeping with the interest of institutions of higher education. The concept of academic freedom is applicable to both the dimension of teaching and research and the advancement of knowledge. The text is also meant to protect the rights of the teacher in teaching and of the student to freedom in learning.

Academic freedom is open to a range of interpretation and is generally used to support a range of conflict, causes and positions (Worgul, 1992). Although much confusion exists around this concept, it has some common themes and they emerge in varying degrees of frequency. At its best, it is presented as a basic right of academics, a right that is meant to support non-interference in their activities, the right to engage in meaningful research that investigates and discusses problems and gives the academic full liberty to express their conclusion on the subject. It allows them to publish their work in journals or instruct their students about their findings without fearing the interference of political or ecclesiastical authority of administrative officials of the institution in which the faculty member is employed (Worgul, 1992). While non-interference is one dimension of this freedom, the other part is engaging in appropriate academic activities and giving appropriate support to the academic activities (O’Hear, 1988). Discussions surround:

whether academic freedom should apply only to the acknowledged special interests of academics or whether it should instead be extended indefinitely to cover any teaching, scholarship, research or publication which any academic chooses to engage in. (Tight, 1988, p. 118)

Clash of competing ideas is considered healthy in academia which acts as a catalyst to developing knowledge and enhancing critical judgment among students. Debate occupies a central position in academic freedom and teaches students to engage in a difference of opinion, form their grounded judgment and learn the value of comparing perspectives. Academic freedom is an essential component toward sustaining society that is free, diverse and supports democracy.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Education is considered as a public good and hence the notion of academic freedom and its role in higher education attracts attention from academics and policy-makers who discuss and debate to what extent should teaching staff practice academic freedom. Aronowitz (2001) argues that academics do not wholeheartedly practice the concept of freedom and thus fail to prepare students in their ability to fight social evils. He further argues that as responsible individuals we are committed to democracy and thus higher education in its very role must provide the much-needed tool to support and uplift the concept of democracy among the students. Most of the work found in the literature support the critical role of the academic in advancing the public good (Moore, 2003; Pulley, 2004).

AAUP has put forth a statement that elaborates the concept of common good and purpose of academic freedom, “to promote public understanding and support of academic freedom and tenure and agreement upon procedures to assure them in colleges and universities. Institutions of higher education are conducted for the common good and not to further the interest of either individual teacher or the institution as a whole. The common good depends upon the free speech for truth and its exposition. Academic freedom is essential to these purposes” (AAUP, 1940, p. 1).

Academic freedom, according to Dewey (1927), is the platform that allows an individual to shape and participate in public discourse and is the very foundation on which the platform of a democratic society is built. It allows an academic the right of free inquiry without any external hindrances – an unknown binding social compact between society and professors in which society agrees to the need to allow a faculty member the pursuit of truth without any interference, be it political or economic in nature contrary to the vested interest of any individual which might interfere with the autonomy of the academics.

Academic freedom is deeply rooted in the educational policy and governance of an institution, in which the state and its legitimate institutions play an active role. Hence, academic freedom is not only the prerogative of the academic institution but becomes a responsibility of the state and its educational policy-makers and influencers. The state’s role is not to be discreet in its policies and exercising self-restrain in all possible interventions. It should ensure that all state vehicles should not undermine the concept of academic freedom or try and curtail it in their own way. Intolerance of views, self-censorship and bias opinions curtail the free independent thinking of the academics and render the concept of academic freedom as meaningless. Institutions of higher education have the power and the ability to protect and promote academic freedom, challenging views and established opinions and thus creating a body of knowledge that is progressive and futuristic in nature. Mere constitutional guarantees do not ensure academic freedom unless they are deeply connected to the democratic process of the country and free-thinking power of its citizens.

The effort to uphold and support academic freedom through constitutional apparatus and institutional guarantees may fail miserably if the institutions of higher education are made to operate under unreasonable or arbitrary limitations. Intuitions should be capable of resisting intrusions in its daily operations and its opinion and should be committed to its democratic rights and this can be achieved under the able direction of a strong and committed leadership team. Leaders in the institution can ensure that rights of every individual are protected and a great sense of accountability and transparency prevails in the university. Addressing the needs and rights of academics can only be done by creating stakeholder’s engagement and the official body that is capable of a systematic, analytical and dispassionate way of addressing the challenges faced in exercising academic freedom.

Emphasis has been given to tradition that concerns with the academic freedom of the students (Downs, 2005). Literature has addressed issues of academic freedom from a student’s point of view within and beyond the classroom context that includes individual rights including due processes and civil liberties. Academics have also worked toward academic freedom at the elementary and secondary level (Brown, 1994). This area of study is concerned about the intellectual freedom of both teachers and students and its focus has been the content of the curriculum used in the schools.

CONCLUSION

International bodies like AAUP have given special emphasis to the concept of academic freedom and the freedom of students to be able to learn without any coercion or restriction. The freedom to teach, learn and conduct research is equally important and none of these dimensions can be devalued as they are all interconnected. Students are expected to be taught and they have the freedom to protest against the indoctrination of political and religious ideologies. They also have the right to express their opinions on the curriculum. Both teachers and students have the right to intellectual autonomy, the right to discuss and debate in a manner that respects both teachers and students as individuals and their right to dissent (Moshman, 2009).

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Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Part I. Country-Specific Practices
• Part II. Exploring the Concept
• About the Authors
• Name Index
• Subject Index