Californians Redefine Academic Freedom

This position paper discusses the changes to the UC Academic Senate’s regulations on academic freedom and on policies for teaching potentially contentious or political issues, arguing that the new regulation has not been adequately considered in light of its detrimental effect on academic standards. Whereas previously the university’s policy had stated that faculty were not to use their teaching to “convert” students, the new regulation relies on individual instructors’ “competence” and allows for their politically committed viewpoints instead of establishing any guidelines for unbiased teaching practices.