Council on Academic Freedom Proposes Statement of Principles for University Adoption
The Council on Academic Freedom at Harvard unanimously endorsed a statement entitled “The Freedoms of a University.” The statement does not demand specific policies, but outlines broad principles to discharge its obligations as a university, followed by general recommendations as follows:
• the administration must set the tone with a full-throated endorsement of academic freedom, and by adopting and enforcing rules that safeguard the freedoms we should all enjoy;
• the faculty should recognize the singular role that their position and expertise give them in creating educational settings that promote these freedoms and their responsible exercise;
• the students, joining other members of the campus community, should embrace the challenge of responding to unsettling ideas with an ethic of compassion, courage, and curiosity.
