SR 03-11 - Academic Freedom Resolution

Approved By: Academic Senate
Approve Date: May 20, 2004
Senate Resolution File:
SR 03-05 Academic Freedom Resolution

Senate Resolution
SR 03-11
Academic Freedom
Be it Resolved that the Academic Senate of CSU Channel Islands affirms its commitment to upholding and preserving the principles of academic freedom: the right of faculty to teach, conductr esearch or other scholarship, and publish free of external constraints other than those normally denoted by the scholarly standards of a discipline, and

Be it Further Resolved hat the Academic Senate of CSU Channel Islands fully endorses the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure of the AAUP (www.aaup.org), and

Be it Further Resolved that this campus is dedicated to fostering the free speech rights guaranteed by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and to ensure that guests on campus have full opportunity to the exercise of these rights; and

Be it Further Resolved that the Academic Senate of CSU Channel Islands calls on the university community to maintain our campus as an open forum for free expression of ideas and diverse views in the framework of scholarly inquiry and professional ethics; and

Be it Further Resolved that the Academic Senate of CSU Channel Islands affims its intent to help ensure that all relevant policies developed on this campus protect freedom of inquiry, research , expression , and teaching both inside the classroom and beyond, and

Be it Finally Resolved that the Academic Senate of CSU Channel Islands opposes any system or campus policy that would restrict academic freedom in the name of “security” or a “balanced approach” to controversial issues.

Rationale:The AcademicS enateo f the CSU has passed a resolution ( AS-2649-04, May 6, 2004) calling on campus senates to review all campus policies regarding academic freedom. The rationale for the ASCSU resolution states: “In recent years, in the name of security, some universities have developed policies that place restrictions on academic freedom. There have been attempts to quell discussion of contentious issues under the guise of a need for a ‘balanced’ approach to controversial issues. Academic freedom is the pillar of a university’s fundamental mission of discovery and advancement of knowledge and its dissemination to students and the public. Restrictions on freedom to teach, conduct research,express points of view, and publish
created obstacles in fulfilling the academic mssion of the university. Only when universities protect academic freedom and foster the free exchange of ideas can they effectively fulfill the mission of providing high quality education to student and to the public.