From legislation that places mandates on curricula, censors faculty speech, and restricts diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, to political interference in tenure decisions, academic freedom has been under threat. Given this current political and cultural climate, the American Association of Colleges and Universities, in partnership with the American Association of University Professors and NORC at the University of Chicago, conducted a national survey of faculty in higher education to better understand their experiences and views when it comes to academic freedom. The sample included faculty of all ranks and disciplines at public and private, two-year and four-year institutions across the United States. Funded by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, the survey was administered online between December 2023 and February 2024.
The hope for these findings is that they may inform a range of conversations, within and beyond higher education, that lead to greater awareness of the assumptions we hold as educators and scholars; greater will to communicate across differences; and better understanding of where we, as Americans, can find common ground. Here’s a look at some key results of the survey.