Limits Discussion
Should professors at the college or university level, be able to discuss or investigate any issue, or to express opinions, on any topic without interference or fear of penalty or other reprisal from either the school or the government? Some say yes, as this is how they define academic freedom. However, a more accurate definition of academic freedom must incorporate notions of task limitations (performing the job one was hired to do), responsibility, and legal rights.
"Academic freedom is not a subset of freedom in general, and one cannot reason from a theoretical account of freedom to what one is free to do in a university setting." (Fish, 2008). Academic freedom is freedom for professors engaged in a certain task (Fish, 2008). As such, professors have the freedom to do their jobs, but they can't change the requirements of the job or fail to carry out their responsibilities. These responsibilities "require professors to submit their knowledge and claims to rigorous and public review by peers who are experts in the subject matter under consideration; to ground their arguments in the best available evidence; and to work together to foster the education of students" (Association of America Colleges and Universities, 2006).
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