Challenges to Academic Freedom in the United States
By: Kai Ole Vorberg
May 30, 2024
Students in the US protesting against the Israeli government’s war in Gaza have, at several universities, been met with coercion by authorities, fueling a debate about academic freedom of expression. This week’s graph shows four indicators of academic freedom and their development in the US from 2000 to 2023.
The graph shows that critical indicators of academic freedom have been in decline in the US since 2016. For example, Florida recently passed laws undermining institutional autonomy and the freedom to research and teach.
Similar legislation targeting, among other aspects, free speech, curriculum control, and tenure protections has been introduced in over 30 states, making the current student protests only the most recent battleground for academic freedom in the US.
Academic freedom is understood as the right of academics to, among other things, freedom of teaching and discussion, freedom in carrying out research and disseminating the results, freedom to express their opinion freely, and freedom from institutional censorship. It enables universities to play an important role in democratic societies not only through their research output but as hubs for critical thinking and free, open, and respectful dissent.
