Few issues are as hotly debated or misunderstood as academic freedom.
Reichman's book sheds light on and brings clarity to those debates.
Winner of the Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award by the American Library
Association
Academic freedom--crucial to the health of American higher education--is
threatened on many fronts. In The Future of Academic Freedom, a
leading scholar equips us to defend academic freedom by illuminating its
meaning, the challenges it faces, and its relation to freedom of
expression.
In the wake of the 2016 election, challenges to academic freedom have
intensified, higher education has become a target of attacks by
conservatives, and issues of free speech on campus have grown
increasingly controversial. In this book, Henry Reichman cuts through
much of the rhetoric to issue a clarion call on behalf of academic
freedom as it has been defined and defended by the American Association
of University Professors (AAUP) for over a hundred years. Along the way,
he makes it clear that this is the issue of our day.
Over the course of ten audacious essays, Reichman explores the theory,
history, and contemporary practice of academic freedom. He pays
attention to such varied concerns as the meddling of politicians and
corporate trustees in curriculum and university governance, the role of
online education, the impact of social media, the rights of student
protesters and outside speakers, the relationship between collective
bargaining and academic freedom, and the influence on research and
teaching of ideologically motivated donors. Significantly, he debunks
myths about the strength of the alleged opposition to free expression
posed by student activism and shows that the expressive rights of
students must be defended as part of academic freedom.
Based on broad reading in such diverse fields as educational theory,
law, history, and political science, as well as on the AAUP's own
investigative reporting, The Future of Academic Freedom combines
theoretical sweep with the practical experience of its author, a leader
and activist in the AAUP who is an expert on campus free speech. The
issues Reichman considers--which are the subjects of daily conversation
on college and university campuses nationwide as well as in the
media--will fascinate general readers, students, and scholars alike.
