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Academic Freedom Alliance

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Academic Freedom Alliance
FormationMarch 2021; 3 years ago (2021-03)
Type501(c)3 organization
85-3780742

The Academic Freedom Alliance (AFA) is a nonprofit organization formed by college educators to defend free expression. The mission of the organization is to challenge university administrations and provide legal help to professors who face disciplinary action over controversial speech or activities.[1] It was founded by Keith Whittington, Cornel West, Robert George, Jeannie Suk Gersen, and Nadine Strossen.[2]

Overview

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The organization provides legal support for professors involved in free speech controversies. It challenges university administrations and external entities on behalf of the academicians to support academic freedom and civil debate on a range of issues.[3] Its actions have defended multiple professors including preventing a professor from getting fired from a university.[4]

History

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The Academic Freedom Alliance was founded in March 2021 by a group of Princeton University faculty along with 200 other founding members in the United States.[5] As of 2021, the organization has 400 members.[6]

In March 2022, the Academic Freedom Alliance sent a letter to the administration of Princeton University calling on it to remove criticism of a faculty member's speech from the webpage of the Carl Fields Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding.[7] Writing for the Academe Blog of the American Association of University Professors, John K. Wilson stated that advocating for such restrictions on criticism of faculty by university staff and centers on all university webpages represents an "untenable" and "hypocritical standard" that would lead to "censorship on a breathtaking scale."[8] Princeton President Christopher L. Eisgruber declined to remove the controversial comment from the webpage of Carl Fields Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding.[9]

References

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  1. ^ Flaherty, Colleen (March 9, 2021). "New Nonpartisan Faculty Group Will Promote and Defend Free Speech, Academic Freedom". Inside Higher Ed. Archived from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  2. ^ Italie, Hillel (March 8, 2021). "College educators form alliance to defend free expression". AP NEWS.
  3. ^ Whittington, Keith E. (May 5, 2021). "Some Academic Freedom Victories". The Volokh Conspiracy. Archived from the original on August 4, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021 – via Reason.com.
  4. ^ Schneider, Christian (3 December 2021). "'Win for academic freedom': College will not fire professor who defended rigorous math standards". The College Fix. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  5. ^ Editorial, Board (9 March 2021). "More Defenders of Campus Speech". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  6. ^ Taylor, Stuart (19 August 2021). "Guided by Faith, Divinity Student Fought His 'Anti-Racist' Princeton Seminary -- and Won". RealClearInvestigations. Archived from the original on 30 August 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  7. ^ Whittington, Keith (March 27, 2022). "Letter to Princeton University" (PDF). Academic Freedom Alliance. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 17, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  8. ^ Wilson, John (April 1, 2022). "Blog: Academic Freedom at Princeton". Academe Blog, AAUP. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  9. ^ Flaherty, Colleen (April 12, 2022). "Free Speech for Me, and Thee?". Inside Higher Ed. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
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