The Commission on Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression

In December 2020, President Farnam Jahanian charged this commission to explore and clarify the university鈥檚 commitment to academic freedom and freedom of expression in a contemporary context. 

In addition to exploring matters related to university policies and practices, the commission's charge included creating forums through which students, faculty and staff can explore the meaning and inherent value of both these principles, including how they are distinct and the ways in which they collectively support our academic mission.

The commission's final report and recommendations were shared with the university community in October 2022.

Implemented Commission Recommendations

Implementation Steering Committee

Constituted an Implementation Steering Committee headed by the Provost to follow through on the commission鈥檚 recommendations.

Advocate for Academic Freedom/Freedom of Expression

Hired an advocate for Academic Freedom/Freedom of Expression (AF/FoE) (the Student and Faculty Ombudsperson) to serve as a resource on AF/FoE for the campus community.

Education and Training Activities

Formulated and implemented activities for education and training, including a speaker series representing diverse views; an assessment of existing and new courses related to AF/FoE; and additional opportunities for engagement.

Hiring Decisions

While reaffirming unit-level decision making around hiring, the Implementation Committee made changes to address situations in which hiring decisions made by one unit can create harm to the wider university.

Core University Values

We continue to articulate AF/FoE as a core university value, along with the idea that AF/FoE is complementary to ensuring mutual respect and inclusion.

Policy on Policy Development

Following the procedures set out in the existing Policy on Policy Development, we continue to consider the commission's suggested changes to amend three university policies: those on Freedom of Expression, the Policy on Separation of Individual鈥檚 and Institution鈥檚 Interests, and the Code of Business Ethics and Conduct.

Keith E. Whittington, Ph.D.

 

William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Politics
Princeton University

Randall L. Kennedy, J.D.

Michael R. Klein Professor of Law
Harvard Law School

Sigal Ben-Porath, Ph.D.

Professor of Education, University of Pennsylvania
Author of Free Speech on Campus (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2017)

Erwin Chemerinsky, J.D.

Dean, University of California Berkeley School of Law
Author of Free Speech on Campus (Yale University Press, 2017)