Minutes of a Regular Meeting, June 22-23, 2004 - Digital Collections

REGENTS’ POLICY MANUALSECTION 2—ACADEMICSatmosphere in which there prevail ‘the four essential freedoms’ of a university—to determine for itself onacademic grounds who may teach, what may be taught, how it shall be taught, and who may be admittedto study.” Sweezy v. New Hampshire, 354 U.S. 234, 263; 77 S.Ct. 1203; 1 L.Ed.2d 1311 (1957).ACADEMIC FREEDOMThe 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure with 1970 InterpretiveComments of the American Association of University Professors has long been recognized as providingvaluable and authoritative guidelines for policy and practice in American colleges and universities. Thesection on academic freedom below is essentially a restatement of these principles, with somemodification and extension consistent with their intent and with later declarations by the Association. Inthe formulation that follows, these principles have been adopted as University policy by the Board ofRegents.a) Faculty members are entitled to full freedom in research and publication, subject toany restrictions set by law or by applicable codes of professional ethics, and subjectto adequate performance of their other academic duties and to stated Universitypolicy on outside employment; but, except under conditions of national emergency, afaculty member should not undertake to do research on University time or usingUniversity facilities or funds under any agreement which would (except for adefinitely and reasonably limited time) prohibit open communication of the results.b) Faculty members are entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject,but it is inappropriate for a teacher persistently to intrude material which has norelation to the subject of instruction.c) As members of the community, university teachers have the rights and obligations ofany citizen. They measure the urgency of these obligations in the light of theirresponsibilities to their subject, to their students, to their profession, and to theirinstitution. In speaking or acting as private persons, faculty members avoid creatingthe impression of speaking or acting for their college or university. As a citizenengaged in a profession that depends upon freedom for its health and integrity, theuniversity teacher has a particular obligation to promote conditions of free inquiryand to further public understanding of academic freedom. More extended or intensiveactivity may require that the faculty member should come under the normal rules andpractices respecting leaves of absence; and it should not affect the tenure status of afaculty member, except that time spent on such leave does not count as probationaryservice.d) As citizens, university teachers should be free to engage in political activitiesconsistent with their obligations as teachers and scholars. Subject to Universitypolicy, some activities, such as seeking election to an office for which extensivecampaigning is not required, or service in a part-time political office, may beconsistent with effective service as a member of the faculty.THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA 10