National Study of Faculty Attitudes Toward Academic Freedom
Problem
Claims and definitions of academic freedom are increasingly coming under question.
Colleges and universities have often been viewed as havens for freedom of thought and inquiry. Some institutions even codify that freedom in their missions. But as our society has become increasingly polarized, claims of academic freedom—and even the definition of academic freedom—have come into question from inside and outside academia.
The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and American Association of University Professors (AAUP) are partnering with NORC to refine a national study of faculty focused on academic freedom, freedom of expression, self-censorship, and diverse political viewpoints and attitudes, inspired by Columbia University professor Paul Lazarsfeld’s 1958 study of the attitudes of social science faculty during the McCarthy era. NORC collected the 1958 survey data.
Solution
NORC administered a survey to faculty at American colleges and universities about academic freedom.
NORC collaborated with AAC&U and AAUP to develop and conduct a national survey of faculty viewpoints about a variety of dimensions at their institutions, including academic freedom, freedom of expression, self-censorship, respect for diverse political views and values, and openness to and willingness to practice civil discourse.
To do so, NORC, AAC&U, and AAUP examined Paul Lazarsfeld’s original 1958 survey measures to understand McCarthyism-related experiences and perceptions of social science faculty. The teams identified conceptual and methodological dimensions of the original survey to both retain and update to fit contemporary higher education and sociopolitical contexts. To test the effectiveness of the survey refinements, NORC conducted a series of cognitive interviews with a sample of faculty from diverse geographical and higher education contexts and used that evidence to inform final survey refinements.
Result
The findings provide insights about the climate for academic freedom across U.S. higher education.
NORC delivered data and analyses to the AAC&U project team. The team is broadly disseminating the findings.
Related Tags
Project Leads
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Lisa Davidson
Senior Research ScientistPrincipal Investigator -
Erin Knepler
Senior Research DirectorProject Director -
Stas Kolenikov
Principal StatisticianChief Statistician -
Karen Grigorian
Vice PresidentSenior Technical Advisor -
Debra W. Stewart
Senior FellowSpecial Advisor
