Early-Career Faculty Members’ Perception of Academic Freedom in Teaching

• In Event: AERA Research in Progress Roundtable Session Three
  In Invited Roundtable: Research-in-Progress RT043 (Friday)

Abstract

This research explores early career faculty members’ perceptions of academic freedom in their teaching, at public institutions in states with restrictive higher education legislation, including DEI bans, mandated institutional neutrality, and educational gag orders. Using mixed methods, this study investigates how early career faculty members come to understand their rights and responsibilities regarding academic freedom, the institutional support they expect if their academic freedom is challenged, and what, if any, adjustments they make to their teaching practices in response. Findings show that over 40% of respondents perceive a legislative threat to their academic freedom, and 36% of respondents have changed their teaching. These findings will provide insight into how academic freedom is understood, experienced, and navigated by vulnerable faculty populations.

Author

• Madeline M Rowe, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities