Academic Freedom

There's been a lot of talk lately about academic freedom. As communicators at a public university, it should inform everything we do. If you are wondering what exactly our policy on academic freedom is, look no further.

BOARD OF REGENTS POLICY ON ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY

SECTION I. GUIDING PRINCIPLES.

The Board of Regents (Board) of the University of Minnesota (University) reaffirms the principles of academic freedom
and responsibility. These are rooted in the belief that the mind is
ennobled by the pursuit of understanding and the search for truth, and
the state well served when instruction is available to all at an
institution dedicated to the advancement of learning. These principles
are also refreshed by the recollection that there is commune vinculum omnibus artibus, a common bond through all the arts.

SECTION II. ACADEMIC FREEDOM.

Academic freedom is the freedom
to discuss all relevant matters in the classroom, to explore all
avenues of scholarship, research, and creative expression, and to speak
or write without institutional discipline or restraint on matters of
public concern as well as on matters related to professional duties and
the functioning of the University.

SECTION III. ACADEMIC RESPONSIBILITY.

Academic responsibility
implies the faithful performance of professional duties and obligations,
the recognition of the demands of the scholarly enterprise, and the
candor to make it clear that when one is speaking on matters of public
interest, one is not speaking for the institution.