Politics of Academic Freedom

Description: The meaning and applicability of academic freedom and freedom of speech standards—however much we prefer to trust in them as cherished ideals—typically come into dispute amid definite social and political contexts and strains. In this HistoryLab, students examined definitions of academic freedom and freedom of speech over time, engaging in collaborative research regarding one of five noted episodes in U-M’s twentieth-century history, moments when official disciplinary action penalized (or was suspected of penalizing) U-M students or faculty for their involvement in leftwing political protest.

Principal Investigator: Howard Brick