"Academic freedom includes the right to teach and research "controversial or unpopular ideas related to the discipline or subject matter," but also says "academic freedom is not absolute." The move came despite opposition from the American Association of University Professors, which wrote the seminal 1940 definition of the concept."
"AAUP said UNC's definition "will chill speech on campus and lead to more retaliation against faculty teaching or discussing politically contentious topics. The imprecise language in this policy will open the UNC System to lawsuits when faculty are retaliated against or fired.""
"Among the changes was editing a line that said teaching "clearly unrelated to the course description" wouldn't be protected to instead say teaching that "lacks pedagogical connection to the course, discipline, or subject matter" wouldn't be protected."
The University of North Carolina Board of Governors approved a comprehensive definition of academic freedom for the state university system. The definition protects the right to teach and research controversial or unpopular ideas within one's discipline, but includes the qualifier that academic freedom is not absolute. The American Association of University Professors opposed the policy, warning it will chill campus speech and increase faculty retaliation. The UNC Faculty Assembly, which initiated the definition process, provided mixed feedback. The system incorporated multiple revisions based on faculty input, including clarifying that teaching lacking pedagogical connection to courses would not be protected. The final policy reflects compromises between protecting faculty speech and establishing boundaries.
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