Sally Hunt
Policy briefing
Defending academic freedom
Academic freedom within the law is the bedrock of a democratic society and UCU must defend it without compromise.
In a worldwide context, being an academic or other education professional can be dangerous – as the kidnap and murder of many of our colleagues in Iraqi universities shows. In the UK it is not under physical threat but increased, if indirect, state control over our research and teaching outputs, the increase in funding by private companies of university research, formal or informal restrictions on the ability to publish sensitive research, attacks on academics who criticise or query government policy or even methodology are causing real concern for our academic members.
The government’s wish to use university staff to spy on students to see if they become radicalised as part of a campaign to combat “extremism on campus” sparked a very strong reaction from academic staff. You can read my response to the Government’s proposals here: why freedom of speech is crucial in colleges and universities (Guardian 20 October, 06)
During my time as general secretary of AUT, we were able to secure legislation in Scotland to enshrine the principle of academic freedom for “all individuals involved in research and teaching in all higher and further education institutions”..
With our freedom under attack, UCU must campaign effectively and one of my first priorities as UCU general secretary will be to raise the issue by seeking to extend the Scottish legislation to the whole of the UK.
Win or lose, and I think we can win, it is important that policy makers and the public hear about the importance of independent thought and study without fear of the consequences. To support this work, as general secretary I will ask members to contribute to a new UCU policy statement on academic freedom which will set out how we think our members should be treated and our willingness to defend members if necessary.
You may have other ideas but I think our policy needs to focus on freedom to teach and discuss, freedom to carry out and publish research, and to criticise your institution, the government or society without fear of retribution and freedom from censorship by the university.
The defence of academic freedom is inextricably linked to the governance of our universities and colleges. In many universities, academic staff and students are now outnumbered on governing bodies by local business people and dignitaries. Yet without control by faculty of the academic fabric of our institution, academic freedom is much harder to defend.
The arguments around this heated upafter the decision of Reading University Council to close its Physics department and you can read my view on what that decision says about modern governance here Reading and the lessons for university governance (Guardian 23 November, 06), while a more positive development was the rejection by Oxford academics of the reform of their faculty dominated governing body.
About me
I am the joint general secretary of the UCU, having been general secretary of the Association of University Teachers since 2002. I have spent the majority of my working life supporting education professionals, and was instrumental in negotiating the merger between AUT and NATFHE to form UCU. If you want to know more about my experience go to my biography.
Join the debate
Nobody has all the answers. I believe that if we are to move forward together we have to listen to each other to establish common ground. If you have any comments about this paper or want to suggest ways of improving our union go to http://sallyhuntucu.blogspot.com/ and join the debate.
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