The AAUP has defended the right of faculty members to speak as citizens—that is, “to address the larger community with regard to any matter of social, political, economic or other interest without institutional discipline or restraint”—since its inception. Freedom of extramural utterance is a constitutive part of the American conception of academic freedom, and the AAUP has investigated and censured many institutions for dismissing faculty members over their extramural utterances. Recent calls by university administrators for civility have raised concerns over their potential to restrict extramural speech of faculty members. Some of these calls have claimed a relationship between civility in extramural utterances and in the classroom. Over the years, the Association has repeatedly addressed related concerns in policy statements, for which we provide central quotes and links to full statements below.

 

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