A national survey conducted by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) has revealed strong faculty support for free speech, diverse viewpoints, and civil discourse in higher education classrooms. Despite this commitment, the survey highlights a troubling decline in academic freedom, with significant implications for teaching and learning across in the U.S.
The survey, conducted in partnership with the American Association of University Professors and the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago, included faculty from various ranks and disciplines at public and private two- and four-year institutions nationwide. Funded by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, the results underscore both faculty dedication to fostering open dialogue and their growing concerns over professional constraints.
Faculty expressed widespread support for encouraging classroom discussions on controversial issues, with 93% emphasizing the importance of inviting diverse student perspectives. Over half of respondents said such discussions should occur frequently because of their educational value. However, only 12% agreed that classroom conversations should halt if certain views are perceived as harmful by some students, and just 5% supported dropping assignments containing such views.
At the same time, the survey reveals significant challenges. More than one-third of faculty reported experiencing reduced academic freedom in areas such as teaching content, speaking freely as citizens, and participating in institutional governance. Legislative restrictions targeting “divisive concepts” have compounded these concerns, with many faculty self-censoring to avoid controversy.
The findings also highlight the personal toll on educators. Over half of respondents worry that their scholarly activities could result in online harassment, and 52% have altered their language to prevent potential backlash.
The AAC&U describes these results as a call to action for higher education leaders and policymakers to address the erosion of academic freedom and promote environments that support open inquiry and respectful discourse.
