The University Senate has plans to introduce a resolution reaffirming the importance of academic freedom for Syracuse University professors at its next meeting. While the senate is discussing academic freedom at SU, the university should reevaluate and explicitly define what role faculty use of social media plays in academic freedom.

The American Association for University Professors says academic freedom entitles teachers “to full freedom in research and in the publication of the results” and “to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject.” The AAUP also says “when (professors) speak or write as citizens, they should be free from institutional censorship or discipline.”

At Wednesday’s meeting, the resolution was tabled to allow for more input from non-senate professors. The possibility of a resolution to reaffirm academic freedom was sparked by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s decision to fire a professor over his controversial tweets. The professor was fired after he tweeted criticisms of Israel that the U of I deemed as hate speech.   

In the draft of the resolution, it referred to the AAUP’s statement on Academic Freedom and Electronic Media, which says faculty members aren’t responsible for distinguishing between professional and personal tweets. The statement says requiring them to do so could restrict their ability to speak freely on social media.

While SU protects classroom discussion, its policy on academic freedom notes that faculty members should remember what they say reflects on the university and that they “should exercise appropriate restraint and should make every effort to indicate that they are not speaking for the institution.”

In light of the U of I situation, SU administration and members of the senate should discuss how the university can better define the boundary between personal and professional presence on social media.

Some professors encourage students to interact with them on social media, and have their university position clearly displayed on their profile. On social media, it can be especially difficult to distinguish when a faculty member is speaking as an individual or as a university employee.

If the university and the senate choose to discuss how to better define these boundaries, they should address whether a professor’s controversial opinion is protected in both personal and professional social media posts and whether controversial posts to a private account not associated with SU are protected by academic freedom.

It is important for professors to be able to say, or tweet, whatever they want without fear of discipline. To avoid a situation like the one at U of I, SU should make clear how faculty use of social media relates to academic freedom.

Published on October 9, 2014 at 12:01 am

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