As I was reading this Inside Higher Ed article titled “Defining Academic Freedom”, I began to realize a critical yet unfortunate fact. I realized that the majority of my educational experience in a classroom mirrored the list of what academic freedom does not entail. Looking back to freshman year of undergrad I’ve seen professors intentionally impose their political, religious, or social ideologies on the students. I can think back to high school experiences where there were questions on tests where the “correct” answer would go against their beliefs. There are moments now in college where I feel that students who are in the minority regarding political views, feel the need to keep their ideologies to themselves with the fear of being harassed, embarrassed, or shamed by other students.
I’ve had professors who’ve flaunted their tenure with the intent to make a clear authoritative distinction between their status as tenured faculty members and us, the young and ignorant students. This dynamic is most evident on the first few days of class as it is used as a way to set the tone for how the class will be conducted. As the class progresses, the students are waist deep in information that only reinforces the strong ideologies presented by the professor.
This article clearly illustrates academic freedom and its potential to allow students to have a holistic educational experience. Have you experienced academic freedom in your college experience? Has there been an instance in college where you felt stifled in a classroom as a result of the students classroom etiquette or the professors ideologies?
Yes, I have had professors who seemed set on indoctrinating us with their beliefs and opinions. But I have learned to read up on the issues on my own and decide what my stance is on the matter. To be honest, I’d rather have a professor who is a little to forceful than one who doesn’t make their opinion known at all. At least the overbearing professor is still passionate about what their teaching.