AAUP statement “On Collegiality as a Criterion for Faculty Evaluation”

In this statement, the AAUP recognizes the value of collegiality “in the sense of collaboration and constructive cooperation.” But the statement also recognizes that the notion of “collegiality” can be used to suppress dissent, and that this is a violation of academic freedom. The following passage is particularly clear:

In the heat of important decisions regarding promotion or tenure, as well as other matters involving such traditional areas of faculty responsibility as curriculum or academic hiring, collegiality may be confused with the expectation that a faculty member display “enthusiasm” or “dedication,” evince “a constructive attitude” that will “foster harmony,” or display an excessive deference to administrative or faculty decisions where these may require reasoned discussion. Such expectations are flatly contrary to elementary principles of academic freedom, which protect a faculty member’s right to dissent from the judgments of colleagues and administrators.

The statement recognizes that conflict can arise even between two sides acting in good faith: a hierarchically-minded person may genuinely view dissent as insubordination, and a person with strongly held views on a policy may truly perceive disagreement as nettlesome or destructive. This is exactly why institutional safeguards should be in place to protect dissenting views.

Other AAUP statements

AAUP statements consistently recognize that the right of faculty members to speak about their institution and its policies is an important component of academic freedom. This is predicated on the recognition in the 1940 statement that universities exist primarily to facilitate the “free search for truth and its free exposition.” The AAUP’s “Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities” says, “The right of … a faculty member … to speak on general educational questions or about the administration and operations of the individual’s own institution is a part of that person’s right as a citizen and should not be abridged by the institution.”

In its statement “On the Relationship of Faculty Governance to Academic Freedom,” the AAUP recognizes the essential role of free inquiry and expression in academic governance, saying, “the protection of the academic freedom of faculty members in addressing issues of institutional governance is a prerequisite for the practice of governance unhampered by fear of retribution.” The statement says, “The academic freedom of faculty members includes the freedom to express their views … on matters having to do with their institution and its policies,” and notes that the “grounds for thinking an institutional policy desirable or undesirable must be heard and assessed if the community is to have confidence that its policies are appropriate.”

The AAUP’s “Statement on Professional Ethics” calls on all faculty members to defend the right to respectful and reasoned dissent, saying, “As colleagues, professors have obligations that derive from common membership in the community of scholars. … They respect and defend the free inquiry of associates, even when it leads to findings and conclusions that differ from their own.”