Our theme for July is academic freedom. Throughout the month we will offer questions, articles, and resources regarding this topic. Please join in the discussion about academic freedom on our Facebook page.
By Patrick Blessinger and Hans de Wit
Since higher education is, by definition, an environment where new knowledge is produced and consumed, it follows that the freedom to engage in intellectual inquiry is essential to the purpose of higher education, to the mission of higher education institutions and to the professional duties of those individuals involved in teaching, learning and research processes.
Without academic freedom, critical thinking cannot be cultivated, and without critical thinking, higher learning cannot be nurtured. Thus, given its centrality to higher learning, it comes as no surprise that academic freedom has been an integral part of higher education since its inception.
