Academic Freedom in Classroom Speech: A Heuristic Model for U.S. Catholic Higher Education

Abstract

As the nation’s Catholic universities and colleges continually clarify their identity, this article examines academic freedom in classroom speech, offering a heuristic model for use as board members, academic administrators, and faculty leaders discuss, evaluate, and judge allegations of misconduct in classroom speech. Focusing upon the practice of academic freedom in classroom speech, this article aims to map this contested terrain for board members, academic administrators, and faculty leaders in U.S. Catholic higher education. More substantively, this article identifi es what forms of classroom speech are allowed and disallowed, and why this is so.