Achievements and Accomplishments of Higher Education - Assignment Example

Academic freedom and Academic duty al Affiliation Academic freedom and Academic duty Question: How do you define Academic Freedom and Academic Duty? How might these concepts contrast and what are some of the dilemmas that may arise as a result? Introduction: This article discusses the scholarly and co temporal meaning of the phrases “academic freedom” and “academic duty” and their implications on matters pertaining academic jurisprudence and the general public. The paper will further analyze the possible friction and controversies surrounding and resulting from their implications. The writer will also share personal experience and opinion regarding the dilemmas resulting from day to day application of the two phrases. Content: Academic freedom, according to Kennedy (1999, pg# 1 line#1) is a mantra common in the corridors of higher learning institutions and colleges. It is a term that refers to the privileges (freedom) given to professors and their institutions to speak out and stand by their actions on matters of public concern without the fear of facing retaliatory interference from the political class (American Association colleges and Universities [AACU] 2006 pg# 1 line#19-29 ). It protects heterodox notions and unconventional behavior in the walls of the academy that would otherwise be vulnerable to external influential forces (Kennedy, 1999, pg# 1 line#5). Such freedom protects the space for intellectual experiment permitting individuals with extraordinary creative talents to live their life standards. Academies are institutions that societies can hardly do without. They are centers that nurture our cultural values, foster research and innovations, and nurture the manpower that drives the economy of the society. At the heart of universities and colleges is the wellbeing of the society, and; therefore, it is justifiable to safeguard it from external evil forces that may hinder proper discharge of its functions. For instance in 1997, the president of Tulane university successfully defended the actions of his faculty and students of the Law school’s Environmental Law Clinic in representing a community seeking to bar unfavorable project (Krell, 2004 pg#259 line 1-7). The ability of the president to bar interference from the Governor of Louisiana, who wanted to influence the actions of taken by the clinic, was bound in the realms of academic freedom for the faculty and students. Without the freedom, the university would have been compromised and would have failed in discharging its function of promote the safety and wellbeing of a society. On the other hand, academic duty is the communitarian obligation to do good and serve the society (Kennedy 1999, pg#1 line#22-25). It creates symmetry that acts as a counter balance to academic freedom. Unlike the later, the phrase academic duty rarely heard or even known. Academic duty is seen by both eyes of achievements and failure especially by the general public. The higher education in the United States has been a center of excellence both locally and globally giving it the role of a model in the education sector. A standing example of these achievements is in the tremendous increase, in international student admissions experienced today compared to previous years (Kennedy 1999 pg# 1, line 25-32). However, despite the countless number of achievements the America’s higher education has come under heavy criticism in the bounds of academic duty. This criticism is an indirect expression of the public’s dissatisfaction on the same system that is mandated to nurture and safeguard its wellbeing. Academic freedom and academic duty go hand in hand and have both raised controversies in the domains of academies and the general public. While academic freedom is entrenched in the law (though still controversial), academic duty on the contrary is hardly enforced by any mechanism and it is left at the mercy of the academicians (Krell, 2004, pg # 261-263 line #1 -2). However, the protection of academic freedom by the law is limited, and it is contentiously applied through the First Amendment Pickering test. In the Pickering test speech protection enjoyed by professors is equal to that enjoyed by other professionals. However, academic institutions, as well as individual professors, can both claim protection under this provision. For example, the move by Tulane university president to resist the influence of the Louisiana Governor can be seen as institutional academic freedom claim. Individual professors can claim similar immunity when they make controversial statements or stand by set conclusions un-favored by the university management or the state. Limited legal frameworks to enforce academic duty is essential in ensuring professors and universities enjoy full academic freedom. However, a mechanism is needed to counter balance and demand responsibility for the freedom. Such a mechanism is achieved through public criticism on the academy institutions and their professionals. Another mechanism is through the legislation of regulations that override academic freedom protection, such as regulations on the use of human subject and animal models in biomedical research. The public has been very effective in acting as a proxy check on the academy by pointing out shortfalls and setting the target. For instance, an increase in the demand graduate workforce capable of adapting in the highly dynamic and broad economic environment exerts pressure on the faculty equally improve their graduate programmes (Menand, 2011, pg# 3 line# 1-8) . Some of the pointed failures include; inflated tuition rates, which forms a significant proportion of the economic burden, increase in number of cases in racial segregation, and sexual harassment involving faculty members (Kennedy 1999 pg#3 line 1-20). In some cases, faculty members have also been accused of academic misconduct especially in universities involved in active research. While academic freedom can be applied to a professor independently of the institution; academic duty is often regarded as a collective institutional obligation. For instance, a professor may claim academic protection from either the state or the University based on certain conclusions or claims they stand for; whereas the overall success or failure of the academy is measured collectively across all institutions of higher learning. Perhaps this explains the complexity and multiple nature of failed academic duty claims leveled against American universities and institutions by the same public that supports them. Kennedy (1999 pg# 3 line 1-2) argues that such accusations my need close scrutiny due to different perceptions held by the elitists and the public regarding its operations. The practical application of academic freedom and academic duty has been tricky and often leads to controversies (AACU, 2006 pg# 1 line 1-30). Theoretically, for academics to enjoy full protection on grounds of academic freedom they have to be entrusted with academic duty. Lack of academic duty accountability raises mistrust among the public, and this is seen in the way university internal affairs can explode to the public with unexpected magnitude and criticism. A telling example is the 1994 academic senate debate at Stanford University on the grading system. The resolutions of the senate went viral on the media and made national news even though the management considered it an internal affair (Kennedy, 1999 pg# 4 line# 26-38). This demonstrates how the public is fighting for mechanisms that will bring accountability in higher education as far as academic freedom in concerned. However, such mechanisms when placed will result in restrictions of the same freedom. For instance, attempt by city college of New York to appoint Dr. Bertrand Russell in 1940 was declined by court citing breach of the Penal Law (Krell, 2004, pg # 261-262 line #1 -32. This denied the university management the academic freedom to appoint persons they deem qualified to serve in their faculty. Such partial immunity on academic freedom poses a threat towards higher education should similar regulations be imposed. The higher education have undergone a transformation in the present age, and it is evident that institutions and professors may not fully enjoy academic freedom as previously experienced (Olivas, 2011 pg# 3-4 line# 14-10). Increase in the demand for college education and money by universities has become center for these controversies and dilemmas (Kennedy 1999 pg # 6-7 line 33-13). For example, research funding for universities has increasingly become limited, and this exposes professors and their universities to manipulation by donors. A Majority of the organizations financing research activities in a significant number of colleges are private institutions, which expect a value return on their investment. As a consequence, professors may be compromised to conduct research and reach conclusions that are favorable to the operations of these donors. This manipulation is also common in state owned universities and colleges, where the political class can manipulate the operations of universities through cutting down funding(Kennedy, 1999 pg# 6 line# 44-46). The unseen implication of this interference is a failure by the universities to discharge their duties. Therefore, it is important to note that the public being the watchdog of academic accountability, may lack the best criteria for assessing and evaluating academic duty (Kennedy 1999, pg# 2 line # 8-22). This is because higher education is analogous to isolated tower where only a few of those in it understand its operations. Another challenge is that the faculty members of universities are drawn from its own pool of graduate students, however, majority of the institutions do not orient new faculty members to the publics’ expectation. The complexity of running the centers of higher education partly contributes to the dilemmas experienced in today. My personal experience: The higher education in the United States has made tremendous progress in fulfilling its mandate in the society. There is better healthcare and management of medical conditions that without the current technology (as a result of higher education) would be impossible. However the increasing demand for higher education has resulted in commercialization of the sector drifting it away from its primary function. The search for new intervention is driven by commercial prospects and no longer the morale to do good. With this level of interference professors and universities in my view have limited if any academic freedom and have consequently failed in accounting for this freedom. Due to the nature of university operations, there may be limited evidence of political interference if its concealed from the public especially the media. Summary: It has been explicated in this paper that academic freedom and academic duty are phrases that are both dependent and independent of each other. Academic freedom, in simple terms, is the insulation of professors and their universities from external interference in discharging their duties. Academic freedom can be given at either institutional or individual (professor’s) level; however, cases of institutional academic freedom are common than the later. In isolated cases, institutions may choose to or not to support a colleague in order to safeguard their image. While there is a legal backing of academic freedom, accountability in academic duty is left for the public. Therefore, there is a tendency to generalize accountability of these institutions. Achievements and accomplishments of higher education are readily evident, and they include current technological advancement in all sectors of the society, and increase in demand for college education both from local and oversea students. Despite these achievements, higher education has recorded several shortfalls, such as increase in the number academic misconduct cases, reported sexual harassment and failure to provide solutions to an endless list of questions affecting the society. However, understanding the operations of universities may be critical in making a proper judgment on either the successes or failures of these institutions. With academic freedom, institutions of higher learning are supposed to be bound by their communitarian obligation to serve it. A dilemma is likely to occur if regulations seeking accountability of academic duty are put in place a move which restricts the freedom. As a result, such regulations especially by the government count for a fraction of the reported failures of the academy class. State funded institutions are particularly compromised to stand for their freedom as the state tends to intimidate them through cutting down their funding. Such cases may be difficult to counterbalance even with claiming academic freedom. References Association of American Colleges and Universities. (2006). Academic Freedom and Educational Responsibility. A statement from the board of directors Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU). NW Washington DC. Kennedy, D. (1999). Academic freedom and academic duty in Academic Duty (pages of Chapter). Stanford: Stanford University press. Krell, R. M. (2004). Ivory Tower under siege: A constitutional Basis for Academic freedom. George Manson University. Menand, L. (2011) .Why we have College: Critic at large. The New Yorker Olivas, N. A. (2011) Academic Freedom and Academic Duty: 2011 AAAL Presidential Lecturer, Houston: University of Houston Law center. Read More