Mission and Academic Freedom. Jeff Hall, VPAA Covenant College, Lookout Mountain, GA

Transcription

1 Mission and Academic Freedom Jeff Hall, VPAA Covenant College, Lookout Mountain, GA

2 Overview Challenges in the marketplace of higher education Marketing and missional differentiation Policies and practices to sustain missional faithfulness Principles of academic freedom Recent issues of free speech on campuses The interplay of missional commitments and academic freedom Discussion

3 Challenges in the marketplace of higher education (Drawing heavily on Breakpoint by Jon McGee) Demographic challenges Number of HS graduates peaked in and is now declining levels will not be reached until , but the demographics will be different geographically and racially/ethnically College participation rates leveled off in 2004 The total number of enrolled college students fell every fall from 2011 to 2016, million from 20.6 million (from National Student Clearinghouse research Center) We seem to be at the end of a consistently growing demand curve from popul participation rate increase Some colleges have and will be closing

4 Economic/Cultural challenges (McGee) Change of mindset post many Americans lost a decade of net worth The dominant narration for the purpose of education has become almost exclusively one of economic utility -- transactional rather than transformational Pricing model is increasingly out of control

5 NACUBO discount rate study 2017

6 Mission differentiation Hedgehog concept (Collins) Passionate about Best at Economic engine Faith-based institutions Mission statement that is rooted in a faith tradition

7 Benefits of a faith-based mission Connects deep life commitments of faith and learning Creates intrinsic motivation Is explicitly transformational (formational) in mission There are some indicators of benefit to personal and social student learning outcomes (Kuh et al, 2006)

8 Challenges of a faith-based mission in higher education Difficult to communicate in an increasingly secular society Could be perceived as intolerant Is there heterogenous demand for this differentiation?

9 Stating and maintaining institutional mission Narrating/stating a mission is essential but extremely difficult in the current transactional climate. With general cultural shifts, some faith-based institutions are making explicit commitments that were previously tacitly assumed. Some have lost portions of their faculty and staff members over such clarifications. Other faith-based institutions have embraced a greater degree of local pluralism For today we will briefly examine the former option of holding fast to commitments of a faith tradition.

10 AAUP 1940 Statement 2. Teachers are entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject, but they should be careful not to introduce into their teaching controversial matter which has no relation to their subject. Limitations of academic freedom because of religious or other aims of the institution should be clearly stated in writing at the time of the appointment.

11 AAUP 1970 interpretive comment on #2 3. Most church-related institutions no longer need or desire the departure from the principle of academic freedom implied in the 1940 Statement, and we do not now endorse such a departure. This refers to the limitations of academic freedom that are clearly stated in writing. However, institutional academic freedom is still permitted Nonetheless, the borders/boundaries are always a little unclear -- keep conversation open

12 Principles for faith-based institutions that embrace a specific tradition Make explicit in writing the distinctives that are central to the mission of the institution If these principles are not explicit currently, attempt to involve the faculty in crafting initial drafts of documents Communicate these principles at the time of hiring and then regularly (annually perhaps) thereafter Narrate the specific tradition as a distinctive in marketing collateral Target marketing to communities of differentiated demand

13 Free speech in a defined environment Recent debates about free speech on campuses raises questions about the free exchange of ideas 1st Amendment vs. academic freedom Should we be hearing from those with whom we disagree? Does the institution have a responsibility to contextualize but not eliminate outside voices?

14 Types of Academic Freedom Professorial -- for professors and limited to area of expertise Institutional -- for institutions and permitted to frame the educational environment Student -- for students allowing freedom for open discussion, emphasizing education over indoctrination, and providing fairness in evaluation