The University serves the people of Illinois and the common good through learning, teaching, research, scholarship, and public service. Fulfillment of these functions requires the preservation of intellectual freedoms of teaching, expression, research, and debate. The right to search for truth, to support a position the searcher believes is the truth, and to disagree with others whose intellect reaches a different conclusion is the fiber of America's greatness. It is, likewise, the strength of a great University, and its preservation is vital.
A teacher or researcher is entitled to freedom in research, and publication of the results of research, limited only by the precepts of scholarship and faithful performance of academic obligations.
Members of the faculty, staff and student body are entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing academic related matters.
The Board reaffirms belief in, pledges support of, and directs all segments of the University community to sustain and follow the foregoing commitment to academic freedom. It further recognizes that tenure is a means of protecting freedom of inquiry, research, discourse, teaching, learning and publications.
adopted: 05/09/1997
