Academic Freedom Groups & Organizations

This page offers you access to a variety of select groups and organizations supporting academic freedom and related issues and concerns.

Accuracy in Academia. Accuracy in Academia, a non-profit research group based in Washington, D. C., wants schools to return to their traditional mission-the quest for truth. To promote this goal, AIA documents and publicizes political bias in education in Campus Report, its monthly newsletter. CR articles focus on:

• The use of classroom and/or university resources to indoctrinate students;
• Discrimination against students, faculty or administrators based on political or academic beliefs; and
• Campus violations of free speech.

American Association of University Professors (AAUP). Protecting Academic Freedom is AAUP's stated core mission. For more than ninety years the AAUP has been engaged in developing standards for protecting academic freedom and in working for the acceptance of these standards by the community of higher education. The Association describes itself as the authoritative voice of the academic profession in this regard. Statements, reports, and policies dealing with academic freedom, as well as with other key issues, are published in the AAUP's Policy Documents and Reports, also known as the "Redbook." Be sure to check out their resources page.

David Horowitz Freedom Center - dedicated to defending the freedoms of all Americans and the values and institutions that make them possible. It is a battle-tank, not just a think-tank. Horowitz is intent on sponsoring Academic Freedom Bills in states all throughout the U.S., and is the sponsor of the Academic Bill of Rights, the Student Bill of Rights, and the organization Students for Academic Freedom. More...

Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (Fire) - The mission of FIRE is to defend and sustain individual rights at America's colleges and universities. These rights include freedom of speech, legal equality, due process, religious liberty, and sanctity of conscience—the essential qualities of individual liberty and dignity. FIRE's core mission is to protect the unprotected and to educate the public and communities of concerned Americans about the threats to these rights on our campuses and about the means to preserve them. This group has published an excellent collection of PDF Guidebooks on the topic of academic freedom, including their Guide to Free Speech on Campus, Guide to Due Process and Fair Procedure on Campus, Guide to Religious Liberty on Campus, and much more. In addition, they offer a collection of videos and podcasts highlighting academic freedom case studies. They also rate many schools in each state and their approach to individual rights.

Students for Academic Freedom - The Students for Academic Freedom Information Center is a clearing house and communications center for a national coalition of student organizations whose goal is to end the political abuse of the university and to restore integrity to the academic mission as a disinterested pursuit of knowledge.

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) - We're not convinced you'll always get the help you need from this government organization after you file a complaint with them, however, they are charged with protecting the civil rights of all Americans, especially those belonging to protected groups and minorities. The mission of the USCCR, as stated on their web site, is as follows:

• To investigate complaints alleging that citizens are being deprived of their right to vote by reason of their race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin, or by reason of fraudulent practices.
• To study and collect information relating to discrimination or a denial of equal protection of the laws under the Constitution because of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin, or in the administration of justice.
• To appraise federal laws and policies with respect to discrimination or denial of equal protection of the laws because of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin, or in the administration of justice.
• To serve as a national clearinghouse for information in respect to discrimination or denial of equal protection of the laws because of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin.
• To submit reports, findings, and recommendations to the President and Congress.
• To issue public service announcements to discourage discrimination or denial of equal protection of the laws.