Academic Freedom and Tenure Under Attack
Academic freedom and tenure are under attack across the U.S. and globally. Coordinated attacks on critical scholarship, especially work advancing inclusion, diversity, equity, and access (IDEA), are reshaping higher education through restrictive legislation and political pressure.
The NCA Executive Committee (EC) has released a comprehensive report examining growing threats to academic freedom, its impact on Communication scholars, and means for protecting the integrity of autonomy of scholarly work.
This report is the culmination of the vision and commitment of the NCA Task Force on Academic Freedom and Tenure, led by Chair Mohan Dutta, whose members invested significant time and effort in response to one of higher education’s most urgent issues. NCA is also grateful to 2023 NCA President Walid Afifi for creating the task force charge.
The report highlights:
- The growing legislative and ideological campaigns against IDEA and critical scholarship.
- The disproportionate risks faced by marginalized scholars.
- Recommendations for NCA and the broader academic community to safeguard academic freedom and tenure.
The EC recognizes the significance of this work and has chosen to publish and disseminate the report given its imperative nature. The EC is committed to transparent governance; advancing communication scholarship, teaching, and practice to foster a better world; and supporting our members through upholding NCA’s goal of cultivating a thriving and responsive association.