Q&A
Discussion on academic freedom and faculty responsibilities
2:05:14
·
96 sec
Council Member Eric Dinowitz inquires about holding faculty accountable for violative conduct, particularly regarding one-sided dialogues in classrooms. Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez explains the concept of academic freedom within faculty specialties and mentions guidance provided to faculty.
- Academic freedom allows faculty to teach within their specialty and class subject.
- CUNY provides guidance on academic freedom at the beginning of each semester.
- Faculty are expected to adhere to their expertise and class syllabus.
Eric Dinowitz
2:05:14
I wanna ask, again, about number 9 is holding faculty and others accountable for violative conduct.
2:05:19
I wanna talk a little bit about what happens in the classroom because there are reports, that professors are sharing at best a one-sided dialogue, which is which is contrary to what you want, which is constructive dialogue of various opposing opinions.
2:05:42
Additionally, a lot of these incidents are happening in classes that wouldn't otherwise have anything to do with anything in a foreign country, where in a fiction literature class or an economics class that has a syllabus that outlines what will be taught, they're bringing in speakers about what's going on in the Middle East.
2:06:07
Does that violate any rule or conduct, or do faculty members have free reign to teach whatever they want day to day?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
2:06:16
No.
2:06:16
I mean, the the faculty have academic freedom within the their their specialty and the class that they're teaching.
2:06:23
They're these experts on on on on that matter.
2:06:27
The, all the guidance on academic freedom, both from our university, if you even go to the, Professional Faculty Association are very clear about that.
2:06:40
We send a guidance about that at the beginning of the semester, centrally on the campuses sort of reminding, faculty of of that.
