What is Academic Freedom and Responsibility?

Academic Freedom & Responsibility

Academic freedom is an essential principle of higher education which facilitates the open exchange of ideas in the pursuit of knowledge. Academic freedom allows faculty, staff, students, and invited guests to research, discuss, and publish in an open academic setting, even when this “requires consideration of topics which may be politically, socially, or scientifically controversial” (NSHE Code Title 2 Section 2.1.2). Academic responsibility requires that such research, discussion, and publication be conducted in a civil manner, following “appropriate standards of scholarship and instruction” (NSHE Code Title 2 Section 2.1.3). Great Basin College is committed to upholding the standards of academic freedom and responsibility, as described in the NSHE Code and the American Association of University Professors’ “Statement of Principles of Academic Freedom and Tenure.”