Adelphi’s faculty union is fighting for free speech on campus. Join us April 17 to learn more! Events are open to students, faculty, and anyone in the Adelphi community who wants to protect our rights!
12:15 Arts Practice for Social Justice (pizza served!), Lawn near flagpole (rain location Innovation Center)
Adjunct Professor Argio Agelarakis and her students will present a mural titled Academic Freedom, featuring historical labor union posters reimagined for the present day. Join us for some pizza, and stay to add to the mural!
1:40 Academic Freedom for the Common Good: A Panel, Discussion with Adelphi faculty, Science 215 South
Panelists: Anil Venkatesh, Nathan Ross, Katherine Hill, Elizabeth Palley, Mark Grabowski
3:00 Special Advance Film Screening: Union!, Blodgett 201
This new film, to be released May 1, explores the fight to unionize an Amazon warehouse in New York.
What is Academic Freedom?
Academic freedom is the right of faculty, staff, and students to research, teach about, develop creative works about, and discuss relevant but potentially controversial topics without interference from administrators, politicians, or donors. Adelphi’s policy statement notes that “Institutions of higher education are conducted for the common good and not to further the interest of either the individual teacher or the institution as a whole. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition.”
How is Academic Freedom under attack?
At a national level, the federal government provides a large amount of funding for research. Recent policy changes have canceled or threatened to cancel huge amounts of funding for institutions that study controversial topics such as diversity, equity, and inclusion. Here at Adelphi, our administrators have voiced support for academic freedom but have been increasingly developing restrictions on classroom materials.
What is the AAUP-AFT Adelphi University Chapter?
Adelphi’s Faculty is unionized. We are a chapter of two national unions, the American Association of University Professors and American Federation of Teachers. Our union has been representing full-time and adjunct faculty at Adelphi for over 50 years, and collectively bargains with the University to develop policies around academic freedom, class sizes, funding for research, and compensation for faculty.