Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
What is the purpose and nature of academic freedom? Is it an essential and indispensable value or a bad idea based on dubious principles that by omission are racist and sexist? The essays in Academic Freedom and the Inclusive University relate historical and philosophical perspectives on academic freedom to current social and political interests, making an important contribution to one of the most significant intellectual debates currently engaging the contemporary university.
Synopsis
Battles over human rights, curriculum issues and hiring and promotion practices reveal to what extent efforts to integrate ideas of academic freedom and the inclusive university have engendered strife and debate on Canadian campuses. For some, the concept of academic freedom has become its own myth - an icon to be revered, an article of faith, an essentialist doctrine with roots firmly planted in tradition. For others, the concept of an inclusive university - a university reflecting the burgeoning diversity of cultures and ideologies in Canadian society - demands realization through the transformation of university structures and practices. The four parts of Academic Freedom and the Inclusive University explore this conflict.