A Reflection on Academic Freedom

By Viviana Sanchez, Skyline Reporter

When Jeane Qvarnstrom, a professor in education, assigned her class an assignment to identify examples of culturally responsive pedagogy in the classrooms, her goal was to help future educators recognize cultural strengths within their communities.

However, one student refused to complete the assignment. Her reasoning was that she claimed it was linked to “critical race theory.” That decision, and the conversation that followed, offered a glimpse into the growing tension of academic freedom in higher education.

“It was really unfortunate that you didn’t have a dialogue with me,” said Qvarnstrom. “Instead, you hurt yourself by getting a zero. If she had trusted me more, we could have talked about it. Maybe she could have customized it a little differently for herself and not ended up with a zero.”

Following a situation that led to a Texas A&M professor getting fired after a lesson on gender identity, conversations about academic freedom have become more urgent. Educators are reevaluating what it means to be able to speak freely in class and where the line lies between academic freedom and political risk.

Rosemary Briceno, an English professor at Sul Ross, defined academic freedom as “being able to teach in my area of expertise, to teach in what I’ve published in and studied for decades, even if that means the topics might be troublesome regarding the status quo.

“In my classes, I always base my course content on historical context,” Briceno said. “If something might ruffle feathers, whether it’s witchcraft, feminism, or anything else. I make sure students understand the historical framework first. Without context, lessons can easily be misunderstood.”

Briceno also recognizes the growing political pressures that have grown to become threats to professors’ academic freedom. “The biggest threat right now is with the current administration, and I don’t mean SRSU, I’m talking about the federal administration,” she said. “They are following Project 2025, which distinctly outlines getting rid of DEI initiatives, basically the crux of what I teach. So it’s systemic. It goes from the top down. That’s the big one right now.”

Bernie Cantens, executive vice president, provost, and professor of philosophy, added that academic freedom is very important to developing students’ critical thinking skills. “When scientists and scholars explore alternative views within their fields of expertise, they demonstrate to students that the pursuit of truth depends on open inquiry and fair consideration of evidence and arguments,” Cantens said.

Citing guidance from the American Association of University Professors, Cantens said, “Academic freedom is the freedom of a teacher in higher education to investigate and discuss issues in his or her academic field.”

Qvarnstrom said the line between academic freedom and political influence often depends on how lessons are framed. She explained that professors should “be circumspect in what we say, because we are models,” adding that academic freedom means discussing issues within one’s area of expertise, not beyond it.

“As long as I focus on context and relevancy to the course content, I’m okay,” Briceno said. “The larger threat comes from national politics, a top-down pressure that can make professors second-guess how open they can be.”

Qvarnstrom’s advice for students is to ask questions and build trust. “I think one fundamental part of higher education is building relationships. It’s important for the professor to invite students to raise questions respectfully. That’s how learning happens.”

At Sul Ross, faculty are working to strengthen the sense of connection through a new mentoring effort called Connecting with Students for Success and Retention, where professors volunteer to meet regularly with students. “Knowing names, giving feedback, and meeting one-on-one helps students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts,” she said.

Despite today’s polarized climate, both professors say the heart of higher education remains the same, encouraging critical thinking and open discussion.

“The face of the average American student is multicultural,” Briceno said. “Each of our students comes to the classroom with their own phenomenology. And so if the teacher is unaware of how their students’ cultural and ethnic backgrounds affect their learning, then they're not being a very good teacher.”