AAR: Academic Freedom in Peril

The academic freedom of too many scholars of religion is in peril. Threats to the academic freedom of AAR members include the dramatic rise in the use of contingent laborers and a lack of protection for their free speech; outright violation of university procedures and due process of law in hiring, promotion, and tenure processes; organized efforts by various interest groups to deny public or private funding for the academic study of religion; and organized campaigns to smear or discredit individual scholars based on false accusations of undue bias, dishonesty, and/or disloyalty to the state. This special topics forum examines the state of academic freedom for scholars of religious studies both in the United States and abroad. In addition to offering analysis of the problem, panelists will outline what can be done, especially by the AAR, to strengthen this bedrock principle of our work together.

Academic freedom and contingent labor is my topic for this panel. I have much to say.