On Institutional Neutrality
February 2025 | American Association of University Professors
The statement that follows was formulated by a subcommittee of Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure. It was approved by Committee A in December 2024 and adopted by the Association’s Council in January 2025.
Following faculty involvement in the Vietnam Moratorium of October 1969, the AAUP considered “the role of academic institutions in reacting to social issues.” A special committee was appointed to make a statement on “the question of institutional neutrality,” but its resulting statement described conflicting views on the topic rather than endorsing one. The AAUP Council, the statement said, found itself “divided” and thus felt “obliged to commend to the community of higher education…