Academic Freedom

Bethel University subscribes to the following excerpt from the “Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure” adopted by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) in 1940 and published in the Spring 1957 Bulletin of the Association (paraphrased to remove sexist language):

The teacher is entitled to full freedom in research and in the publication of the results, subject to the adequate performance of other academic duties; but research for pecuniary return should be based upon an understanding with the authorities of the institution.

The teacher is entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing her/his subject but should be careful not to introduce into his/her teaching controversial matter which has no relation to her/his subject. Limitations of academic freedom because of religious or other claims of the institution should be clearly stated in writing at the time of appointment.

The college or university teacher is a citizen, a member of a learned profession, and an officer of an educational institution. When the teacher speaks or writes as a citizen, he/she should be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but her/his special position in the community imposes special obligations. As a person of learning and an educational officer, the teacher should remember that the public may judge his/her profession and the institution by her/his utterances. Hence the teacher should at all times be accurate, should exercise appropriate restraint, should show respect for the opinions of others, and should make every effort to indicate that he/she is not an institutional spokesperson.

Commentary

While the AAUP statement on academic freedom provides an important foundation, it is limited in its ability to connect academic freedom with Bethel’s mission as a Christian university. In an effort to articulate more clearly the role of academic freedom and its limits at Bethel, the following statement was adopted by the faculties of Bethel University.

Academic freedom at Bethel University is the exercise of God-given abilities in pursuit of truth and in service to God, the church, the academy, and society. The responsible exercise of academic freedom will facilitate a greater understanding of the human experience and the world around us, enabling us to see God’s hand in creating, sustaining, and guiding his creation, and it will foster a learning environment that contributes to the forming of whole and holy persons. The environment in which this search for truth takes place should be characterized by trust, tolerance, wisdom, sensitivity, humility, and Christian love.

Christians recognize that all truth is God’s truth, no matter where that truth may be found. Searching out and affirming such truth is usually a joyful and unifying undertaking. Inevitably, however, learning confronts us with aspects of the world that are controversial and disturbing. Some feel we should avoid these areas because of our Christian commitments; others feel it is precisely because of our Christian commitments that we must study these things. Our commitment to explore responsibly, to strive for conceptual clarity and depth, and to pursue personal wholeness, defines the College of Arts & Sciences and the College of Adult & Professional Studies as Christian liberal arts learning institutions, the Graduate School as a graduate learning community, and Bethel Seminary as a graduate theological learning community. In part, this commitment to exploration distinguishes Bethel from the church. While we exist to serve the church and are accountable to and receive guidance from the churches of the Baptist General Conference/Converge Worldwide, our mission requires us to explore in different ways and with different resources than is usually possible in a church context. When done with the care that this statement describes, the responsible exercise of freedom and inquiry results in important service to God, the church, the academy, and society.

It is crucial to distinguish between what can be explored at Bethel and what can be advocated. Meaningful freedom, as academics and believers, insures that we can investigate all things, including those things about which followers of Christ disagree and those things which are evidence of human fallenness. The Christian Russian novelist Alexander Solzhenitsyn strikes the right balance when he says the task of the writer of faith “is to sense more keenly than others the harmony of the world, the beauty and the outrage of what man has done to it.” We celebrate God’s creation, but we must also explore and understand human brokenness if we are to understand ourselves and our culture and to engage that culture for Christ.

The proper use of academic freedom calls us to high standards of personal and professional responsibility and teaching competence, while offering the crucial support and protection necessary to carry out that calling. Freedom in what can be explored is not license in what can be advocated. An inevitable tension exists for Christians seeking to balance their faith with a responsible exploration of the world around us. As members of a liberal arts institution and theological seminary, we recognize the importance of freedom to investigate. As members of a Christian community, our calling is to advocate and live a Christian vision of the human experience amid the fallenness that we will encounter in our studies. Our understanding of that vision is rooted in Scripture and is guided by the witness and ongoing influence of the Holy Spirit. Bethel’s Affirmation of Faith and Covenant for Life Together, which reflect our historic faith tradition, provide further guidance on the application of Scripture in key areas of belief and lifestyle at Bethel. Within the framework of these core beliefs and commitments and because of them, there is freedom.

Because all exercise of freedom has power both for good and for ill, it is essential that we use academic freedom wisely. We must seek to be competent in our disciplines, sensitive to our students, humble about our judgment, and committed to the ultimate aims of Christian liberal arts and theological education. The consideration of controversial or potentially disturbing material often requires and enables our best teaching. We should be clear as to its purpose, prepare carefully, be sensitive to the developmental level of students, and offer them appropriate support as they are being challenged. At the same time that we encourage and anticipate learning and change in students, we should respect their right to their own views and values.

Even the best intentions and practice will not preclude all complaints and objections. Individuals will disagree on where boundaries should be drawn, what constitutes license rather than freedom, what contributes to making whole Christian persons and to fulfilling the mission and vision of the university. Therefore a procedure is in place for responding to concerns arising from issues touching on academic freedom. In brief, students are encouraged first to talk to the teacher involved, then, if not satisfied, the department chair, and, if needed, to an academic dean. Faculty who feel their academic freedom has been violated should use the established grievance process.

Faculty play a critical role in the exercise of academic freedom. Their personal and corporate academic expertise and teaching experience, along with their commitment to integrate Christian faith, academic learning, and Christian service in all its forms, help guide their teaching decisions. In addition to being experts in their field who desire to connect that expertise with faith, they receive regular and thorough evaluation from students, faculty colleagues, and the academic administration through the processes of initial hiring, promotion, tenure, and re-tenure. Academic expertise, Christian commitment, and ongoing evaluation from a variety of sources help ensure that academic freedom will be exercised at Bethel in manners consistent with our mission.

Without a clear commitment to academic freedom, the Colleges of Arts & Sciences and Adult & Professional Studies cannot be liberal arts colleges, and the Graduate School and Bethel Seminary cannot adequately prepare students for ministry and service. Such a commitment is crucial to carrying out Bethel’s mission. In fulfilling that mission, we should strive to live out the longstanding Christian dictum: “In essential things unity, in doubtful things liberty, and in all things charity.”

For recommended procedures on using potentially controversial materials in classes, see Academic Freedom and Classroom Procedures.

Office of the Provost