Academic Freedom and Classroom Procedures

This material is excerpted from a resolution passed by the college faculty at a meeting on June 27, 1997.

The Bethel University faculty recognizes the clear need to maintain the college’s Christian liberal arts tradition and re-emphasizes its commitment to academic freedom and the need for the use of effective and responsible educational materials and methodologies in instruction. The faculty believes that it may be helpful to more precisely articulate the set of guidelines for the use of some potentially controversial materials in the classroom settings. The materials are those which have visual depiction and written descriptions that include explicit sexual activity and/or substantial gratuitous profanity.

The Bethel faculty, in concert with the Bethel University administration, recommends the following guidelines relevant to use of such materials in classroom instruction. It is an effort to clarify what already is the norm of faculty and student educational methodology and is not a negative evaluation of any Bethel faculty member.

Visual and explicit materials containing explicit sexual activity and/or substantial gratuitous profanity will not be used in planned classroom instruction at Bethel University without appropriate academic justification of the work’s educational benefits. The instructor’s department or relevant faculty team will approve the use of such materials prior to inclusion in classroom instruction. The Faculty Affairs Committee may be used by the department or other relevant faculty team or the faculty member as an advisory and/or appeals committee.

Good Teaching Practice for the Use of Controversial Materials in the Classroom

• Faculty will provide students with written and/or oral explanations of their educational benefits prior to use in the classroom.
• An effort will be made to provide students with background information and classroom preparation for proper use of the materials.
• Students who are seriously concerned that they may be offended by the materials may be allowed to “opt out” of the experience (viewing, reading) and complete a relevant, alternative assignment.
• Faculty and students will debrief the experience to ensure that the educational benefits are understood and support networks provided for students who have found it difficult to process the experience.
• Faculty members who wish to use such controversial materials in future classroom instruction because of the educational benefits will take into account evaluative feedback from students and colleagues.

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