Thursday, December 28, 2006

Did I turn over too many pages in my calendar?

A group called Academics For Academic Freedom (ACAF) has been formed to campaign for:

Academic freedom - the responsibility to speak your mind and challenge conventional wisdom - defines the university and stands as a model for open debate in wider society.

In today’s political climate it is harder than ever for academics to defend open debate.
Their statement reads:
Statement of Academic Freedom

'We, the undersigned, believe the following two principles to be the foundation of academic freedom:

(1) that academics, both inside and outside the classroom, have unrestricted liberty to question and test received wisdom and to put forward controversial and unpopular opinions, whether or not these are deemed offensive, and

(2) that academic institutions have no right to curb the exercise of this freedom by members of their staff, or to use it as grounds for disciplinary action or dismissal.'
Let me check that calendar. Yes, it says "2006". Soon to be 2007. The twenty first century. Not the twelfth century. I did get that right. I thought my eyes were playing me up for a moment.

That's a relief.

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