The following statement was sent to members August 30, 2024 in response to Rutgers’ new freedom of expression guidelines.

Dear Colleagues, 

In the face of escalating rightwing attacks on universities, a widespread campaign to suppress pro-Palestinian protest and speech, and new rules from our administration that restrict free assembly and expression (especially for students), some Adjunct Faculty Union members have raised concerns over academic freedom, First Amendment rights, and safety in the classroom.

In response, we are writing to remind you that your union is fully committed to defending the rights of our members to participate fully in the life of the Rutgers community, inside and outside the classroom, without fear of being silenced or harassed. 

While our contract, unlike the Full-Time/Grad/Postdoc contract, does not specify academic freedom protections, Rutgers’ academic freedom policy applies to all faculty. However, our lack of formal job security makes adjuncts especially vulnerable to discipline, dismissal, and non-reappointment, which can lead to self-censorship. 

Furthermore, the First Amendment applies to public institutions like Rutgers: “The First Amendment to the Constitution protects speech no matter how offensive its content. Restrictions on speech by public colleges and universities amount to government censorship, in violation of the Constitution.”

Here are some basics: 

• Uncomfortable Speech. Legally, feelings of discomfort are not sufficient to restrict speech. Pedagogically, exposing people to different ideas—even challenging their most deeply held beliefs—is a feature, not a flaw, of academic life. Students and professors are at our best–and best able to contribute to society–when we are exposed to a wide range of challenging ideas.
• Political Criticism. Academic freedom and freedom of speech include the right to criticize nation-states and political movements. There are no exceptions. Criticizing a nation or nationalist movement is not in itself ethnic hatred, and attempts to say otherwise are, most often, bad-faith maneuvers to evade legitimate scrutiny of political positions. Such conflation further underscores the need for the critical thinking that forms the basis of our teaching.

Consider adding a statement like this to your syllabi: 

Academic Freedom. Free inquiry is essential to a robust learning environment. Faculty and students alike are free to express their viewpoints at appropriate times in class, including perspectives that differ from most in the Rutgers University community. This means that students may be exposed to views they find challenging, uncomfortable, or distressing. (Also, see “Tips for Creating an Academic Freedom Policy or Statement on Your Syllabus.”)

In addition, we are planning a teach-in on academic freedom and First Amendment issues in October that will be open to all faculty, staff, and students. We will provide more information when plans have been finalized.

Harassment
Last year there were instances of students pressuring lecturers to avoid controversial topics and management investigating lecturers after students reported them. Lecturers also reported they were doxxed on social media and, in at least one case, stalked. Often, the targets were marginalized ethnic, religious, and gender groups. We identify these attacks as part of a larger assault on higher education that seeks to devalue intellectual inquiry and promote censorship.

REPORT HARASSMENT TO MANAGEMENT & TO THE UNION! We have a union to ensure that management lives up to its responsibilities and we have memorialized our commitment to defend and protect our members in our collective bargaining agreement: 

Article 2 of our contract, Prohibited Discrimination and Prohibited Harassment states that:

All negotiations unit members are protected by and subject to University policies prohibiting discrimination, harassment, retaliation, workplace violence, sexual violence, relationship violence, stalking and related misconduct (as amended from time to time). 

We want to be absolutely clear that our union will not allow our members to be abused. Rutgers has both a legal and contractual obligation to prevent and respond to discrimination and harassment against faculty, whatever the source, and as a public institution, the administration must support our First Amendment rights.

In solidarity, 

The Academic Freedom Committee of the Rutgers Adjunct Union