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CAUT Policies

Policy Statement on Academic Freedom and Artistic Expression

Preamble

The purpose of this Policy Statement is to alert the academic community to the particular need for the proper protection of artistic activity at post-secondary education institutions as part of the general protection of academic freedom.

1
Introduction

Freedom of thought promotes the search for knowledge and its expression, and this is essential for the common good of society. Freedom of imagination is equally essential. The application of the principles of academic freedom in creative writing and the visual and performing arts ensures a greater opportunity for imaginative exploration and expression and best serves the academic community and the public at large.

2
Academic Freedom and Artistic Expression

2.1
Academic staff and students engaged in the creation and presentation of works in creative writing and the visual and performing arts are as entitled to the protection afforded by the commitment to academic freedom as are their colleagues who write, teach and study in other academic disciplines. Artistic expression therefore merits the same assurance of academic freedom as is accorded to other scholarly and teaching activities. In particular:

2.1.1
Academic staff members in creative writing and the visual and performing arts have the right to determine the content of classroom, studio or workshop activity.

2.1.2
When academic staff members are called upon to select or judge the artistic work of colleagues and students, they must ensure that the criteria are educational and artistic and are applied in a fair and impartial manner.

3
Regulation of artistic activity

Any regulations concerning studio practices and the subsequent display or performance of artistic works should be drawn up in consultation with academic staff members who are knowledgeable and experienced in the relevant artistic discipline. Any such regulations should be neutral with respect to content and media and should relate only to the time, place and manner of presentation.

4
The public audience

4.1
Since academic staff and student presentations to the public are integral to teaching, learning and scholarship in the arts, these presentations should be protected by the principle of academic freedom.

4.2
When academic institutions offer exhibitions or performances to the general public, they should ensure that the rights of the presenters and the audience are not impaired and that those who choose to view or attend may do so without interference. Institutions may reasonably designate specific places as generally available or unavailable for exhibitions or performances.

5
Censorship

5.1
Direct or indirect attempts to impose tests of propriety, ideology or religion are acts of censorship which deny the freedom to explore, to teach, and to learn. Academic staff members have a duty to resist such attempts. The academic community has the responsibility to ensure that artistic activity is guaranteed the protection of academic freedom.