In the wake of the 2016 election, challenges to academic freedom have intensified, higher education has become a target of attacks by conservatives, and issues of free speech on campus have grown increasingly controversial. In his recently published book, The Future of Academic Freedom, Henry Reichman explores the theory, history, and contemporary practice of academic freedom. He pays attention to such varied concerns as the meddling of politicians and corporate trustees in curriculum and university governance, the role of online education, the impact of social media, the rights of student protesters and outside speakers, the relationship between collective bargaining and academic freedom, and the influence on research and teaching of ideologically motivated donors. In this talk Reichman will summarize some of his major conclusions, focusing in particular on the threat to academic freedom posed by what some have labeled “academic capitalism.”

Henry Reichman is Professor Emeritus of History at California State University, East Bay; Chair of the American Association of University Professors Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure; and Chair of the AAUP Foundation.  His book, The Future of Academic Freedom, was published in April by the Johns Hopkins University Press.  He earned the Ph.D in History at UC Berkeley.