We Need a New Theory of Academic Freedom
Adam Sitze | 22 July 2025 | Inside Higher Ed
With their wealth, exclusivity and global clout, American universities are an easy target for populist resentment. For Americans frustrated by inequality and cultural alienation, there may be a certain satisfaction in seeing these elite institutions humbled.
But the Trump administration’s coercive offensive against institutions like Harvard and Columbia, which clearly isn’t about antisemitism, isn’t really about elitism or populism either. It's about something deeper. It throws into question ordered liberties that are deeply rooted in America’s history and traditions.
If that point’s hard to explain, part of the blame lies with us academics. We’ve spent too long defending academic freedom on the basis of professional norms, free speech jurisprudence and administrative due process….