Requiring Civility?

Academic freedom, first amendment free speech rights and civil, respectful discourse are all core values in the academy. These can be prickly bedfellows. At the University of Oregon, administration’s attempts to rein in harsh discourse are generating competing proposals on academic freedom and civility. All agree that academic freedom protects statements in the context of teaching and research - but does academic freedom extend to statements critical of the administration? The challenge to recently unionized faculty and to the administration is to develop a contract that recognizes the importance of academic freedom as well as the value civility brings to the success of the institution.