Academic freedom suggests the ability to investigate and openly discuss all topics and ideas, even those which may seem irrelevant, controversial, or even dangerous. However, academic freedom often means something quite different in practice. This collection of essays explores this discrepancy between theory and reality in a wide range of examples and analyses, including a detailed examination of the history of academic freedom, the complexities of its practice in different institutional settings, and some of challenges it currently faces.

Len Findlay's profile page

Paul Bidwell's profile page

Len Findlay is a professor of English and director of the Humanities Research Unit at the University of Saskatchewan. A former Vice-President (External Communications) of the Humanities and Social Sciences Federation of Canada and postsecondary policy analyst on universities for government, he has published numerous essays on academic disciplines and on the nature of the university.

Paul Bidwell is Chair of the Department of English at the University of Saskatchewan. A specialist in Modern British Literature, he also has wide experience in developing institution-wide academic agendas and a strong interest in academic governance.

Contributors:

Marie Battiste, Indian and Northern Education Program, University of Saskatchewan
Ernie Boyko, Statistics Canada
Marvin Brown, Psychology, University of Saskatchewan
Paul Clarke, Education, University of Regina
John Courtney, Political Studies, University of Saskatchewan
Victor Dwyer, formerly of Maclean's
Linda Fritz, Library, University of Saskatchewan
Jackie Heslop, English, University of Victoria
Michiel Horne, History, York University
Bruce MacDougall, Law, University of British Columbia
Peter MacKinnon, President, University of Saskatchewan
Dawne McCance, Religious Studies, University of Manitoba
Susan Vincent, Anthropology, University of New Brunswick
Lyle Vinish, Saskatchewan Teachers Federation
Stephen Ward, Journalism, University of British Columbia
Wendy Watkins, Library, Carleton University
Howard Woodhouse, Educational Foundations, University of Saskatchewan
Shelley Wright, Law, University of Sydney
Jerry Zaslove, English, Simon Fraser University