EDI and Academic Freedom in the Classroom: Navigating Tensions and Exploring Possibilities

Facilitators:
Archana Sridhar, Assistant Provost, University of Toronto
Alex Hernandez, Associate Professor and Associate Chair, Department of English, University of Toronto

In recent years, higher education has the site of a number of contentious debates that place academic freedom in tension with broader EDI values. This presentation seeks to explore these tensions as they appear in the classroom, using recent real-life controversies as case studies. Led by Professor Alex Hernandez, Associate Chair of the FAS Department of English, and Assistant Provost Archana Sridhar, the session will discuss pedagogical and administrative approaches to these tensions, while also providing participants with a better understanding of academic freedom protections and the difference between academic freedom and free expression. Collaborative discussion of case studies will also encourage a candid examination of these protections as well as the use of potentially offensive course materials and the teaching of controversial topics.