| The principle of academic freedom is a central aspect of the learning and teaching process in the American higher education system. Its importance, however, has become more accepted over time and today it is an established part of our post-secondary system. This shift in acceptance began in the early part of the twentieth century and was contested and disputed for the greater part of that century. This debate did not happen at just the national level, rather much deliberation occurred at the local level where institutions defined academic freedom in their systems.;The University of Pittsburgh, founded in 1787, was one such institution that demonstrated the contestation of academic freedom. The eventual adoption of academic freedom as a formalized principle at the University was developed through two cases that forced the University to review what academic freedom is, and then to either accept or deny its place at the institution. The cases of Ralph E. Turner and Robert G. Colodny are examined and compared in this study. Each man encountered an experience where their individual freedoms of scholarship were questioned and scrutinized. This study examines how the inquiries into each man's scholarship began, the position and process of the University, and how each case was eventually resolved. The study will demonstrate how academic freedom existed at the University of Pittsburgh in 1934 and 1961 and what these particular cases meant to the University and the health of its faculty. |
