Religious Identity and Academic Freedom: A Guide for Administrators of Religious College and Universities
That academic freedom includes and demands the protection rather than the suppression of genuinely religious institutions of higher learning is one of the founding principles of the Center. This commitment to preserving traditions of thought and practice has been endangered by confusion over an alleged tension between religious identity and the free pursuit and examination of ideas. The Center's upcoming book, Religious Identity and Academic Freedom: A Guide for Administrators of Religious College and Universities , will address this difficulty. The guide will be written by distinguished lawyers who share a commitment to scholarly ideals and experience with diverse religious institutions. The aim is to inform administrators of such institutions of the legal and academic parameters surrounding difficult decisions. It is permissible to ask candidates for academic positions about their faith? How do accreditation policies affect the curricula of such institutions? Can the administration of a private university place restrictions on the dorm or social life of its students? To whom does 'academic freedom' apply? Father Edward A. Malloy, C.S.C., former president of Notre Dame, and Robert B. Sloan, Jr., president of Baylor University, will write introductions to the guide. Our hope is to send a copy to the senior administrator of every religiously-affiliated college or university in the United States. Please see future Center reports for more information on this ongoing project.
