The goal of our conference is to contribute to public education by enhancing understanding of the history, philosophy, and legal character of academic freedom. We therefore encourage speakers to prepare public-facing talks with pedagogical intent on topics concerning the nature of and threats to academic freedom. Recognizing that academic freedom is a contested field of scholarly inquiry and an urgent issue for academic communities, we also welcome interventions into current debates. We aim to organize our conference in a way that will encourage critical thinking and genuine discussion reflecting distinct positions concerning academic freedom. If you would like to contribute to this discussion, please submit a 400-word abstract for a 15-minute presentation by Monday, November 2. (No more than one abstract per person.)

The conference will open on the evening of Tuesday, February 9, and run from approximately 9AM until 5PM on Wednesday, February 10.

Although the Ohio State University Law School will host the conference at Drinko Hall, and a group of law students working on a special issue of the Ohio State Law Journal concerning a descriptive account of the jurisprudence and legal character of academic freedom will participate, most people in the audience will be students and faculty of various disciplines—not only law. The conference will be free and open to the public (advanced registration required).

Adam Sitze, John Kirkpatrick 1951 Professor in Law, Jurisprudence & Social Thought, Amherst College

Keith Whittington, David Boies Professor of Law, Yale Law School

The Conference on Academic Freedom and Responsibility at Ohio State University is being co-organized by the Committee on Academic Freedom & Responsibility, the Moritz College of Law, and Committee A of the AAUP-Ohio State, with the support of the University Senate.

To submit an abstract for the conference, see this website:

Submit

To register for the conference, see this website:

Register

Deadline for abstracts: ​Monday, November 2

Decisions announced​​: Monday, December 7

For practical questions about the conference, email the University Senate Office senate@osu.edu 

For substantive questions about potential paper abstracts, email Joel Wainwright, wainwright.11@osu.edu