Statement on Academic Freedom

Cambrian College values and protects the principles of academic freedom, including freedom of thoughtful inquiry, responsible discourse, scholarly activity and appropriate research and publication. It demands that all research and scholarship be conducted ethically and in a manner that fully respects human rights as defined by law.

All members of the Cambrian College community are individually accountable for compliance with this statement. This statement defines the rights, obligations and limitations of all those employees who are engaged in research and scholarly activity in the course of their appointment or otherwise authorized in writing by the College for the purposes of research and investigative endeavours.

Principles

1. Academic freedom is based on institutional integrity, Cambrian’s standards for enquiry and the institutional autonomy that enables the College to set its research and educational priorities.
2. Academic freedom includes the right to freely communicate knowledge and the results of research and scholarship, freedom of research, legitimate classroom discussion, and the advocacy of diverse opinions in Cambrian’s learning environments.
3. Academic freedom is underpinned by the commitment to high ethical standards in research and scholarly activity, the freedom to examine data and question assumptions and the conviction that these endeavours are guided by sound evidence.
4. Academic freedom does not confer legal immunity from either criminal prosecution or from a civil action, whether from a claim in damages by a third party or seeking of indemnification and recovery by the College, nor does it prevent peer evaluation as conducted or approved by the College or by other academic, research or professional bodies in the researcher’s field, whether within or outside of the College.

None