Chapter 6: Campus-Wide Policies
Academic Freedom
University of Mary Washington vigorously supports freedom of inquiry
and expression within the academic community. All members of that community
have a fundamental right to follow their interests and to express their
views privately and publicly without censorship, constrained only by
the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the laws of the United States,
and respect for the property and person of others. While the University
may institute regulations to ensure the orderly expression of ideas
and to protect the resources needed for productive inquiry, the regulations
shall not be interpreted in a way which restricts freedom of inquiry
and expression by any member of the University community.
The University of Mary Washington has adopted the Statement on Academic
Freedom of the Association of American Colleges (1941), and the American
Association of University Professors' statement on Freedom and Responsibility
(1970). These statements and the First Amendment to the Constitution
of the United States define the parameters of academic freedom in the
Mary Washington Community.
A complete statement of the AAUP principles and the University’s
policy on Academic Freedom is described in Appendix D of the Faculty
Handbook, which is in the Academic Affairs section of the University’s
Web site under Handbooks and Publications.