Academic Freedom in Canada: Its Origins, Components, and Limits.

The essence of academic freedom is quite simple: it is the right of educators to use their best professional judgment in relation to their teaching, research and other scholarly work; to participate in the governance and academic life of the institution where they work; and to exercise their rights as a citizen without sanction by their employer. This paper provides an overview of the origins of academic freedom and its history in Canada. Then it discusses the four components of academic freedom: freedom in teaching; freedom of research, scholarship and creative work; freedom of intramural expression; and freedom of extramural expression. Next, it analyzes the limits on academic freedom as well as the distinction between academic freedom and institutional autonomy. Lastly, this paper raises concerns about the effects of social media on academic freedom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]