The Limits of Academic Freedom and the Need for Viewpoint Diversity: Internal and External Pressures

The Fika Crew welcomes Jonathan Thigpen, PharmD, Professor and Assistant Dean at Samford University's McWhorter School of Pharmacy, to discuss First Amendment rights, academic freedom, and viewpoint diversity.  Jonathan walks us through the 1915 American Association of University Professors (AAUP) declaration on academic freedom, which continues to anchor most faculty handbooks. We discuss the current landscape in American Universities where internal forces are calling for reforms to address self-censorship before external forces mandate restrictions.  While its not always clear where the boundaries are, academic freedom can't be used to justify skipping department meetings or refusing to use active learning strategies in your instruction (sorry!). Intro and Fika Snack Sharing: 0:00 - 3:46 Academic Freedom Discussion: 3:47 Resources Heterodox Academy - Heterodox Out Loud Podcast:  Episode 23 - The Classroom Legislative Battle with Keith Wittington American Association of University Professors (AAUP) - Summary of Some Critical AAUP Statements, including the "1915 Declaration of Principles on Academic Freedom and Academic Tenure." Website:  Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) (with lots of resources about First Amendment rights and Academic Freedom) Website: Heterodox Academy (with lots of resources on Viewpoint Diversity and Academic Freedom) Website:  Greater Good Science Center (with lots of resources related to Intellectual Humility and Positive Psychology) van der Leeuw RM, van Loon KA, et al. Stand Up and Educate Ourselves on Academic Freedom. J Grad Med Educ. 2026 Feb;18(1):5-7. Dahlborg E, Castillo IA, Tengelin E. When Academic Freedom Becomes Dangerous: Nursing in an Age of Censorship. Nurs Inq. 2025 Jul;32(3):e70044. Diehl C, Revers M, Traunmüller R, Weidmann NB, Wuttke A. Students' motives for restricting academic freedom: Viewpoint discrimination and prosocial concerns. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Nov 25;122(47):e2503804122. _______________________ The Pharmacy Fika podcast is a positive and compassionate “place” (a virtual community) where pharmacy and other health professions educators gather to discuss teaching, learning, scholarship, and academic life… plus the snacks that support their best work. So grab your favorite beverage and listen to the Pharmacy Fika podcast with your colleagues. The Co-Hosts are: Stuart T. Haines (Executive Producer), University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy – [email protected]                Tina Brock, University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences - [email protected] Jeff Cain, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy - [email protected]  Kristin Janke, University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy - [email protected] Disclaimer (inspired by Whad’Ya Know?): All opinions expressed on the Pharmacy Fika podcast are well-reasoned and insightful. Needless to say, they are ours and our guests alone, and not those of our employing institutions. Even though we don’t accept advertising and don’t have any sponsors, we seem to mention Trader Joe’s snacks and various water-based drinks a LOT. Not sure what fika is all about?  Watch this brief video:  How a Swedish coffee break can boost your wellbeing and performance. Got a great idea for a discussion topic?  Drop us a line ([email protected]) or leave us a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/PharmacyFika