Academic Freedom and the Parameters of Knowledge

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Abstract
In this article, William Tierney explores the historically vexed issue of academic freedom as it pertains to the contemporary constraints placed on "permissible" fields of study and discourse. Using a case study of a large state university, he addresses the overt and covert limitations that have been placed on study and discussion of gay, lesbian, and bisexual issues on the college campus. Tierney's findings reveal a paradox: at a university committed to the advancement of human understanding and academic openness, lesbian, gay, and bisexual faculty, staff, and students feel that their civil rights are threatened, which both implicitly and explicitly limits research pertaining to these issues. Through the lens of this case study, Tierney raises new questions and presents his own understanding of academic freedom.