What exactly is academic freedom? UNC System tries to define it
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- UNC Board considers a formal definition of academic freedom and its limits.
- Faculty report that AI threatens academic integrity, critical thinking and research.
- UNC System schools propose tuition hikes and seek to borrow to add housing.
Hello Dean’s List subscribers! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jane Winik Sartwell, and I’ll be your new guide to higher education in the Triangle and North Carolina here at The N&O. I’m so excited to dive in with you.
As a new Raleigh resident, I’m still getting my bearings — a mission that was somewhat waylaid by the winter weather this weekend. I’m taking recommendations for the best hot yoga classes and phō restaurants in the area. My email is jane.sartwell@newsobserver.com. (We can also talk about higher ed., of course.)
Now let’s get to it.
Winter weather closures on campus
- UNC-Chapel Hill will be under a Suspended Operations order until 11:59 p.m. tonight, meaning classes are canceled and the university is only open for mandatory operations. Find out more through AlertCarolina.
- NC State University is resuming classes at 10 a.m. today. Still, a reduced operations order is in place until 11:59 p.m. tonight.
- Duke University will resume in-person classes starting at 11:30 a.m. today.
- NC Central University plans to use virtual instruction for classes today.
What is academic freedom, anyway?
The UNC Board of Governors, which consists of 24 politically appointed members, is responsible for the overarching UNC System. Because of the weather, the board is meeting virtually this week to discuss, among other things, a definition of academic freedom.
The concept has been a lightning rod as of late, from the Trump administration’s crackdown on diversity initiatives to the assassination of Charlie Kirk to major federal funding cuts and high-profile firings over classroom content.
Here’s the definition board members are considering, according to a meeting agenda:
“Academic freedom is the foundational principle that protects the rights of all faculty to engage in teaching, research/creative activities, service, and scholarly inquiry without undue influence. It ensures that faculty can freely pursue knowledge; express, discuss and debate ideas; and contribute to knowledge and understanding related to their areas of expertise.”
This term is already all over UNC system policy, and is “essential to the university’s mission,” yet has no comprehensive definition. What does it actually protect? Or more importantly, what does it leave out?
“Academic freedom is not absolute,” reads the Board of Governors’ proposal. It does not include:
- “Teaching content clearly unrelated to the course description or unrelated to the discipline or subject matter.”
- “Using university resources for political or ideological advocacy in violation of university policy.”
- “Refusing to comply with institutional policies or accreditation standards to which the university is subject.”
The new definition also explicitly protects students’ right to disagree with concepts and theories they hear in class or from faculty outside of class.
The board will also discuss measures to promote civil discourse on campuses.
95% of college faculty fear student overreliance on AI
Meanwhile, the threat of artificial intelligence to academic integrity continues to loom large. A study conducted by Elon University showed that faculty are very anxious about it. Most faculty respondents believe AI will diminish students’ critical thinking and attention spans, and believe cheating is more prevalent than ever. Students’ research practices have gotten worse, and so too may the value of academic degrees, the survey concluded.
I’m really curious about if it’s possible for generative AI not to be the worst thing that ever happened to college campuses, so if you see examples of benefits, let me know. I suspect that smart teens and young adults are using it in ways that might actually be pretty interesting.
Number crunching
After reviewing the Board of Governors committee agendas for interesting facts and figures, here are some that stood out to me:
- 3%: the tuition increase most UNC institutions are proposing for in-state students. If you’re coming from out-of-state, the number is more like 10%. That is, unless you’re eyeing one of the NC Promise schools (Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, UNC Pembroke and Western Carolina University). For out-of-state students, tuition will rise by as much as 40% under state law.
- 324: the number of graduates of the UNC System’s NC Teaching Fellows program who are currently teaching in NC public schools.
- 24 out of 674: the number of tenured faculty reviewed in 2024-25 who failed to meet expectations. Seven of those faculty members teach at NC State.
- 72,000: the total number of beds for students living on campus in the UNC system. Those beds are at 101% capacity. NC Central, NC State, UNC and UNC Charlotte are seeking debt authorization for major housing projects.
Headlines you don’t want to miss
- UNC ditches Old Well logo. Here’s how much it’s paying for the branding refresh by me
- In last-minute vote, UNC-Chapel Hill trustees advance millions more in cuts by me
- Students plead with UNC trustees to keep international studies centers by me
- Woman charged with breaking into NC State chancellor’s home on campus by Lexi Solomon
- Duke sues quarterback Darian Mensah over transfer portal request, NIL contract by Chip Alexander
- UNC launches Carolina North plan for tech, housing, shops. What about basketball? by Tammy Grubb and Shelby Swanson
- Roy Williams urges UNC leaders to keep Smith Center on campus amid arena debate by Shelby Swanson
- Coach K weighs in on UNC’s Smith Center debate: ‘I would listen to Roy’ by Shelby Swanson
- After long road home, UNC’s Jarin Stevenson delivers signature performance at UVA by Shelby Swanson
Before I head out, I just want to note that Charlotte native and UNC-Chapel Hill alum Drake Maye is officially heading to the Super Bowl. I wonder what Mr. Belichick is thinking.
That’s it for my first edition of Dean’s List! Thank you so much for tagging along. I’ll be back next week with a review of what went down at the UNC Board of Governors meeting.
Stay warm.
– Jane Winik Sartwell
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This story was originally published January 27, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
