Free Online Course: ‘Dangerous Questions: Why Academic Freedom Matters’
Monday, Sep 12 2022 2:00 am

Sign up for SAR’s free online course on free expression and academic freedom starting August 23
Are some questions too dangerous to ask? What happens to scholars and students who ask those questions? How can you contribute to strengthening core higher education values, such as academic freedom?
These are among the questions we will discuss in “Dangerous Questions: Why Academic Freedom Matters,” a free online course created by the Academic Refuge project.
THE DETAILS:
Given the threats facing scholars and higher education institutions today, promoting and defending academic freedom is important, not only to academics, but to all of society. In this free online course, we grapple with questions such as:
- What is academic freedom and how does it relate to other higher education and societal values?
- Why are academic freedom and related values important, and what threats or challenges to these values may be faced in different contexts?
- How can you as a student, academic or other staff member in higher education promote and defend academic freedom and related values?
Since its initial launch, the MOOC has enrolled over 5,000 participants from 140 countries. There are two launch dates for the free course during the 2022-2023 academic year. The first begins on September 12, 2022 and the second begins on March 6, 2023. It is free and available to anyone with internet access. The material is divided into 3 weeks with an expected workload of 3 hours per week. There is ample opportunity for discussion with fellow course participants from around the world. SAR staff are here to discuss how you can integrate the MOOC into your existing online course, and can offer suggestions for complementary course assignments for each module. For course integration questions and support, please write to cb4287@nyu.edu.