CSU Faculty for Academic Freedom



 "Vox veritas vita"  (Speak the truth as a way of life) – the motto of the CSU system

 “Our freedom to say or write whatever we please in this country is holy to me. It is a rare privilege not only on this planet, but throughout the universe, I suspect. And it is not something somebody gave us. It is a thing we give to ourselves.”   –  Kurt Vonnegut Jr

"...fostering the ability of members of the University community to engage in...debate and deliberation in an effective and responsible manner is an essential part of the University’s educational mission".  – Chicago Principles


We are a group of faculty members in the California State University (CSU) system, who are concerned about the erosion of academic freedom and freedom of speech within the CSU and beyond.  On this site we give a few examples which illustrate those concerns, provide links to literature on the subject, and propose an action plan. We are also collecting CSU faculty signatures on an open letter (next page), which we encourage faculty to sign if so inclined.  


Our group is non-partisan and politically diverse, and began connecting in Fall 2021. We believe that academic freedom, free expression, tolerance for opposing views, and the absence of ideological coercion are not left-vs-right issues, but rather the prerequisites for both scholarship and democracy.  


If you are a faculty member in the CSU system who agrees with those principles and share our concerns, then we hope you will join us.