AAUP Condemns OU Suspension, Political Interference

AAUP President Todd Wolfson issued the following statement in response to the ongoing academic freedom crisis at the University of Oklahoma.

The suspension of Mel Curth, a graduate instructor at the University of Oklahoma (OU), stemming from a grading dispute with a student, is an egregious violation of widely accepted principles of academic freedom and due process. An instructor's freedom to teach includes the right to assess student academic performance. Under no circumstances should administrative officers on their own authority substitute their judgment for that of the faculty concerning the assignment of a grade. The review of a student complaint over a grade should be by faculty, under procedures adopted by the faculty, and any resulting grade should be by faculty authorization. An administrative officer's unilaterally changing a course grade originally assigned by the instructor of record constitutes an unacceptable departure from the normative academic standards supported by the AAUP.

We are gravely concerned that a climate of escalating authoritarian assaults on academic freedom is normalizing politicized interference in classroom teaching. OU's recently implemented policy of suspending instructors immediately upon a student complaint flies in the face of long-established academic due-process protections. The adoption of this policy invites a flood of politically motivated accusations by those wishing to censor classroom discussion on any topics with which individuals disagree. Such a policy is fundamentally antithetical to the mission of higher education to advance knowledge, foster critical thinking, and serve the public good.

The national AAUP stands in solidarity with our OU AAUP chapter in calling on the university to release full details on the policies and processes that resulted in Mel Curth's placement on administrative leave. We urge OU to publicly and unequivocally affirm the right of OU faculty and instructors to conduct teaching, grading, and research without political interference, unlawful mandates, or external pressures that hinder academic freedom.

In light of the numerous threats received during this hyper-politicized climate, we call for immediate action from OU in developing a comprehensive harassment response and prevention plan that establishes explicit guidelines for faculty, staff, chairs, and administrators on how to effectively address and respond to political attacks.