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"We're on Our Own Out Here": Faculty Member Responses to Legislative Threats to Academic Freedom and Scholarship on Race.

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Title: "We're on Our Own Out Here": Faculty Member Responses to Legislative Threats to Academic Freedom and Scholarship on Race.
Authors: Pedota, Jackie (AUTHOR), Garces, Liliana M. (AUTHOR), Epstein, Eliza Morse Bentley (AUTHOR), Ngaosi, Nicole Cruz (AUTHOR), Khalayleh, Noor (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Higher Education. 2026, Vol. 97 Issue 4, p647-674. 28p.
Subjects: Academic freedom, Diversity & inclusion policies, Civil rights organizations, Higher education, Scientific racism, University & college administration, Statutes
Geographic Terms: United States
Abstract: Colleges and universities nationwide are contending with a well-coordinated, well-funded legislative campaign that seeks to reverse decades of racial progress. Using sociolegal frameworks and concepts, this study investigates how 32 faculty members from two public universities understand and respond to proposed legislation designed to restrict open inquiry and expression on campuses, which particularly targets race-related scholarship and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. This multiple case study offers a deep and nuanced understanding of how legal and institutional contexts shape faculty members' responses. The findings reveal that senior leaders' and academic administrators' responses can influence faculty members' understandings and actions, which often leads them to restrict their teaching and scholarship on race unnecessarily. Insights from this study also highlight the crucial role filtering agents, such as civil rights groups, play in mitigating the pressure to suppress work otherwise protected. The implications of this study underscore the critical need for institutional leaders and external organizations to advance a race-conscious and collectively engaged defense of academic freedom, especially as restrictive legislation continues to emerge across the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: "We're on Our Own Out Here": Faculty Member Responses to Legislative Threats to Academic Freedom and Scholarship on Race.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+freedom%22">Academic freedom</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Diversity+%26+inclusion+policies%22">Diversity & inclusion policies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Civil+rights+organizations%22">Civil rights organizations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Higher+education%22">Higher education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Scientific+racism%22">Scientific racism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22University+%26+college+administration%22">University & college administration</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Statutes%22">Statutes</searchLink>
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  Data: Colleges and universities nationwide are contending with a well-coordinated, well-funded legislative campaign that seeks to reverse decades of racial progress. Using sociolegal frameworks and concepts, this study investigates how 32 faculty members from two public universities understand and respond to proposed legislation designed to restrict open inquiry and expression on campuses, which particularly targets race-related scholarship and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. This multiple case study offers a deep and nuanced understanding of how legal and institutional contexts shape faculty members' responses. The findings reveal that senior leaders' and academic administrators' responses can influence faculty members' understandings and actions, which often leads them to restrict their teaching and scholarship on race unnecessarily. Insights from this study also highlight the crucial role filtering agents, such as civil rights groups, play in mitigating the pressure to suppress work otherwise protected. The implications of this study underscore the critical need for institutional leaders and external organizations to advance a race-conscious and collectively engaged defense of academic freedom, especially as restrictive legislation continues to emerge across the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=194058830
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        Value: 10.1080/00221546.2025.2461986
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      – SubjectFull: United States
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      – TitleFull: "We're on Our Own Out Here": Faculty Member Responses to Legislative Threats to Academic Freedom and Scholarship on Race.
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              Text: 2026
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