Council for Academic Freedom and Academic Standards
The Council for Academic Freedom and Academic Standards (originally known as the Council for Academic Freedom and Democracy),
Contents
History
According to a summary on the website of the University of Hull:
- The CAFD was established by a small group of radically-minded academics in 1970. It is essentially a civil liberties organisation in the field of British higher education. It was initially led by Professor John Griffith, of the London School of Economics, and his colleague, Ralph Miliband. Professor John Saville, of the University of Hull, became its Chairman on Griffith's retirement in 1982. The CAFD has fought hundreds of cases on behalf of university and college staff in defence of their academic freedom and democratic rights.[1]
According to Griffith, writing in 1998:
- The Council for Academic Freedom and Democracy gradually ceased to operate during the 1980s. Academics were unwilling to court disfavour when their employers were being required to draw up lists of those whose services might be dispensed with.[2]
Name change
- The Council is still active and is now known as the Council for Academic Freedom and Academic Standards (CAFAS). As well as undertaking casework, it campaigns more widely against declining academic standards and abuses of power within higher and further education. Its patrons include Noam Chomsky.[1]
People
Committee
- Aubrey Blumsohn, Co-Chair | John Fernandes, co-chair [3]|
Former members or office holders
Resources
- Anthony Arblaster; Steven Lukes; 'Britain: Academic freedom in Britain' Index on Censorship, 1746-6067, Volume 10, Issue 5, 1981, Pages 19 – 20
- John Griffith 'The need for an academic ombudsman' The Times Higher Education Supplement, 4 September 1998
Contact
- Website: http://www.cafas.org.uk/
- Email list: https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=DEFENDING-ACADEMIC-FREEDOM
