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The Academic Charter of the Association for the Public University
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Draft Academic Charter
THE ACADEMIC CHARTER
DRAFT DOCUMENT OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE PUBLIC UNIVERSITY
Universities now face unprecedented pressures to earn income, to adapt their teaching to
commercial requirements, to meet consumer demands, and to operate upon business principles. In such a situation
basic academic principles and integrity are all too easily whittled away, and the essence of what a university
should be can all too easily be forgotten. A university is not simply an arm of government, a business, or a
facility to service consumer demands. What it is or should be, it is the purpose of this charter to assert. |
- The university is a community of scholars institutionally founded: to generate and disseminate knowledge,
potentially reaching all in the community who can benefit; to critically examine commonly held assumptions; to
inculcate an attitude of rational and unprejudiced enquiry; and, to uphold and protect independent intellectual
values. Access to the university should not be dependent upon financial advantage or disadvantage.
- All other objectives and operations of a university must be subordinated to these fundamental purposes.
- A university must be governed by an independent council committed to these purposes, and representative of
the staff and students of the university, as well as such external members as are willing and able to protect
and further its objectives. Those actually engaged in the research, teaching, learning and general
activity of the university should have sufficient weight of representation to guarantee their ability to
safeguard its fundamental purposes.
- National or state governments, corporations, businesses, cultural and other organisations may be represented
upon the council of a university, but none should be in a position to dictate policy upon any specific matter.
- The council of a university must be informed fully and in advance, about the affairs of the university and
the particular issues before it, and must be enabled to make proper and impartial decisions without undue
pressure from any quarter.
- The teaching and academic staff as a whole must be enabled to meet jointly to debate academic questions, and
to have their views given the most serious consideration by the council.
- The vice-chancellor and other executive officers of a university must be directed by the council in all
matters, subject to such delegation of responsibilities as the council may approve or rescind from time to time.
- Deans, departmental chairmen, and all other officers of the university must be committed primarily to its
academic values, and academic policy must be determined by the academic rather than the managerial staff.
- The academic staff of a university must be free to express their views upon all matters of university or
public interest, subject only to the laws of the land. Where these views are expressed specifically in relation
to their discipline or their role in the university, or upon academic or university policy matters, they should
enjoy the full protection of the university.
- Research within a university must be conducted upon an intellectually independent basis and to the highest
standards, and the outcome should not be influenced by considerations to do with sources of funding or
political or other consequences. Whilst commercial or other considerations may impose a degree of
confidentiality, this should be temporary, and the objective should be to disseminate publicly the results
as soon as practicable.
- The teaching of a university should be assessed foremost in terms of its academic content and
integrity, and only after this in terms of its utility or its popularity with the student body.
- All courses of study should include such content as will enable their graduates to operate in an
informed, independent, and innovative way in their chosen field, and no course should be limited to narrowly
vocational objectives.
- A university should provide the maximum possible opportunity for personal intellectual development
according to the ability and inclination of the individual: for undergraduates to develop critical understanding,
specialisations and then to proceed to postgraduate study; for general staff to increase their skills; for
postgraduates to develop research and teaching abilities; and, for academic staff to both teach and research.
- All operations of a university (subject to the minimal practical constraints) should be overt and
accessible to members of the university and to the public.
- In all its dealings, both internally and in the community at large, a university should act as a
responsible citizen and a promoter and protector of intellectual and cultural values.
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last modified 17:27:14 1/05/02 |
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