Academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and responsible action: A response to Martin Hall

Abstract

Martin Hall's essay does offer us a way to make better sense of some of the conceptual and pragmatic links between academic freedom and institutional autonomy in relation to higher education. His analysis of the classic and contextual views of the two concepts also gives us some pathways according to which we could begin to re-imagine conceptions of academic freedom and institutional autonomy constitutive of our own institutions. What I find surprising is his seemingly uncritical treatment of prominent theoretical positions on which he bases his main claims, which leaves his arguments somewhat truncated. In this response I raise some of the issues which I find troubling and also extend existing arguments in defence of academic freedom and institutional autonomy by making a case for responsible action.

South African Journal of Higher Education Vol. 20 (3) 2006: 379-382