This week, we are sharing with you a presentation on the timely topic of academic freedom, delivered by Professor Lloyd Kramer to UNC’s Faculty Council.
You might remember the guest column Professor Kramer shared with us a couple weeks ago about the shuttering of UNC’s Area Studies Centers.
Dr. Kramer is a professor emeritus of history at UNC, a former chair of the Faculty Council and a winner of the University’s Thomas Jefferson Award, the highest recognition the faculty can award to a faculty member.
As a respected scholar and historian, we found his presentation to the Faculty Council, titled “Faculty Council and the Value of Faculty Governance: In Honor of 75 Years,” to be deeply insightful.
In his remarks, Professor Kramer parallels the 75th anniversary of the creation of the UNC Faculty Council with the 250th anniversary of the United States – his thesis being that both events “affirmed the need for and the value of self-governing institutions.”
Professor Kramer’s insights are a valuable reminder of the important role academic freedom plays in protecting and preserving our democracy – and how UNC was a trailblazing institution in recognizing that obligation.
Please click here to watch Professor Kramer’s full remarks, with an introduction by our very own Mimi Chapman.
We look forward to hearing your thoughts on Professor Kramer’s important message and teachings.