Simon Fraser University

SFU is committed to the advancement and dissemination of knowledge through teaching and research and is guided by the principle of academic freedom, which is defined in the SFU/Faculty Association Collective Agreement as “the right to investigate, speculate, and comment without reference to prescribed doctrine, as well as the right to criticize the University, Association, and society at large”. SFU is also governed by British Columbia’s University Act, which requires taxpayer-funded universities to be “non-sectarian and non-political in principle” (s.66(1)). The SFU Academic Freedom Group is a faculty-led organization dedicated to upholding these ideals.

Although our members hold diverse perspectives, we are bound together by our commitment to the following three principles:

1. Open inquiry. The Group advocates for academic freedom in teaching, research, and speech for members of the SFU community and their guests.
2. Viewpoint diversity. The Group believes that SFU should promote the thoughtful engagement of students and scholars with a broad range of opinions, skills, and experiences.
3. Constructive disagreement. The Group encourages respectful, honest, and courageous discussion, including discussion of controversial ideas, in and out of the classroom.