To be updated regularly. Last update March 21, 2025
Contact: Heath Cabot (heath.cabot@uib.no)
CC BY 2.0.
Have you found yourself under attack within US higher education? Are you seeking to learn how to protect or advocate for yourself and others?
Responses to threats against academic freedom depend on state, local, and institutional factors, as well as your employment and/or immigration status. This means that developing a reliable “tool kit” is extremely challenging. However, the following resources have been vetted, curated, and categorized by members of APLA’s Taskforce on Academic Freedom and represent a range of relevant approaches.
*Note that this page is very much a work in progress, and we welcome suggestions and additional links and resources.
Informational Resources
The American Anthropological Association (AAA) has recently released a comprehensive “crisis toolkit” for anthropology departments. The report features advice, links, and recommendations for how to advocate for anthropology as our field comes increasingly under threat.
The American Association for University Professors has extensive and vetted resources and remains a central figure in organizing against attacks on academic freedom. The Center for the Defense of Academic Freedom, led by APLA friend Isaac Kamola (Associate Professor of Political Science at Trinity College) has published a number of studies, a “field guide,” and other resources.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and its various chapters, publishes a series of resources relevant to issues of academic freedom.
PSC CUNY’s page on academic freedom: The Professional Staff Congress of the City University of New York has developed an extensive set of informational resources as well as statements to assist employees in protecting their academic freedom.
Yale Law School’s Center for Academic Freedom and Free Speech, led by Professor Keith E. Whittington: Organizes events and conversations (including a podcast).
Toolkits and Best Practices
Faculty First Responders is another initiative led by Isaac Kamola (AAUP) consisting of a group of academics aiming to “proactively educate and support faculty and administrators about the causes and consequences of right-wing attacks on faculty, while providing advice about how to effectively respond to targeted harassment.” Their Resources for Higher Education Workers has clear guidance, vetted resources, and a set of best practices.
The website of the Researcher Support Consortium has a range of resources including a toolkit for institutions. As they note on the “About Us” section of their website, “The resources and guidance on this website were compiled by a group of researchers who have extensive experience supporting colleagues who have faced coordinated campaigns of intimidation and harassment in response to their important public-facing work.”
University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Academic Freedom Crisis Toolkit: This page is specific to a public institution, in the legislative context of Massachusetts, and focuses largely on dealing with online attacks. It also precedes the second Trump administration. But it is easily digestible and highlights rights and best practices.
The Modern Language Association’s Page on Academic Freedom: An extensive set of resources and links, including reports and a Tool Kit. This page is more informational and less focused on what to do when under attack.
“Know Your Rights” page from the AAUP Chapter on at DePaul University
Resources for non-citizens and US permanent residents
Non-citizens and US permanent residents face some of the strongest threats. This list of vetted resources is in the process of being curated.
PSC CUNY immigrant solidarity working group.
We Stand Together, Smith College
https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights
https://immigrantjustice.org/know-your-rights
Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition
Immigration Advocates’ Network
Palestine Legal Know your Rights
National Immigrant Justice Center
https://www.vera.org/fairness-to-freedom
Resources relevant beyond the US context
European Assocation for Social Anthropology (EASA)
EASA has a number of important initiatives, including a Working Group on Academic Freedom. APLA is actively collaborating with this working group. “The group’s aims are to monitor violations of, and gather evidence on academic freedom and human rights violations, to initiate policies accordingly, to create structures of support: guidelines for universities, “best practices” on academic freedom, and to organise events on academic freedom. The group will offer a space to discuss these issues within EASA and will foster a culture of academic freedom in our association and more broadly in Europe.”
They are also collecting collecting crucial data on violations against academics. As the working group notes, “these cases are often dismissed as isolated incidents, we recognize them as part of larger patterns of institutional discrimination and racism. With enough data, we can document these systematic attacks properly and advocate for change.”
If your academic freedom or human rights have been infringed upon, please fill out the following form: https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSfB7Rhu8hicQq…/viewform
Scholars at Risk
The Scholars at Risk Network has a global reach and strives to protect scholars who face extremely serious risks to their lives, freedom, and well-being.
Association for Political and Legal Anthropology 