Arts & Sciences Council approved a new carceral studies certificate, gathered faculty perspectives on the scope of responsibilities of the committee examining Duke’s academic freedom policy and heard updates on the implementation of the new first-year Constellations program during its Thursday meeting.
Approval of carceral studies certificate
The newly approved certificate, which was brought to the council during its Jan. 10 meeting, will allow students to study criminal law through an interdisciplinary lens, rather than through the Sociology of Crime, Law and Justice concentration within the sociology major. It will be housed in the Kenan Institute for Ethics — which also hosts the Prison Engagement Initiative — and integrated into the newly-approved Constellations program for first-year students.
Faculty discuss academic freedom
The council held a listening session hosted by the Committee on Academic Freedom and Responsibility, Freedom of Expression and Engagement to gauge faculty perspectives on the current policy and potential areas for improvement.
The committee, which was established last spring, is charged with reviewing Duke’s policies outlined in Appendix D of the faculty handbook, last examined in 1976. As part of this process, the committee is conducting a “benchmarking exercise,” which involves examining similar policies at peer and regional institutions to develop the most up-to-date policy for the University.
“We don't want to put a policy in Duke's handbook … that is only good for next year,” said Charlotte Sussman, chair of the committee, professor of English and chair of the English department. “… We want to just think through them … as thoroughly as we can and not rush to any kind of judgment.”
Sussman discussed that the committee plans to use the feedback from a recently held town hall, leadership groups, questionnaire responses and faculty perspectives from the listening session to inform their final recommendation to University administration.
Paul Jaskot, professor of art, art history and visual studies, raised concerns over the extent to which faculty feel like they can discuss controversial subjects in the classroom.
David Malone, professor of the practice of education, agreed, questioning how the University can best support students in the classroom and the role of academic freedom in the current political climate.
“If we can't do this work here at the University and our students don't feel invited and welcome to do it, where can we do it?” he asked.
Sussman explained that the committee’s deliberations have been centered “less on the student experience,” since its primary focus is the faculty experience of academic freedom and responsibility.
“We are a faculty committee … we decided we just didn't feel comfortable opining on the much more general question of free expression for everybody in the Duke community when there is no representation by students or staff on our committee,” Sussman said.
Several faculty members also questioned whether the committee’s limited scope of responsibility is effective amid a polarized political environment.
Shai Ginsburg, associate professor in the department of Asian and Middle Eastern studies, emphasized the importance of considering the broader context in the committee’s policy-making process.
“The question of academic freedom cannot be discussed independently of … the fact that different kinds of faculty, different groups of faculty, are vulnerable in different ways,” Ginsburg said.
Kathi Weeks, professor of gender, sexuality and feminist studies, noted that based on Appendix I of Duke’s Faculty Handbook, discussions around academic freedom cannot be separated from the issue of freedom of expression on campus.
“I don’t understand why the [Pickets, Protests, and Demonstrations policy] is not central to what you should be doing,” Weeks said, noting that one of her colleagues who is “an expert in Middle East studies” is “being brought up on charges” after participating in a pro-Palestinian protest. “I just don't understand how that's not a question of academic freedom.”
Faculty also discussed the intersection between academic freedom and institutional neutrality.
Eric Mlyn, distinguished faculty fellow at the Kenan Institute for Ethics, emphasized that institutional neutrality “does not refer to a particular faculty, but refers to [University] leadership.”
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“It’s never trying to silence faculty from taking a stance on an issue,” he said.
Despite contemporary challenges, the committee on academic freedom seeks to devise “a policy that withstands the test of time.”
Turning Constellations into reality
Starting in fall 2025, first-years in the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences will be required to take a set of three interconnected courses to explore a single topic from a variety of perspectives. Students can fulfill this requirement by enrolling in the existing Focus program or participating in a Constellation — part of the new Trinity curriculum approved by the council in April.
Greg Samanez-Larkin, Jerry G. and Patricia Crawford Hubbard professor of psychology and neuroscience and chair of the Constellations Implementation Committee, provided updates on the team’s current progress of integrating Constellations.
He noted that faculty workshops have been successful in aiding with the transition to the Constellations curriculum. Beyond faculty training, Samanez-Larkin noted that the committee is working on acclimating students to the new academic system by developing websites and materials and finalizing an explanatory video to inform students of the new changes.
Additionally, Samanez-Larkin provided a status update on the development of new Century Courses — which fulfill two general education requirements — noting that they are “not rolling out right away, but planning for them has started.”
Rebecca Fan is a Trinity sophomore and a staff reporter for the news department.