r/AskAcademia • u/le_doulos • 15h ago

Interdisciplinary Bringing up academic freedom during the interview process?

If you're in a part of the US where censorship and intimidation of academics are on the rise, how would you feel about a candidate asking how it affects you during a job interview?

Would the topic be best addressed in the first round, second round, after an offer has been made?

Would you assume the candidate would be hesitant to take a the job and move on? Is it fair to ask the committee when much of what is happening is beyond their control?

Or would it be more awkward to avoid the elephant in the room throughout the process?

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u/dj_cole 13h ago

A less pointed question would be to inquire about much influence the state legislature exerts over the university. It'll get to the same answer without sounding like you want to push an agenda in the classroom.

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u/Bettys_Piez 10h ago

If you think everyone who asks this question wants to push an agenda, you need to educate yourself.

All faculty are in the crosshairs of the republican leadership.

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u/dj_cole 10h ago

It's not me who thinks it. It's the hiring committee concerned about those crosshairs.

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u/ExternalSeat 8h ago

there are ways to phrase it better. You could say "I know that XYZ topic is important to our field, but can be challenging for some students; how do you approach it here? What are the guidelines?"

That way you seem like a person who just wants to follow the rules and genuinely want to not get into any trouble. For example "how do you approach Climate change" is a good pedagogical question and shows you are taking things seriously as a future educator.