Intellectual Life and Academic Freedom
The University's advancements in academic knowledge and reputation are made possible because of the University's commitment to academic freedom. The University of San Diego endorses the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure co-authored by the American Association of University Professors and the Association of American Colleges. USD's Policy and Procedure Manual makes it clear that academic freedom is essential to teaching and to the pursuit of scholarly activities within an academic community. Freedom in teaching, research, and service requires free inquiry, free expression, intellectual honesty, respect for the academic rights of others, and openness to change. All members of the academic community share the responsibility for maintaining a professional atmosphere in which academic freedom is embraced.
Academic freedom insures that the governance of a Catholic university remain autonomous so that the institution may flourish. USD's Catholicity and its commitment to Catholic principles and values place no obligation on faculty, administration or staff with regard to their personal beliefs or religious practices, nor does it prevent statements of personal views that may differ from those held by the Catholic Church. Just as the University respects the religious traditions, the freedom of conscience, and the liberty of each member of its academic community, so too does it ask for respect with regard to its Catholicism.
As is true of most Catholic colleges and universities in the United States, the University of San Diego includes students, faculty and staff from varied religious traditions, all of whom have made and continue to make significant and valuable contributions to fostering the identity and mission of the University. Experience has shown that in a Catholic university people can share educational ideals and values without necessarily sharing religious beliefs. What the University of San Diego seeks from its academic community is that all bear the professional responsibility to recognize and respect its Catholic identity, and to understand and foster its mission and values.
