Campaign for Academic Freedom
Dates
- Existence: 1858-1927
Biography
"The Campaign for Academic Freedom was formed on October 11, 1993 on the eve of a Board of Regents hearing to enact the Sexually Explicit Materials Policy. The C.A.F. argued that the policy would curtail both academic freedom and free expression, but also create a hostile and discriminatory environment for gay and lesbian faculty, staff, and students. The hearing and the newly enacted policy came in response to a controversy dating back to September, 1991. At that time a German language professor had screened a film, Taxi Zum Klo. Some students who had attended the screening became outraged at a particularly controversial, sexually explicit scene. The offended students felt that they should have been informed of such content in advance of the screening. Once the Iowa State Board of Regents came to agree with those students and to enforce the new policy, the C.A.F. began a vigorous campaign of rallies and protests to counter the measure. The organization disbanded by June, 1995.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Campaign for Academic Freedom Records
The papers of the Campaign for Academic Freedom are comprised of news clippings, texts of speeches/rallies, petitions, correspondence, and an extensive array of documents relating to all aspects of the Board of Regents, University of Iowa governance, and the Sexually Explicit Materials Policy.The organization maintained records of almost every aspect of its work, including posters and logos disseminated throughout the campus. In addition to the printed documents, the collection contains a computer disk. For an additional note on that electronic record, please see the corresponding folder (Box 3).The documents attest to perhaps one of the most passionate debates to arise on the University of Iowa campus in the 1990s.