Encroaching on Autonomy: The Influence of the Academic Bill of Rights on U.S. Higher Education
Erin Kimura-Walsh, University of California, Los Angeles

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ABSTRACT:
This document-analysis case study considers the potential impact of the Academic Bill of Rights (ABOR), a policy initiative developed by conservative activist David Horowitz to counter the perceived liberal domination of U.S. higher education and promote political and religious equality within colleges and universities. As a result of the growing influence of conservative interests on the educational priorities of state and federal government, it is increasingly important to examine the implications of such initiatives as the ABOR, as one example of the conservative educational agenda. This article argues that potential government implementation of the ABOR would diminish institutional autonomy, and thus weaken academic freedom and higher education’s role as social critic.