Sharing Ground: Humanities, Academic Freedom and the University (2026-2027)
Background
Debates about free expression and academic freedom typically center on law, policy and political science. Yet the humanities — disciplines rooted in interpretation, dialogue, pluralism and collective meaning-making — have long shaped how societies understand intellectual freedom, dissent and democracy.
The arts have often been the flashpoint for disputes over censorship, banned books and controversial performances. Humanities scholarship has also played a crucial role in defining how communities argue, disagree and deliberate. Nevertheless, the humanities are frequently overlooked as drivers of academic freedom, despite their unique ability to illuminate how freedom operates as a lived cultural practice rather than merely a legal principle.
This project responds to that gap by investigating how humanistic perspectives — from literature and philosophy to archives, performance and visual culture — can deepen public understanding of academic freedom and strengthen democratic life within the university and beyond.
Project Description
Using humanistic and archival methods, the team will explore the history and meaning of academic freedom through case studies, regional archival research and participation in the Mellon Sawyer Seminar “Sharing Ground: Humanities, Academic Freedom, and the Future of the University.”
Work will unfold across three main dimensions:
Case studies in humanities and free expression
During Fall 2026, team members will study:
- Theories of free expression and intellectual freedom
- Histories of banned books, canceled performances and artistic controversies
- Literary and dramatic representations of struggles over academic freedom
This shared foundation will prepare the team to trace how the humanities conceptualize freedom as an evolving cultural practice.
Archival research on Triangle-area academic freedom
Students will conduct archival research at Duke, NC State, UNC–Chapel Hill and other Triangle institutions. They will identify two or three regional episodes — such as Duke’s “Bassett Affair” or later twentieth-century controversies — and analyze them through humanistic frameworks of interpretation, memory and civic life.
They will shape this research into a public-facing project, which may take the form of a digital or physical exhibition hosted at Duke Libraries or another venue.
Participation in the Sawyer Seminar
Throughout 2026-2027, the team will attend seminar events, lectures and small-group workshops with visiting scholars, archivists, artists and academic leaders. The Humanist-in-Residence associated with the seminar may collaborate with the team on an interpretive documentary or archival project.
This structure positions students not only as researchers but also as contributors to a broader regional conversation about academic freedom and the future of the university.
Anticipated Outputs
- Exhibition on the history of academic freedom in the Triangle
- Collaborative project (potentially documentary or archival) with the Sawyer Seminar Humanist-in-Residence
- Strengthened cross-institutional dialogue between Duke and NC State
- Public humanities materials that support civil discourse and democratic engagement
Student Opportunities
The team will include 3 graduate students and 8-10 undergraduate students. All majors in the humanities and arts are welcome — including English, History, Philosophy, Theater Studies, AAHVS — as well as students from other fields with strong interest in humanities-based inquiry.
Students will gain experience in:
- Archival research and curating historical materials
- Interpreting literary, philosophical and artistic representations of academic freedom
- Designing public-facing exhibits and digital humanities projects
- Engaging with scholars across disciplines and institutions
- Understanding legal, cultural and historical dimensions of free expression
- Collaborative research, group facilitation and public scholarship
Graduate students, including a designated project manager, will mentor subgroups, support archival work and help guide the collaborative exhibit.
Timing
Fall 2026 – Spring 2027
Fall 2026:
- Study current and historical debates over academic freedom
- Enroll in an English 200-level course aligned with team activities
- Select archival case studies and design research plan
- Begin work on collaborative exhibit or publication
Spring 2027:
- Continue archival research and cross-group synthesis
- Finalize exhibit or collaborative project
- Present work at the Sawyer Seminar and other campus venues
Crediting
Academic credit available for fall and spring semesters