The Legal Nature of Academic Freedom in United States Colleges and Universities

The courts serve as the ultimate guardians of the free expression of ideas in colleges and universities throughout the United States. While the Constitution does not enumerate any specific right of academic freedom, the Supreme Court of the United States has employed the first and fourteenth amendments to help ensure that academic institutions can continue to be forums for the unfettered exchange of ideas. State constitutions and statutes also help de- termine the contours of academic freedom.