Contested or Controversial Topics Guide

Academic Freedom, Instructional Fairness, and the Teaching of Contested Topics
The University of Alabama Teaching Academy’s Guide to Preparing Syllabi,
Course Content, and Student Learning Outcomes

The University of Alabama encourages teaching practices that promote critical inquiry and student intellectual independence, and it supports individual faculty and departments alike in advancing long-standing principles of academic freedom, instructional fairness, and scholarly rigor. As faculty and departments approach teaching contested or controversial ideas or topics, and particularly those that may be most directly related to Alabama Act 2024-34 (Ala. Code § 41-1-90 et seq.), they may consider this guide a useful tool for carrying forward those practices and principles. This guide is a voluntary tool created for the convenience of faculty, and it is designed to complement UA’s Compliance Guidance. It is not intended for the evaluation of course quality, as a compliance instrument, or for use in personnel or supervisory instructional decisions. It is presented in the hope that faculty will find it helpful when:

• Designing or revising course materials or assignments
• Framing syllabi, course content, student learning outcomes, and classroom discussions of contested or controversial ideas or topics
• Reviewing assignments or assessments connected to such topics
• Having departmental conversations about effective teaching practices

When building a syllabus, course description, and/or student learning outcomes, faculty concerned about engaging contested or controversial ideas in their course might consider asking themselves the questions below and aiming for the answers to be “yes.” If they find the answers to be “no,” it is recommended that they consult the compliance resources highlighted below, which contain helpful suggestions as well as a link to the relevant legislation:

Academic Freedom and Scholarly Inquiry

• Does the course reflect The University of Alabama’s commitment to academic freedom as articulated in the Faculty Handbook, including the freedom to explore, teach, and examine ideas within disciplinary standards?
• Do course activities and course content emphasize scholarly inquiry, analysis, and critique rather than instructor or institutional advocacy of particular theories, concepts, or viewpoints?

Compliance Awareness

Have you reviewed applicable University guidance and best practices regarding personal diversity statements, “divisive concepts,” and other course and syllabus materials, including UA’s Compliance Guidance and the information provided in The UA Teaching Academy’s Resources and Recommendations for Handling Difficult Topics in an Academic Setting?

Teaching Contested or Controversial Topics

• Have you reviewed your syllabi, course descriptions, student learning outcomes, and other related materials to ensure they accurately represent and clearly frame the academic purpose of the course content?
• Are course learning objectives measurable, transparent, and aligned with disciplinary standards?
• Are instructional materials evidence-based and discipline-appropriate?
• When addressing contested or controversial topics, are instructional materials presented for examination and critical analysis rather than personal endorsement?
• Have third-party instructional materials that address contested or controversial topics been reviewed and framed in ways consistent with scholarly integrity and course learning objectives?
• When multiple perspectives are relevant, are they introduced in ways that support analytical engagement and disciplinary understanding rather than for viewpoint promotion?

Student Intellectual Independence

• Are students clearly informed in the syllabus that they may encounter challenging ideas but that their success in the course depends on the quality of their analysis and academic work and not on adopting, affirming, personally endorsing, or stating their agreement with any particular ideological, political, or philosophical viewpoints? (A sample syllabus statement may be found in Resources and Recommendations for Handling Difficult Topics in an Academic Setting).
• Do assignments and discussions emphasize analytical reasoning and the interpretation and evaluation of evidence rather than personal belief statements?

Assessment Practices Related to Contested or Controversial Topics

• Is student academic performance evaluated on the basis of analytical rigor and engagement with course content or skills rather than on their personal agreement with particular viewpoints?
• Particularly when material dealing with contested or controversial topics is central to an assignment or discussion, are expectations for student engagement clearly communicated?