The Art and Science of Political Campaigns

Course Syllabus: DRAFT

Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and
burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters. Abraham Lincoln
Electoral politics is the main way, in the absence of sweeping social movements, that we contest
for power and hold decision-makers accountable for progressive public policy. Paul Wellstone
Voting is not a horse race, you're not going there thinking Gee, I gotta pick the winner so I can
brag to my friends. . .Voting is voting your heart and voting your conscience. -- Jesse Ventura
Look, there ought to be politics in politics. Karl Rove

Course Logistics
The Art and Science of Political Campaigns
PA 5990
Fall 2014
3 Credits
Course pre-requisites: Graduate student or permission number for others
Monday: 6:00 8:45 p.m.
September 8 December 8 (14 classes)
Location: Carlson School of Management 1-136
Instructors
Dan Cramer
dan@grassrootssolutions.com
612.465.8566

Brian McClung
brian@mcclungpr.com
612.965.2729

Communicating with the instructors: We welcome and encourage you to share your questions and
thoughts about the class and associated materials both inside and outside of the classroom. While we
are both political professionals working outside of the Humphrey School we are very excited about this
class and remaining accessible to students is a high priority for both of us. At times, it may take us just a
little a bit to respond to emails or calls but we will do so in a timely manner. In addition, one of us will
always be available for at least 20 minutes before and after each class for one-on-one meetings as
needed. If additional time with one of us is needed we are happy to make other arrangements upon
request.

COURSE DESCRIPTION
In the United States today, it almost feels as if we are in the midst of a permanent political campaign.
From the moment one campaign ends, elected officials, the media, and outside interest groups are almost
immediately operating within the context of the next election. To that end, what happens within political
campaigns has a profound impact on shaping what comes after them.
In this course, students will develop an understanding of campaigns and elections and their impact on
elected leaders and public policy development against the backdrop of the 2014 US Senate and
gubernatorial elections. The course is intended to help you understand how candidates and campaign
staff both makes leadership decisions that affect the outcomes of elections, and simultaneously manage
what are, in effect, large, complex, and short-term public businesses with ever increasing budgets.
The course will roughly parallel the actual arc of traditional political campaigns from looking at questions
of why candidates run and how they assemble their campaigns, to understanding the importance of data
and integrating fundraising, advertising and grassroots organizing, to exploring the ultimate transition
from campaigning to governing. The course is also designed to not just introduce core concepts around
political strategy and messaging, but also allow students the opportunity to experience and practice some
of the tactical elements of political campaigns -- the execution of which shape candidates and their
campaign staff.

COURSE MATERIALS
This course will largely rely on articles, audio and video recordings, and excerpted chapters from a variety of
books. All of these materials will be available on our course management website (Moodle). In addition,
the following book will be required reading of all students.

The Victory Lab: The Secret Science of Winning Campaigns. Sasha Issenberg, 2012

COURSE OJECTIVES, ASSIGNMENTS & GRADING

Course Goals
By the completion of this class we expect students will:
Understand the architecture and common phases of American political campaigns.
Think critically about what distinguishes effective campaign strategies and develop insights into best
practices of campaign planning and execution.
Identify the internal and external dynamics that impact campaign decision-making, and begin to feel
confident addressing key leadership and management decisions and challenges that can arise over the
course of a political campaign.
Discover how individual political campaigns and election cycles shape elected leaders, government
staff, and public policy development, and how the emergence of a permanent campaign approach
has begun to impact governing and public policy development.
Assignments
We will meet these objectives through a combination of readings, mini-lectures (includes some outside
speakers who have either run for office, worked on, or consulted for political campaigns), class discussion,
small in-class exercises where we practice specific campaign tactics and larger group projects.
More specifically, we will measure progress towards the course goals through four activities which will be
weighted as follows. More detailed descriptions of course assignments will be available as the semester
progresses in the class and on the Moodle site.
Assignment
Class Participation
Campaign Journal
In-Class Exercises
Group Project

Percentage of Grade
10%
35%
15%
40%

Class Participation: This includes preparing for and attending class and actively participating in class
discussions. In addition, all students will be asked to prepare questions for our guest speakers (and
likely some other classes as well) which will be used to kick-off discussion.

Campaign Journal: All students would be asked to select one of the four candidates/campaigns in the
2014 Minnesota gubernatorial or US Senate elections and keep a journal that follows the candidate
and analyzes the campaign on a week-by-week basis within the context of readings and class
discussion.

Exercises: A series of smaller in-class exercises where students will be tasked with critically thinking
about, or actually practicing, real-world campaign activities, such as giving a stump speech, writing a
radio script, drafting a press-release (or distinguishing between effective and non-effective pressreleases, knocking on a door to persuade a voter and/or make a direct fundraising ask. Every
student will participate in one of these exercises which will be randomly assigned during the first class.

Group Project: Students will work in four to five person teams on one bigger project that would span
the semester. Projects will likely include:
o Developing a comprehensive campaign plan that includes an analysis of the 2014 electorate with a
focus on specific demographics (such as youth or other members of the rising electorate), clearly
articulated campaign strategy and goals, staffing structure, a fundraising blueprint for how the
campaign will raise the necessary resources, campaign strategies, tactics, budget and timeline.
o Designing a comprehensive web-video campaign that includes identifying the themes and
messages of the ad series, identifying the targets for the ads, creating a schedule for the ad series,
crafting a budget, and developing at least three web-videos. This project will also include writing a
memo to the candidate about the direction of the web advertising program, the benefits it offers,
and the value over of this web advertising program other potential campaign tactics.
o Designing a comprehensive direct mail campaign that includes identifying the theme and message
of the mail, identifying the targets the mail would be sent to, developing the schedule for the mail
program, crafting the budget, and developing at last three pieces of direct mail. This project will
also include writing a memo to the candidate about the direction of the mail program, the benefits
it offers, and the value of this direct mail program over other potential campaign tactics.

Grading
For each assignment, students will be assigned grades using the following scale.
Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
Below Competence/No Credit

Points
91-100 Points
90-87 Points
86-83 Points
82-79 Points
78-75 Points
74-71 Points
70-66 Points
<65.0 Points

Miscellaneous

No extra credit opportunities will be offered for this course.

You are expected to attend class regularly and on-time. Absence from three or more classes will
adversely affect your grade.

Incomplete course work will not be accepted.

Assignments handed in after the specified deadline (unless otherwise discussed) will be penalized 10
points per day late.

Our preference is for all students to avoid using electronic devices in class as we believe they can
inhibit active discussion and participation. Recognizing though that some readings will likely be
downloaded by students we will permit electronic devices as long as they are placed on airplane mode
and all email/text functions are disabled.

COURSE ARC & THEMES

The course is divided into three central blocks that roughly parallel the traditional phases of political
campaigns and their aftermath: Building the Campaigns Foundation; Developing Messages, Strategies &
Tactics; and Leadership & Governing. Each of these blocks will cover a number of relevant themes that
will cut across the classes within the block.

Building a Campaigns Foundation

A Campaign Unpacked
September 8: Dan Cramer and Brian McClung
Review the syllabus, learning objectives, course structure, and assessment.
Present and discuss a 2012 Campaign to orient and frame the class. Since much of the class will be
spent analyzing 2014 campaigns in real time we thought it might help to begin by looking
backwards.
Explore what makes campaigns interesting/examine why we care about and study them.
Reading:

Issenberg, Sasha. The Victory Lab. Prologue, pp 1-13. 2012.

Minnesota Public Radio. Eighteen Months to Victory: How the Minnesota marriage amendment was
defeated. November 7, 2012. http://www.mprnews.org/story/2012/11/09/marriage-how
Ball, Molly. The Marriage Plot: Inside This Years Epic Campaign for Gay Equality. The Atlantic, December
11, 2012. http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/12/the-marriage-plot-inside-this-years-epiccampaign-for-gay-equality/265865.

The Anatomy of Campaigns

September 15: Dan Cramer and Brian McClung
Understanding the political environment/political parties/legislative caucuses
Understanding big picture election rules and how these vary by state or municipality
Deciding to runwhy candidates run and how they decide
How campaigns are structured and the basics of campaign planning
Why people go to work on campaigns, and how the worlds of campaign staffing and consulting
have evolved
Reading:

Issenberg, Sasha. The Victory Lab. Chapter 1, pp. 15-35., 2012.

Wellstone Action. Politics the Wellstone Way. Chapter 1, pp. 11-21. 2005.
The Leadership Institute. Campaign Structure Presentation.
http://www.mspolicy.com/downloads/CampaignStructure.pdf
Lepor, Jill. The Lie Factory: How Politics Became a Business. The New Yorker. Sept. 24, 2012.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/09/24/120924fa_fact_lepore?currentPage=all.
Faucheaux, R. Running for Office: The Strategies, Techniques and Messages Modern Political Candidates
Need to Win Elections. Introduction, Ch. 1 and Ch. 2, pp. 10-45. 2002
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Who Votes and How Can We afford to Reach Them: Targeting and Fundraising
September 22: Lead Instructor Dan Cramer
How campaigns analyze voting patterns and apply this data
Targeting, micro-targeting and modeling
Why money matters
How campaigns raise money and various sources of funding
Reading

Issenberg, Sasha. The Victory Lab, Chapter 2-3, pp. 36-86, 2012,
Rutenberg, Jim. Data You Can Believe in. The New York Times, June 20 2013.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/23/magazine/the-obama-campaigns-digital-masterminds-cashin.html?_r=0.
Geraci, Victor. Campaign Finance Reform Historical Timeline.
http://www.ctn.state.ct.us/civics/campaign_finance/Support%20Materials/CTN%20CFR%20Timeline.pdf.
Christenson, Dino P. and Smidt, Corwin D. Riding the Waves of Money: Contribution
Dynamics in the 2008 Presidential Nomination Campaign, Journal of Political Marketing. 2011
http://people.bu.edu/dinopc/papers/wavesofmoney.pdf
Summary of campaign spending in Minnesota. 2008, 2010, and 2012 election cycles.
https://www.opensecrets.org/states/summary.php?state=MN.
Nillson, Erik. How is modern political fundraising evolving? Campaigns and Elections. October 2012.
http://www.campaignsandelections.com/campaign-insider/332597/how-is-modern-political-fundraisingevolving.thtml.

Developing Messages, Strategies, and Tactics

Deciding What to Say and How: Research and Message Development
September 29: Lead Instructor Brian McClung
Different research methodologies self and opposition, polling, focus groups, ad-testing
How research is used throughout the campaign
How issues are selected and policies are developed and who influences this process
Why a campaigns message matters
Developing a message and understanding effective messages
In-class exercise: Stump speech.
Reading

Luntz, Frank. Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear. Political Case Studies, pages
147-178. 2007.
Sanders, Karen. Communicating Politics in the 21st Century. Chapters 10 11, pp. 143-183. 2009

The Ground: Building a Base and Contacting Voters

October 6: Lead Instructor Dan Cramer
How and why people volunteer for campaigns
Traditional and emerging volunteer structures in campaigns
Geographic and constituency organizing where they relate and differ
Different tactics for contacting voters: phones, doors, events, etc.
In-class exercise: Door-knocking.
Reading

Issenberg, Sasha. The Victory Lab. Chapter 4-6, pp. 87-180, 2012.

Ball, Molly. Obamas Edge: The Ground Game That Could Put Him Over the Top. The Atlantic, October 24,
2012. http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/10/obamas-edge-the-ground-game-that-couldput-him-over-the-top/264031/.

Ganz, Marshal. Organizing as a Campaign Strategy. Mobilizing Ideas. 2012.

http://mobilizingideas.wordpress.com/2012/09/03/organizing-as-a-campaign-strategy/.

The Air: Paid Advertising

October 13: Lead Instructor Brian McClung
The evolving role of paid media on campaigns
Different types of paid media: television, radio, mail, online
The good, the bad, and the ugly of campaign advertising
In-Class exercise: Creating a radio ad.
Reading

Watch: Top 10 political commercials of all time. Time Magazine.

http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1842516,00.html
Sides, J; Shaw, D; Grossman, M.; Lipsitz, K. Campaigns & Elections: Rules, Reality, Strategy, Choice. Pages 6881, 137-138, 171-175, 264-266. 2011.
Issenberg, Sasha. The Victory Lab. Chapter 7-8, pp. 181242, 2012.

Do or Die: Political Debates

October 20: Lead Instructor Dan Cramer

History of debates and their impact on elections

Preparing for debates

Winning and analyzing debates

Reading:
Halperin, Mark and Heilemann, John. Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the
Race of a Lifetime. Chapter 8, pp. 143-149. 2009.
Halperin, Mark and Heilemann, John. Double Down: Game Change 2012. Prologue, pp. 1-6, Chapter 8, pp
165-187, Chapter 21, pp. 412-428. 2013.
Thomas, Evan. and staff of Newsweek. Election 2004: How Bush Won and What You Can Expect in the
Future. Chapter 7, pp. 143-164 (2005).

Your Best Friend and Greatest Enemy: The Media and Campaigns
October 27: Lead Instructor Brian McClung
The differences between earned and paid media
Various ways to earn media coverage newspaper, radio, television, opinion
Media influence and where it is increasing and decreasing
In-class exercise: Press conference
Reading:

Halperin, Mark and Harris, John. The Way to Win: Taking the White House in 2008. Pages 2-64. 2006
Hauser, Tom. Inside the Ropes with Jesse Ventura. Pages 1-41. 2002.
Pew Research Center, Lessons Learned About the Media from the 2012 Election
http://stateofthemedia.org/2013/special-reports-landing-page/the-media-and-campaign-2012/
Pew Research Center, State of the News Media 2014, http://www.journalism.org/2014/03/26/state-ofthe-news-media-2014-overview/

This Is It: The Art of Voter Mobilization

November 3: Lead Instructor Dan Cramer
Organizing versus mobilizing in political campaigns
Traditional and emerging Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) strategies and tactics
Campaigns and movement building where they relate and diverge
Reading

Issenberg, Sasha. The Victory Lab. Chapters 9-10, pp. 243-301. 2012.
Wellstone Action. Politics the Wellstone Way. Chapter 8, pp. 149-162. 2005.

Lessons from Recent GOTV Experiments, Yale University Institution for Social and Policy Studies.
http://gotv.research.yale.edu/?q=node/10.

What the Heck Just Happened: Election Debrief

November 10: Lead Instructors Brian McClung and Dan Cramer
Understanding the election results.
Post-election analysis
Understanding and questioning conventional wisdom
Reading
Blogs and local news coverage to be assigned the week before

The Internet X-Factor: How Technology and Online Engagement is Changing Campaigns
November 17: Lead Instructor Dan Cramer

The evolution of campaign technology

The risks and opportunities of campaigning in an online world

The impact of online engagement on fundraising, grassroots, and media strategies

Reading

Mele, Nicco. The End of Big. Chapter 3, pp 61-95. 2013.

Ord, Richard. 8 Reasons the Internet Has Changed Politics Forever. November 8, 2008.
http://www.webpronews.com/eight-reasons-the-internet-has-changed-politics-forever-2008-11.
Ball, Molly and Scola, Nancy. The Community Organizing Geeks Who Could Revolutionize
Campaign Tech. The Atlantic. 2012. http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/05/thecommunity-organizing-geeks-who-could-revolutionize-campaign-tech/257309/.
Raine, Lee and Smith, Aaron, and Schlozman, Kay, Brady Henry, and Verba, Sidney. Social Media
and Political Engagement.Pew Research Internet Project. October 19, 2012.
http://www.pewinternet.org/2012/10/19/social-media-and-political-engagement/.

Leadership & Governing

What Goes Wrong: Strategy and Decision-making in Campaigns
November 24: Lead Instructor Brian McClung
How decisions get made in campaigns and what influences them
Managing a campaign crisis
Changing strategy and direction
Why so many campaigns throw hail Marys
The myth and reality of the October Surprise
Reading

Issenberg, Sasha. The Victory Lab. Epilogue, pp. 302-322. 2012.

Halperin, Mark and Heilemann, John. Double Down: Game Change 2012. Chapter 14, pp 287-303, Chapter
17, pp 343-360. 2013.
Read timeline of the 2012 Presidential Election as a framework for listening to audio discussion to frame-up
decision making: http://www.iop.harvard.edu/sites/default/files_new/CDMC2012_timeline.pdf
AUDIO: Campaign for President: The Managers Look at 2012. Harvard University Institute of Politics. Audio:
Listen to: Discussion of the Democratic Strategy Through the Convention Participants: David Axelrod, Jim
Messina, etc.
AUDIO: Campaign for President: The Managers Look at 2012. Harvard University Institute of Politics. Listen
to: Discussions on the General Election. Participants: Matt Rhoades, Stuart Stevens, Neil Newhouse, Russ
Schriefer, Dan Senor, David Axelrod, Jim Messina, Jeremy Bird, etc. . http://www.iop.harvard.edu/2012campaign-decision-makers-conference

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Now What? The Transition from Elections to Governing

December 1: Lead Instructor Dan Cramer
How campaigns shape elected officials and staff
How to influence public policy through campaigns
How to influence campaigns through governing
The impact of electoral polarization and the rise of the permanent campaign
Reading
McAninch, Jay. Campaigning vs. Governing. 2013.
https://www.archerytrade.org/blog/campaigning-vs.-governing.

Grassroots Solutions. Conversation Campaign Creates Path To Victory. December 2013.

http://www.grassrootssolutions.com/wpcontent/uploads/2013/05/Conversation_Campaign_Sreates_Path_
To_Victory_MN_Marriage.pdf.
7 things to know about polarization in America. Carroll Doherty, Pew Research Center, June 12, 2014.
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/06/12/7-things-to-know-about-polarization-in-america/.

Project Presentations and Class Wrap-up

December 8: Dan Cramer and Brian McClung

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RELEVANT UNIVERSITY POLICIES

Conduct Code:

The University seeks an environment that promotes academic achievement and integrity, that is
protective of free inquiry, and that serves the educational mission of the University. Similarly, the
University seeks a community that is free from violence, threats, and intimidation; that is respectful of the
rights, opportunities, and welfare of students, faculty, staff, and guests of the University; and that does
not threaten the physical or mental health or safety of members of the University community.
As a student at the University you are expected adhere to Board of Regents Policy: Student Conduct Code.
To review the Student Conduct Code, please see:
http://regents.umn.edu/sites/default/files/policies/Student_Conduct_Code.pdf.
Note that the conduct code specifically addresses disruptive classroom conduct, which means "engaging in
behavior that substantially or repeatedly interrupts either the instructor's ability to teach or student
learning. The classroom extends to any setting where a student is engaged in work toward academic credit
or satisfaction of program-based requirements or related activities."
Use of Personal Electronic Devices in the Classroom:
Using personal electronic devices in the classroom setting can hinder instruction and learning, not only for
the student using the device but also for other students in the class. To this end, the University establishes
the right of each faculty member to determine if and how personal electronic devices are allowed to be
used in the classroom. For complete information, please reference:
http://policy.umn.edu/Policies/Education/Education/STUDENTRESP.html.
Scholastic Dishonesty:
You are expected to do your own academic work and cite sources as necessary. Failing to do so is
scholastic dishonesty. Scholastic dishonesty means plagiarizing; cheating on assignments or examinations;
engaging in unauthorized collaboration on academic work; taking, acquiring, or using test materials
without faculty permission; submitting false or incomplete records of academic achievement; acting alone
or in cooperation with another to falsify records or to obtain dishonestly grades, honors, awards, or
professional endorsement; altering, forging, or misusing a University academic record; or fabricating or
falsifying data, research procedures, or data analysis. (Student Conduct Code:
http://regents.umn.edu/sites/default/files/policies/Student_Conduct_Code.pdf) If it is determined that a
student has cheated, he or she may be given an "F" or an "N" for the course, and may face additional
sanctions from the University. For additional information, please see:
http://policy.umn.edu/Policies/Education/Education/INSTRUCTORRESP.html.
The Office for Student Conduct and Academic Integrity has compiled a useful list of Frequently Asked
Questions pertaining to scholastic dishonesty: http://www1.umn.edu/oscai/integrity/student/index.html.
If you have additional questions, please clarify with your instructor for the course. Your instructor can
respond to your specific questions regarding what would constitute scholastic dishonesty in the context of
a particular class-e.g., whether collaboration on assignments is permitted, requirements and methods for
citing sources, if electronic aids are permitted or prohibited during an exam.
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Makeup Work for Legitimate Absences:

Students will not be penalized for absence during the semester due to unavoidable or legitimate
circumstances. Such circumstances include verified illness, participation in intercollegiate athletic events,
subpoenas, jury duty, military service, bereavement, and religious observances. Such circumstances do
not include voting in local, state, or national elections. For complete information, please see:
http://policy.umn.edu/Policies/Education/Education/MAKEUPWORK.html.
Appropriate Student Use of Class Notes and Course Materials:
Taking notes is a means of recording information but more importantly of personally absorbing and
integrating the educational experience. However, broadly disseminating class notes beyond the classroom
community or accepting compensation for taking and distributing classroom notes undermines instructor
interests in their intellectual work product while not substantially furthering instructor and student
interests in effective learning. Such actions violate shared norms and standards of the academic
community. For additional information, please see:
http://policy.umn.edu/Policies/Education/Education/STUDENTRESP.html.
Grading and Transcripts:
The University utilizes plus and minus grading on a 4.000 cumulative grade point scale in accordance with
the following:
A

4.000 - Represents achievement that is outstanding relative to the level necessary to meet course
requirements

A-

3.667

B+ 3.333
B

3.000 - Represents achievement that is significantly above the level necessary to meet course
requirements

B-

2.667

C+ 2.333
C

2.000 - Represents achievement that meets the course requirements in every respect

C-

1.667

D+ 1.333
D

1.000 - Represents achievement that is worthy of credit even though it fails to meet fully the course
requirements

Represents achievement that is satisfactory, which is equivalent to a C- or better.

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For additional information, please refer to:

http://policy.umn.edu/Policies/Education/Education/GRADINGTRANSCRIPTS.html.
Sexual Harassment
"Sexual harassment" means unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and/or other verbal
or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering
with an individual's work or academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive
working or academic environment in any University activity or program. Such behavior is not acceptable in
the University setting. For additional information, please consult Board of Regents Policy:
http://regents.umn.edu/sites/default/files/policies/SexHarassment.pdf
Equity, Diversity, Equal Opportunity, and Affirmative Action:
The University provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs and facilities, without regard to
race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status,
veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. For more information, please
consult Board of Regents Policy:
http://regents.umn.edu/sites/default/files/policies/Equity_Diversity_EO_AA.pdf.
Disability Accommodations:
The University of Minnesota is committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunities for
all students. Disability Services (DS) is the campus office that collaborates with students who have
disabilities to provide and/or arrange reasonable accommodations.
If you have, or think you may have, a disability (e.g., mental health, attentional, learning, chronic
health, sensory, or physical), please contact DS at 612-626-1333 to arrange a confidential discussion
regarding equitable access and reasonable accommodations.
If you are registered with DS and have a current letter requesting reasonable accommodations, we
encourage you to contact your instructor early in the semester to review how the accommodations
will be applied in the course.

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Mental Health and Stress Management:

As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained
relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating, and/or lack
of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic
performance or reduce your ability to participate in daily activities. University of Minnesota services are
available to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. You can learn
more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus via
www.mentalhealth.umn.edu.
Remember that there are advisors in the Humphrey Student Services office who are trained and
experienced counselors. They are available at very short notice to address any concerns you have
and provide further resources within the University. Humphrey Student Services, HHH 280, 612624-3800
Academic Freedom and Responsibility: for courses that do not involve students in research
Academic freedom is a cornerstone of the University. Within the scope and content of the course as
defined by the instructor, it includes the freedom to discuss relevant matters in the classroom. Along with
this freedom comes responsibility. Students are encouraged to develop the capacity for critical judgment
and to engage in a sustained and independent search for truth. Students are free to take reasoned
exception to the views offered in any course of study and to reserve judgment about matters of opinion,
but they are responsible for learning the content of any course of study for which they are enrolled.*
Reports of concerns about academic freedom are taken seriously, and there are individuals and offices
available for help. Contact the instructor, the Department Chair, your adviser, the associate dean of the
college, or the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs in the Office of the Provost. [Customize with
names and contact information as appropriate for the course/college/campus.]
* Language adapted from the American Association of University Professors "Joint Statement on Rights
and Freedoms of Students".

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