Troy University: Trustees Discuss Vetting Research Topics Appropriate for Faculty to Pursue

On March 15, 2023, Troy University chancellor and board of trustees members discussed over email an event co-hosted by the university’s Center for Political Economy where a former professor criticized Alabama’s economic incentive programs. Troy’s chancellor said they cannot continue to allow “uncontrolled freedom of speech or academic research” at the Center and that he would schedule a meeting to discuss how the Center prioritizes and vets topics staff to pursue. FIRE wrote Troy on April 20, asking it to confirm it will not attempt to control or place viewpoint restrictions on faculty research, and to the extent it already has, to remove those mandates. Troy responded on April 27, affirming its commitment to academic freedom and assuring FIRE that Troy “supports professors’ research without influence or consideration of political factors.”