Northern Illinois University maintains a long-standing commitment to protecting academic freedom for its faculty and students. This commitment is exemplified at all levels of our institution: from the protections afforded in the governing regulations of our Board of Trustees; in the shared governance principles reflected in the University Constitution; through educational/academic policy and procedures established by the Faculty Senate; and in safeguards found in university policy and practices intended to prevent interference with the intellectual exchange of thoughts and ideas in the academic setting, including but not limited to classroom discussion and scholarly research. In the pursuit of academic freedom, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure (PDF) also serves as a guide to Northern Illinois University.