In the era of today\u2019s heated culture wars, the concepts of academic freedom and freedom of expression have become increasingly conflated. Divisive political debates around\u00a0critical race theory<\/a>,\u00a0Qu\u00e9bec\u2019s Bill 32<\/a>\u00a0and talk of establishing \u201cfree speech guardians<\/a>\u201d are just some recent examples. Academic freedom is being subsumed into the oftentimes polarizing rhetoric concerning what is commonly referred to as free speech.<\/p>\n But the two are different. Free speech is about the right to express one\u2019s opinion, however accurate, false, good or bad it might be.<\/p>\n Academic freedom requires professional competency as determined by disciplinary communities. It is most succinctly defined by the\u00a0American Association of University Professors\u2019 1915 statement<\/a>\u00a0as, \u201cfreedom of inquiry and research; freedom of teaching within the university or college; and freedom of extramural utterance and action.\u201d<\/p>\n This is what makes laws like Qu\u00e9bec\u2019s Bill 32 problematic. It further\u00a0confuses the distinction<\/a>\u00a0between freedom of speech and academic freedom. Bill 32 is troubling because it grants the government special powers to dictate what happens in university classrooms. That\u00a0risks undermining<\/a>\u00a0the very principles of academic freedom its proponents are purportedly trying to protect.<\/p>\n Academic freedom \u2014 and the corresponding protections of tenure \u2014 are often portrayed by conservative politicians and spokespersons as a\u00a0luxury perk<\/a>\u00a0demanded by professors looking for a cushy frill few others enjoy. That kind of narrative might be convenient fodder for populists trying to gain support for their own agendas, but is the need for academic freedom really all that unusual?<\/p>\n The truth is that, while academic freedom itself might sound like a unique notion, granting special tools or rights to specific professions is rather commonplace.<\/p>\n Work-specific considerations are common<\/strong><\/p>\n In order to effectively carry out the duties, tasks and responsibilities of one\u2019s employment, workers in many fields are granted special access or consideration to otherwise publicly restricted tools, working conditions or rights.<\/p>\n