Much attention has recently been trained on the question of academic freedom for faculty. Far less has been given to what academic freedom means–or should mean–for our undergraduate students. How do undergraduate students understand the stakes of academic freedom for their present and future? How are they affected by current understandings of and controversies about academic freedom? What do they see as the relevant impact of what’s happening around academic freedom today?
Social Media Storytellers: On Academic Freedom will create a cohort of undergraduate student storytellers to research, analyze, and explore academic freedom through multimedia content. As part of a culminating assignment, the cohort will create a media series that speaks directly to their peers on this pressing campus issue. Students will begin working on the series at the end of winter quarter, with the media series launched via SOH social media, website, and newsletters in spring and summer quarters.
As a research communications fellowship, Social Media Storytellers: On Academic Freedom includes a one hour per week workshop in Winter 2026 to explore the topic of academic freedom with faculty from across the School of Humanities, followed by a second quarter in Spring 2026 to create social media stories on the topic. Participating students will receive $1,000 for their involvement in both quarters ($500/quarter), and will be hired on as hourly student employees as part of the fellowship.
Apply to Social Media Storytellers: On Academic Freedom
When
Winter and Spring 2026 Quarters include weekly class meetings on Wednesdays from 12-12:50 PM in Humanities Gateway 1002. Note: lunch will be provided. Attendance and active participation in the two quarters of workshop activities is mandatory for all fellows; application for the fellowship entails availability and commitment to both quarters. Selected students will be hired as student employees and paid on an hourly basis for weekly participation in seminars up to $500/quarter.
What will you be studying and working on?
Social Media Storytellers: On Academic Freedom will explore the topic of academic freedom as it impacts students’ daily lives, in the classrooms they learn in, through the faculty and campus they interact with, and within higher education–both in the U.S. and abroad. Students will be encouraged to engage in creative projects that center their voices and perspectives as well as that of their student peers (for example, through a “person on the street”-style interview series on the topic).
Engaging through stories is a powerful and creative means to address complex issues. The On Academic Freedom social media series created by students in the second quarter of the course will center the perspectives and narratives of our undergraduate fellows. The fellowship will use various social media as a storytelling platform and will be featured on UCI School of Humanities’ social media platforms (Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn) as well as on our website and in our monthly newsletters.
Students will work with Dean Tyrus Miller, faculty from across the School of Humanities, including Comparative Literature, European Languages and Studies, and Literary Journalism, other UCI faculty guests, and communications professionals from across UC Irvine.
Learning Outcomes
- Through mini seminars with faculty from across UCI, gain a richer understanding of what academic freedom is and how it differs from free speech.
- Through hands-on workshops with communications experts, learn skills such as video production, image creation, and caption writing, and develop concrete communications skills applicable to a variety of job contexts.
- Conduct student-driven research on the topic of academic freedom, with self-reflection and engagement with contemporary conversations.
- Network with faculty, staff, graduate students, and peers by engaging in School of Humanities programming around academic freedom.
This class and initiative is funded, in part, by a VOICE grant from the UC National Center for Free Speech.
Eligibility
This course is open to all School of Humanities undergraduate students. Eligible students will have declared a humanities major by January 4, 2026. This is a competitive fellowship selection, and not all students who apply will be chosen. Please take time when applying via the online application and answer all questions thoroughly.
Enrollment
To receive an enrollment code for this course, students must be selected through a competitive application process. To apply, please submit an online application. Applications due December 14, 2025. Have questions? Please contact the Director of Communications, Dr. Kelly Brown, at kellyab@uci.edu.
Course Information
Humanities 197 (Winter 2026) 28540 | 4.0 WC credits