Faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members,

The University of Oklahoma made national headlines this month after a routine grading dispute erupted into public controversy, leading OU to place psychology instructor Mel Curth on administrative leave. OU’s failure to stand up for its expressed commitment to academic freedom or defend the instructor from targeted harassment reveals the need for faculty, staff, students, and the wider community to unite in defense of our university and shared values.

Add your name to this petition to demand that OU protect academic freedom and our communities.

We plan to deliver this petition to OU President Harroz before the holidays on Jan 2. The delivered petition will include the number of faculty, staff, students, and alumni signatories, and names of organizational signatories. Names and contact information of individual petition signers will not be shared with the OU administration.

Because this incident represents only the most recent threat to academic freedom and our campus community, we plan to continue engaging with OU next semester to develop and implement a Harassment Response and Prevention Plan (similar to this resource from the University of Massachusetts Amherst) to protect OU educators and researchers from politically motivated attacks.

To get involved or learn more, contact us at aaupou50@gmail.com.

Sign the petition to defend our campus community

TO: Joseph Harroz Jr., OU President

Dear President Harroz,

The recent grading controversy involving psychology instructor Mel Curth has generated widespread alarm among OU faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the broader community. Specifically, OU’s decision to place the instructor on administrative leave following a routine grading dispute—a decision it has yet to adequately explain—and subsequent failure to defend her from harassment and discrimination, including reported death threats, raises serious concerns about the University’s commitment to educational standards, academic freedom, and instructor safety.

The OU administration may view their actions as the best strategy to mitigate institutional risk but it comes at the expense of the educators and researchers who make our university function. Principles of academic freedom entail the "right of faculty members to select the materials, determine the approach to the subject, make the assignments, and assess student academic performance in teaching activities." When the University fails to defend these principles against attacks, it chills intellectual expression and increases the risk to faculty and graduate students.  

WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, THEREFORE CALL ON THE UNIVERSITY TO:

1. Release full details on the policies and processes that resulted in Mel Curth being placed on administrative leave.
2. Publicly reaffirm the right of OU faculty and instructors to teach, grade, and research free from political interference, unlawful mandates, or pressures that inhibit authentic engagement.
3. Work with the campus community to develop a Harassment Response and Prevention Plan that provides clear guidelines for faculty, staff, chairs, and administrators for responding to political attacks.

We appreciate that OU continues to express its commitment to academic freedom, scholarly excellence, and the integrity of its educational mission. Enacting these commitments is essential to fulfilling the purpose and values articulated in the Lead On Strategic Plan. Upholding these values and commitments requires that every member of our community—faculty, students, staff, and administrators—engage with one another authentically, thoughtfully, and in a spirit of mutual respect. It also requires that the University safeguard the freedom to teach, learn, explore, and debate ideas, even when doing so is uncomfortable, challenging, or politically unpopular.

When the University stands firmly on the side of academic freedom, integrity, and its own stated values, we all flourish—students, faculty, staff, and the broader communities we serve. In that spirit, we express our confidence that through principled dialogue, consistent policy, and mutual accountability, the University of Oklahoma can move forward with renewed unity and strength. Protecting academic freedom is not merely a procedural necessity; it is central to the excellence, boldness, and civic commitment that define the University’s mission and will shape its impact for generations to come.