WASHINGTON DC (October 14, 2025) — The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) has announced that The Right to Learn: Resisting the Right-Wing Attack on Academic Freedom, edited by Valerie C Johnson, Jennifer Ruth, and Ellen Schrecker and published by Beacon Press, is the winner of the 2025 Frederic W Ness Book Award. The Ness award is given annually to the book that best illuminates the goals and practices of a contemporary liberal education, and it will be formally presented to the editors at AAC&U’s Annual Meeting, on January 22, 2026, in Washington DC. Valerie Johnson is professor of political science at DePaul University, Jennifer Ruth is professor of film studies at Portland State University, and Ellen Schrecker is professor emerita of American history at Yeshiva University.
The Right to Learn is an anthology that examines challenges to academic freedom in the United States over the past four decades, with a focus on recent debates over issues such as critical race theory and restrictions on classroom discussions of gender and sexuality. Through contributions from activists, scholars, and legal experts, the book situates these conflicts within broader political and cultural trends. Organized in three parts, it provides context, analysis, and practical insights for educators and others concerned with the role of higher education in a democratic society.
“We are facing one of the most, if not the most, consequential moments in our collective pursuit of democracy,” said Valerie Johnson.
“We put together this book to sound the alarm and raise awareness about how essential education is to a functioning democracy, and to declare that this is an all-hands-on-deck moment.”
“We are so honored and delighted by this recognition from AAC&U,” said Jennifer Ruth.
“When we completed the book, we wondered if time might quickly render it irrelevant. Unfortunately, that has been far from the case. We hope the book helps inspire solidarity among activists and scholars during these difficult times.”
“As we reached out to find contributors to The Right to Learn, we were heartened to discover how many courageous and brilliant people were eager to join us in combating the growing threat to American colleges and universities,” said Ellen Schrecker.
“We hoped the book would become part of a broader movement by faculties, students, and other concerned groups and individuals to stand up for academic freedom. Receiving the Frederick W Ness Book Award shows we were right. As the resistance to the current onslaught on democratic higher education grows daily — AAC&U’s unwavering support for academic freedom in these dark times is no small contribution to that resistance.”
The 2025 Ness award winner was selected by a committee of higher-education leaders: Thomas P Foley, president of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania; Lynn Pasquerella, president of AAC&U; L Song Richardson, professor of law at the University of California, Irvine; Julius Sokenu, president of Moorpark College; and Kathleen Woodward (committee chair), Lockwood Professor in the Humanities, professor of English, and director of the Simpson Center for the Humanities at the University of Washington.
“Among an exceptionally strong pool of nominees, The Right to Learn stood out as compelling, timely, and galvanizing,” Pasquerella said. “The selection committee was struck by the way it articulates what can be done now to counter attacks on higher education, and by its emphasis on providing tools to meet the moment and enable action.”
Established in 1979 to honor AAC&U’s ninth president, the Frederic W Ness Book Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the understanding and improvement of liberal education. Recent award winners include Universities on Fire: Higher Education in the Climate Crisis by Bryan Alexander; The New College Classroom by Cathy N Davidson and Christina Katopodis; Fugitive Pedagogy: Carter G Woodson and the Art of Black Teaching by Jarvis R Givens; and The Campus Color Line: College Presidents and the Struggle for Black Freedom by Eddie R Cole.
About AAC&U
The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) is a global membership organization dedicated to advancing the democratic purposes of higher education by promoting equity, innovation, and excellence in liberal education. Through our programs and events, publications, research, public advocacy, and campus-based projects, AAC&U serves as a catalyst and facilitator for innovations that improve educational quality and equity and that support the success of all students. In addition to accredited public and private, two-year and four-year colleges and universities, and state higher-education systems and agencies throughout the United States, our membership includes degree-granting higher-education institutions around the world as well as other organizations and individuals. To learn more, visit aacu.org.
