A recent survey of university professors in the South made strong but insufficiently documented claims about a climate of fear among faculty in Georgia and the region. At the same time, University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue has reaffirmed important ways that the system is combating such a climate of fear.

University of North Georgia professor Matthew Boedy’s recent reporting on the 2025 Faculty in the South Survey highlights anxieties among professors in 12 states. According to the survey, faculty described fears about political interference, canceled grants, and a chilling effect on classroom discussions. A Georgia-specific survey released by the American Association of University Professors this month echoes those concerns, finding that more than half of 800 professor

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