In the myth of Prometheus, the Titan who dared to bring fire—symbolic of knowledge and enlightenment—to humanity is eternally punished by the gods. That ancient allegory resonates powerfully today as America’s universities stand increasingly constrained by forces that seek to shackle academic inquiry, undercut faculty authority, and reshape the mission of higher education itself. As detailed in my research “Prometheus on the Quad,” these attacks have intensified not just from reactionary politics but from creeping bureaucratization, misguided federal funding incentives, and ideological rigidity across the political spectrum.

But if faculty are the keepers of the academic flame, students are its essential beneficiaries—and too often, the first to feel the chill when the fire dims.

This connection between faculty autonomy and student engagement is more than symbolic. It is empirical. Institutions that promote genuine academic freedom, uphold tenure protections, and invest in faculty-led instruction consistently report stronger student satisfaction, deeper classroom engagement, and better post-graduate outcomes. The wellbeing of students is not an isolated variable; it is intrinsically tied to the institutional health of the professoriate and the educational environments they co-create.

The wellbeing of students is not an isolated variable; it is intrinsically tied to the institutional health of the professoriate and the educational environments they co-create.

A Fragile Contract: Faculty Freedom and Student Impact

The erosion of tenure, the expansion of contingent faculty, and administrative bloat—each detailed extensively in “Prometheus on the Quad”—do more than destabilize careers. They reshape classrooms. When faculty must teach overloaded course rosters, adapt to top-down curricular mandates, or fear repercussions for discussing controversial topics, students receive a sanitized, diluted, and ultimately less transformative education.

The result is a classroom culture of caution, not curiosity.

Students learn not just content but modes of thinking, inquiry, and expression from their instructors. A professor who is constrained in their teaching—by fear, by surveillance, or by policy—is unlikely to foster critical thinking or intellectual courage in their students. On the other hand, students in classrooms led by supported, secure, and respected faculty report greater psychological safety, a stronger sense of belonging, and increased motivation to participate in campus life and democratic discourse.

Engagement Rooted in Relationships

Research continues to show that meaningful relationships with faculty are among the strongest predictors of student retention, academic success, and wellbeing. The Gallup-Purdue Index found that graduates who had a professor who “cared about them as a person” were more than twice as likely to thrive in all areas of wellbeing (social, purpose, community, financial, and physical). But nurturing these relationships takes time, autonomy, and institutional support—resources increasingly siphoned away by administrative priorities or subsumed by faculty burnout and precarity.

In contrast, when institutions emphasize faculty mentorship, peer collaboration, and interdisciplinary learning, they empower students to co-create knowledge and find personal meaning in their education. At its best, this is the promise of higher education: not a rote path to credentials but a dynamic space for identity formation, moral development, and intellectual awakening.

A Campus Culture of Inquiry—Not Ideology

One of the most powerful ideas in “Prometheus on the Quad” is that neither the political Left nor Right holds a monopoly on the impulse to restrict inquiry. Whether through right-wing legislative censorship or performative DEI mandates, the consequences are the same: a narrowing of the questions that faculty are permitted to ask and, by extension, students are allowed to explore.

Student engagement and mental wellness suffer when campuses become battlegrounds for ideological conformity rather than havens for rigorous, open dialogue. True inclusivity doesn’t mean sheltering students from discomfort; it means equipping them with the tools to encounter, understand, and respectfully challenge competing ideas. That cannot happen when either political pressure or administrative fiat dictate what knowledge is safe to teach.

Universities must actively protect spaces for dissent, ambiguity, and difference—not only to uphold democratic ideals but to foster student agency and resilience. Students trained only to navigate echo chambers or scripted “correctness” are poorly prepared for the complexity of civic life or professional decision-making.

Structural Reforms to Fuel Student Flourishing

To reverse these trends and reignite the transformative mission of higher education, institutions should take tangible steps that strengthen both faculty freedom and student wellbeing:

1. Revitalize Tenure and Shared Governance

Tenure is not merely job protection. It is the bedrock of intellectual risk-taking and long-term mentorship. Universities should recommit to robust tenure systems and ensure faculty have meaningful roles in curriculum design, hiring, and governance.

2. Rebalance Administrative Spending

As highlighted in the source essay, the explosion of non-instructional administrative roles diverts resources from classrooms. Universities should conduct audits of spending and reinvest in instructional staff and academic advising.

3. Support Faculty-Student Research Collaboration

Paid research assistantships, co-authored projects, and inquiry-based learning deepen engagement and provide students with firsthand experience of the scientific and scholarly process.

4. Protect Academic Freedom and Viewpoint Diversity

Institutions should craft clear, consistent policies that defend free expression for both faculty and students, while resisting partisan pressures from donors, legislatures, or advocacy groups.

5. Center Pedagogy in Faculty Development

Offer training and support for inclusive, high-impact teaching practices that are grounded in evidence—not ideology—and which prepare students to engage across lines of difference.

6. Reimagine the Role of DEI with Academic Integrity

Diversity initiatives should enhance rather than dictate inquiry. Support frameworks that amplify underrepresented voices while ensuring that faculty retain the freedom to pursue diverse intellectual paths.

Conclusion: Lighting the Way Forward

In times of political instability, misinformation, and cynicism, the university remains one of the last best places to model the values of reason, reflection, and rigorous dialogue. But it can only do so if it protects the very people tasked with carrying that torch: its faculty.

To engage students, we must first empower scholars. To promote wellbeing, we must preserve the freedom to ask difficult questions. And to build a future of informed, thoughtful citizens, we must ensure the light of Prometheus does not go out on our campuses.

Ken Corvo is an associate professor in the School of Social Work at Syracuse University