After the Department of Defense rolled out rules for employees to engage with the public in September, the Air Force Academy adopted a new layer of review for faculty and others who wish to attend conferences. 

The Air Force Academy said in a statement its new efforts were meant to keep the school in line with the rules. 

“Our efforts are intended to ensure all faculty, cadets, and staff participating in external engagements adhere to policies and guidelines set forth by the Department of War and the Department of the Air Force, as well as relevant executive orders, and to ensure proper stewardship of U.S. taxpayer dollars,” an academy spokesperson said. 

One member of faculty, who spoke up about the policy on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said the change is part of the “death by a thousand cuts” that the instructors are facing. 

“Every new reduction of academic freedom makes it a less attractive place to work,” he said. “ … It’s wearing faculty members down and they are leaving at the first opportunity.”

The loss of faculty is a critical issue for the academy right now following departures encouraged in part through the government’s deferred resignation and retirement program. The commission responsible for accrediting the school was following up on an official complaint in November over whether the school has enough faculty with high enough credentials to maintain its academy programs.  

Conferences help academic faculty stay up-to-date in their fields and professors consider attending conferences a part of their responsibilities.

The professor who spoke about the new rules said that this particular change will make it harder to collaborate with non-governmental research groups. 

The faculty learned details about the requirement through an November email stating a Sept. 15 memo sent out by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth would add a layer of review to the existing approval process for participating in conferences. The new process applies to staff interested in attending conferences, even if they didn’t expect to present.

Those who expect to present must still submit materials for security and policy review. 

As part of its review process, the Academy asks those interested in presenting at a conference: “Does content address (diversity, equity or inclusion), gender, official (Department of War) positions or policy?” The form asks for a yes or no answer. 

The academy did not address a question from The Gazette about why DEI or gender topics needed to be included in the form.

The Sept. 15 memo Hegseth sent out is sweeping in scope and applies to most DOD personnel. The memo covers attending an event, speaking or presenting. It also features quite a few exemptions, such as parades, air shows, events aimed at building community with local associations, and site inspections to complete contracts. 

The memo requires applicants to outline who is expected to attend the event, if the event would allow the DOD to reach new audiences and if it would allow the employee to hear a diverse range of perspectives.  It also asks the attendee to say if the host has upheld the standards of respectful engagements, including handling disagreements in a fair, honest and respectful manner.

When the memo was first released, Politico reported concerns from officials who felt the change was introducing red tape. 

In the past, Hegseth said, external engagements have tended to flow toward certain types of institutions. 

“This risks bias in a way that is unfair to the American public, writ large and inhibits the Department’s ability to connect with and learn from a broader segment of American society,” the memo said. It also notes that the department will make an effort to engage with institutions that have differing perspectives and it does not require DOD employees to only engage with those that align with the department’s viewpoints.  

Over the summer, Hegseth paused all DOD participation in think tank events and the Pentagon did not participate in Aspen Security Forum. At the time, Military.com reported that a Pentagon spokesman at the time said the conference did not align with the values of the DOD. 

The halt on all appearances seems to have eased. For example, The Hudson Institute hosted Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations, earlier this month. 

The September memo requires enlisted troops and officers including colonels and below in the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force to apply for approval. In the Navy it applies to captains and everyone below them. The requirement applies to nearly all DOD civilians except for those in the senior executive service. General officers or civilians serving as senior executives must approve requests.   

At the Academy the Vice Superintendent Brig. Gen. Nicholas Evans will review requests every week, according to an email that went out to staff.