The work of individual professors and members of the "faculty" requires a high degree of autonomy. This professional independence that educators enjoy individually through academic freedom and collectively through peer review and shared governance arises from a social contract, a tacit agreement with the public about the contribution of the nation's colleges and universities to the common good. However, that social contract cannot be taken for granted, it must be renewed in each generation of the profession. In the United States today, educators are failing to teach their newer colleagues about their responsibilities under this social contract, an oversight that will have real consequences for the autonomy of the profession. In this article, the author explores the threats to academic autonomy and suggests steps toward renewing the social contract on which the educators' profession depends. (Contains 2 notes.)