A study on campus freedom of expression released Thursday finds that 53 percent of students report feeling “intimidated” when sharing their political opinions, ideas, or beliefs in class. A slightly larger majority, 54 percent, indicated that their fear of expression stems from knowing their viewpoint conflicts with that of their peers.
This intimidation may stem from professors who freely share their political views. When asked if professors “used class time to express their political beliefs that are completely unrelated to the course,” 52 percent of respondents said this occurs “often.”
The percentage of students who report feeling intimidated has increased from 49 percent in 2015, according to another study published by the same group.
Additionally, nearly six in ten agree that their school is justified in forbidding people from speaking on campus who have a history of engaging in “hate speech,” even though this term is often defined subjectively by undergraduates.
If a campus speaker uses what students believe to be hate speech, a shocking 33 percent believe physical violence can be used to prevent this person from speaking.
This squelching of speech is not surprising, however, as only 16 percent of respondents said that the goal of higher education is to “seek the truth” and only 28 percent report that it is about “learning how to think critically.” The plurality (45 percent) believes that college’s primary purpose is career preparation.
This national survey of 800 full-time undergraduates was sponsored by the William F. Buckley, Jr. Program at Yale and conducted by McLaughlin & Associates.
“These survey results present a troubling but unsurprising picture of attitudes toward free speech,” said Lauren Noble, Buckley Program founder and executive director, in a press release. “A majority of students should not feel intimidated in sharing their views in the classroom. It’s also unfortunate that college campuses — which could be leaders in bringing people together around fundamental values — are just as polarized and divided as the rest of America.”
Kate Hardiman is a contributor to Red Alert Politics. She is pursuing a master’s in education from Notre Dame University and teaches English and religion at a high school in Chicago.
