Campus Profile: Marquette University

Campus Reform Campus Profiles evaluate individual American college campuses based on liberal bias, speech codes, and other relevant policies and factors.

Marquette University is a private Jesuit university in Wisconsin. Around 7, 700 undergraduate students are enrolled at the university.

Official Political Student Organizations: 

Conservative Organizations: 

• Alexander Hamilton Society 

• College Republicans

• Marquette For Life

• Turning Point USA at Marquette

• Young Americans for Freedom

Liberal Organizations:

• Amnesty International Chapter at Marquette

• Black Student Council

• Black Student Union

• College Democrats

• Empowerment

• Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA)

• Justice in Action

• LGBTQ+ Resource Center

• March For Our Lives Marquette

• Students for an Environmentally Active Campus (SEAC)

• Students for Justice in Palestine

• Y.E.S-Solidarity in Action

FEC Data on Marquette University Political Donations:

According to Campus Reform’s analysis of Federal Election Commission (FEC) data, Marquette University employee political donations contributed 61.6% to Democrat candidates, while 38.4% went to Republican candidates during the 2020 cycle.

Foundation for Individual Rights in Education Rating:

Marquette University has been given a red light speech code. According to FIRE, this is due to “at least one university policy clearly and substantially restricting freedom of speech.” FIRE also notes that a red light policy at a public institution is unconstitutional. 

COVID-19:

Marquette University is requiring a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for students and employees.

Campus Reform stories about Marquette University:

EXCLUSIVE: Prof threatens to dock students grade for not using ‘gender inclusive language

Marquette University student Josh Guckenburg says Visiting Assistant Professor James Bahoh told him in November that if he did not use “gender-neutral” language in his next paper points would be deducted from his grade. Guckenburg provided Campus Reform with a screenshot of the grade summary from one of his papers, which contains a comment that reads, “use gender inclusive language: humanity is not ‘man,’ nor is it a ‘he.’”

Students say Marquette seal ‘erases the truth.’ Conservative prof disagrees.

Student activists are pressuring Marquette University to remove Father Marquette from the college’s seal for more emphasis on Native Americans. A conservative professor voiced his opposition to the seal change stating the depiction is accurate. Proponents of wiping Father Marquette from the seal claim it is to further the “truth.”

Marquette University to take another look at demonstration policy

Marquette University instituted a “demonstration policy” in August that placed severe restrictions on students/organizations that wanted to hold demonstrations on campus. After pushback, the university made its student union building open to any demonstration without administrative approval, effectively creating a “free speech zone.” Demonstrations anywhere else on university grounds must be approved by the university.