Poll finds majority of students support institutional neutrality
A recent poll says that a majority of college students surveyed back institutional neutrality.
Inside Higher Ed reports the findings after conducting a campus speech survey of over 1,000 college students from Dec. 3-9.
A recent poll says that a majority of surveyed college students back institutional neutrality.
Inside Higher Ed reports the findings after conducting a campus speech survey of over 1,000 college students from Dec. 3-9.
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In response to the question, “Do you think that colleges and universities should make statements about political events, e.g. the outcome of the 2024 presidential election?,” 54 percent of students answered “No,” with 22 percent saying “Yes,” and 24 percent saying “Not sure.”
56 percent of public university students answered that schools should not make political statements, compared to just 47 percent of those from private schools, according to Inside Higher Ed.
The poll comes as major universities have begun adopting institutional neutrality protocols, which typically restrain schools from issuing official statements concerning political and social issues.
Earlier this month, Dartmouth College formally adopted a policy of “Institutional Restraint.”
”To provide space for diverse viewpoints to be raised and fully considered, Dartmouth should exercise general restraint in issuing institutional statements,” the school writes. “This general policy of restraint applies to the leaders of all Dartmouth’s schools and academic subunits.”
In October, the University of Michigan Board of Regents unanimously voted in favor of institutional neutrality.
“Institutional neutrality is the position that is the most supportive of faculty,” Regent Sarah Hubbard said in a press release. “It says the experts and scholars should be the ones engaged in public debate and discourse. They should move knowledge and fields forward. It’s not up to chairs, deans or administrators to make those arguments on behalf of the university.”
In addition to support for institutional neutrality, the Inside Higher Ed survey found that 94 percent of those polled say that their school should implement at least one program designed to advance “civil dialogue.”
When asked about their concern on the “climate for civil dialogue and student free expression,” 63 percent of all respondents indicated some level of concern for higher education overall.