Analysis: CSULB hosted zero conservative speakers last year

A Campus Reform survey of official events at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) revealed that the public institution did not host any publicly conservative speakers during the 2016-2017 academic year.

The survey examined the event lists and news calendars posted on each of CSULB’s departmental websites, and found 12 individuals who were well known in their field for academics, activism, or political commentary, and who were invited to speak on campus.

Of the 12, seven were identified as liberal, five as independent, and none as conservative.

The campus discussions and speaking events that were led by CSULB students or alumni and not specifically promoted by the university on its website were not included in the survey.

The university-sponsored events included a “teach-in” on the topic of collective action, as well as programs featuring artists and local social justice activists designed to raise awareness of societal inequalities at the local level.

Speakers who did not provide a public indication of their political ideology were primarily guest lecturers on Ethical Philosophy, as well as local Indigenous peoples advocating for land preservation and sustainability.

One event, titled “Reclaiming Democracy,” featured a discussion on “Overcoming Exclusion, Discrimination, and Oppression,” while analyzing “voting rights, religious discrimination, reproductive rights, gender/sexuality, art,” and other topics.

The remaining left-of-center speakers included representatives from Black Lives Matter, writers, poets, and other guest lecturers.

Campus Reform reached out to CSULB for comment on these findings, but has not received a response.

This is the second in a series of reports on this subject matter from Campus Reform. A complete breakdown of political speakers at CSULB can be found below:

Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @realJaelSierra