American college and university campuses are at risk of becoming echo chambers.
Many students are afraid to express their opinions because it’s unclear how their professors and peers will receive them. As one student expressed, “It’s safer to stay silent” when students perceive ideological homogeneity among their professors. Data from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) show that students are more likely to self-censor the more they believe they are out of line with their professors’ views.
A 2022 report analyzing eight UNC System schools provides numerous insights into the state of free expression in North Carolina. It found that students “have significant concerns about expressing political views on campus.” Conservatives disproportionately express these concerns, but they are shared by students of other backgrounds, as well. The report also found that students “worry about the reactions of their peers more than those of faculty.”
Regardless of whether fear of expression is driven by peer or faculty influence—or a combination of both—colleges have a duty to cultivate a hospitable atmosphere for heterodox viewpoints. One of the most effective ways they can do so is by encouraging and modeling civil discourse.
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Author
Shannon Watkins
