There's Liberalism In Them Hallowed Halls

College Faculties A Most Liberal Lot, Study Finds

By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 29, 2005; Page C01

College faculties, long assumed to be a liberal bastion, lean further to the left than even the most conspiratorial conservatives might have imagined, a new study says.

By their own description, 72 percent of those teaching at American universities and colleges are liberal and 15 percent are conservative, says the study being published this week. The imbalance is almost as striking in partisan terms, with 50 percent of the faculty members surveyed identifying themselves as Democrats and 11 percent as Republicans.

The disparity is even more pronounced at the most elite schools, where, according to the study, 87 percent of faculty are liberal and 13 percent are conservative.

Religious services take a back seat for many faculty members, with 51 percent saying they rarely or never attend church or synagogue and 31 percent calling themselves regular churchgoers. On the gender front, 72 percent of the full-time faculty are male and 28 percent female.

In contrast with the finding that nearly three-quarters of college faculty are liberal, a Harris Poll of the general public last year found that 33 percent describe themselves as conservative and 18 percent as liberal.

The liberal label that a majority of the faculty members attached to themselves is reflected on a variety of issues. The professors and instructors surveyed are, strongly or somewhat, in favor of abortion rights (84 percent); believe homosexuality is acceptable (67 percent); and want more environmental protection "even if it raises prices or costs jobs" (88 percent). What's more, the study found, 65 percent want the government to ensure full employment, a stance to the left of the Democratic Party.

The most left-leaning departments are English literature, philosophy, political science and religious studies, where at least 80 percent of the faculty say they are liberal and no more than 5 percent call themselves conservative, the study says.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...av=rss_politics

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And here I thought these higher schools of learning wrapped themselves in diversity.

B.S.

Liberal diversity only includes race, gender, and sexual orientation. It does not include ideas and perspective.

And you're surprised by this?

The other 39% are probably Socialists and/or Communists!!

I find these two sections interesting. They don't want to go to church themselves but want to teach OTHERS about religion. I can only imagine what they are teaching...

They teach useful and interesting things that have to do with their area of expertise, that's what. Religion doesn't equate having to go to church. It's more of an understanding of the history and teachings of various religions.

That's what.

They teach useful and interesting things that have to do with their area of expertise, that's what. Religion doesn't equate having to go to church. It's more of an understanding of the history and teachings of various religions.

That's what.

Thank the gods these "Liberals" are the ones teaching our youth otherwise we would still be in the dark ages!

If being open minded and teaching our youth to think for themselves and not be afraid to look at things in a different light is bad then I see no hope for the future.

Don't tell me these people are putting their own ideas in the heads of our college aged kids, as I parent of 6 I know that is impossible to do. If you have raised your offspring and taught them your values and how to learn they most likely will still keep the basis of that, but do not blame our institues of higher learning if your little mary or johnny rejects some of what you believe ( I am not talking religion here ) they are adults and will shape their own opinions and beliefs based on their life experiences and that is what college is all about.

Sorry for the double post. My laptop was acting up.

And I agree with Shadows. People act like it's some vast conspiracy. The liberals are going to take over our children! Eeeeeeee!

Not a conspiracy or a takeover, but rather an interesting situation, that's all.

In the general public more people consider themselves middle-of-the-road or conservative. More people respond that they attend church at least occassionally.

But in both secondary education, and in the mainstream media, more people consider themselves liberal. What our children hear, read, and study is spoken by those that consider themselves liberal. These institutions are not reflective of mainstream America.

Brother Shadows, you bring up a great point, one that I was trying to make: "If being open minded and teaching our youth to think for themselves and not be afraid to look at things in a different light is bad then I see no hope for the future." It is my contention that a great many liberals are just as close-minded and afraid to look at things in a different light as conservatives:
- abortion kills a living human
- the economy is better served with lower personal taxes
- more power should be vested in the states and not in the federal government
- redistribution of personal income is akin to armed robbery
- affirmative action is bigotry wrapped with a pretty bow
- people kill other people - guns don't kill other people

A bachelor?s degree (almost required in today's job market) generally takes a minimum of four years to earn. Even students who are well prepared for the absurdities of the academy can be worn down over a long period of time. This is not to say that students are weak-willed beings who can?t think for themselves. Rather, it?s just a fact of life that the information we consume affects us. Think of how the military can turn troubled young men into responsible, purpose-driven soldiers in just six weeks of basic training. Colleges and universities get students for at least four years.

As Winston Churchill said: "Any 20 year-old who isn't a liberal doesn't have a heart, and any 40 year-old who isn't a conservative doesn't have a brain." Becomming an adult and will shaping your own opinions and beliefs comes long after college.