Politics on Campus -- Please Help!!!

Hi everyone,

So I’m a fairly conservative student planning to major in politics and journalism, and thus be open and active about my political beliefs. I have nothing against attending school with many liberals. In fact, I want to attend school with a lot of political diversity – It’s way more fun to have people to debate with/share ideas! But I do fear the increasingly liberal college campuses that seem to encourage students to target conservatives in ways that, if conservative students did to liberals, they would likely be expelled. I am mostly looking at schools in the South, but only private/liberal arts colleges. So the administration is fairly liberal, or at least that’s what I’ve heard. Some schools I’m considering are:

Vanderbilt University
Wake Forest University
Davidson College
Washington and Lee University
etc…

Would I be happy at these types of schools as a conservative?? Please answer honestly, especially if you are a student there yourself! I would also love to hear the perspective of liberal students, too!

Thanks!!!

My son is probably on the liberal side of the fence, but, like you, was interested in political diversity rather than a one-sided perspective in his field. He is happy at Carnegie Mellon in this respect. The head of the International Relations and Politics center and major is a Reagan Conservative – Kiron Skinner.

Look into Colgate, Bucknell, SMU, Lehigh, U of Richmond.

It sounds to me like you wouldn’t mind a liberal-leaning campus at all, as long as it lacks a quasimilitant culture of silencing conservative voices. That’s most schools – a very long list.

You would want to ask about schools that are known for silencing dissenting voices – a shorter list – and exclude those.

i don’t know about this…

anyway, yes, you’ll be very happy at the schools you listed. i know you said the south, but unless your parents are forbidding you to look beyond that certain geographic area, you should look at claremont mckenna college in california. it’s a very middle of the road type of school. also, you need to look into the jesuit schools (namely notre dame and georgetown) because the student body of each will more than likely lean towards the center. campuses that tend to be more on the preppy side also garner “conservative” reputations, but i’m not sure how true that is these days.

other schools you should look into are bucknell university, trinity college in connecticut (i think you’ll like this one), the university of virginia, boston college, villanova university, and (maybe?) lehigh university

Depends on what “conservative” means.

David Frum and Richard Spencer may both sometimes be described as “conservative”, but reactions to each may be very different.

@ucbalumnus No, I am certainly not a white supremacist… hahahahaha. But I get what you’re saying – “conservative” can have many meanings. I’m just worried about a campus that is overly hostile towards right-leaning students. Somewhere like UC Berkeley, for instance.

Just like students everywhere else, students are Berkeley are more concerned with the next exam and getting a job than getting into fistfights with political opponents.

The problem at Berkeley is that provocative, alt-right speakers are invited onto campus specifically with the intention of baiting lefties and causing a media firestorm, and the lefties often take the bait. Berkeley gets targeted with these types of events because it’s such a political symbol.

The people getting arrested for fighting at Berkeley are non-students from the surrounding area, rather than UC Berkeley students. UC Berkeley may be one of the few schools where the surrounding community is more radical than the school itself.

@mmb333 I think your list is a good one. If you want any more safety schools think about large public unis. Bigger provides more cover and prevents small radical groups from dominating the school culture. Ohio State , UNC…Univ of Maryland

The other problem that a conservative who is not alt-right or white supremacist or some such may face is that those particular types have been trying to move their viewpoint into the mainstream of conservative politics. To the extent that the media (both right and left leaning, including bloggers, social media shares, and such) tend to give them the most attention (especially when a fight between the racist right and the black mask left breaks out), that only helps them succeed in this goal, which tends to shape attitudes on both the right and the left, both in the direction of being more uncompromising.

My son is having the same thoughts as you. I suspect however, and the above replies confirm, that it’s more about who you surround yourself with, and that’s up to you. He’s even finding this now in high school as his political views develop. Kind of like partying…if you’re not a partier, you’re going to want to find friends that aren’t always partying or pressuring you in that way. There are plenty of all kinds in college.

I would worry less about the liberal/conservative makeup of the faculty and student body and more about any restrictions the school may have on speech and free thought. Debating a liberal friend is one thing. Ending up in trouble for something you said is another. Good luck.

Don’t worry about it. Also, had to chuckle at thinking W&L (very expensive, private, preppy sort of college) would be swamped with uber liberals.