As college students, it is unimaginable to be seated in a classroom and be constantly berated by your peers and, regrettably, the professor. This is not a dig at Loyola, or even my peers, but this is the sharp realization that in the classroom a strong anti-conservative bias has taken root or, at the very least, a strong liberal bias exists. Liberal students often feel comfortable enough to label Republicans and Conservatives racists and xenophobes by extrapolating anecdotal evidence. Unfortunately, much of the blame lies on administrators and professors who actually feed into this behavior if they are not already facilitating it. The fact of the matter is that a study was conducted by the National Communications Association, a non-profit founded in 1914, that found that 60% of all History, Journalism, and Communications departments across 40 universities in America employ zero registered Republicans. Furthermore, the report found that out of 7,243 professors, only 314 were registered republicans. Which is not inherently a problem, but it does become problematic when professors decide to let their own personal biases invade the classroom.
With that said, the main issue is that what is acceptable in classrooms gets dictated to the professor by students, and it is allowed because of their own personal bias. Universities strive for diversity but have not placed enough emphasis on ideological diversity. In classes the question is asked, “What should the government’s role in universal healthcare be?”. The problem with this question is that in order to answer it one must already subscribe to the idea that the government should have a role in universal health or have universal health care at all. The free exchange of ideas is something that should be at the heart of Jesuit Institution, but some ideas are rejected before they have the chance to be exchanged. Regardless of an idea’s popularity, in order for society to progress, all ideas, within the Overton window, should be freely exchanged without ridicule.
Unfortunately, that has not become the case at Loyola. Students regularly mock and demonize Republicans for their “antiquated” views. This, in turn, creates a situation in which conservative students on campus feel afraid to share their experiences and points of view during class discussions. Ultimately, students are the ones harmed because they are not exposed to views half the country believes in. At the risk of sounding contradictory, personal views and biases should have their place in the classroom. Intellectual debates and pursuits of knowledge are what college should be about. These debates are the main facilitator of growth. However, it has turned into an echo chamber that regularly denigrates views that are in the minority. The issue of expanding the ideological diversity of university staff is one that will take a while to solve. For now, the main concern of administrators should be how to make Loyola a more welcoming place for those who are at ideological odds with staff and students.
I was once sitting in a psychology class (Counseling specifically), and my teacher had lost a crown on his tooth earlier that day. As he told the class what had happened, he claimed, with no basis in fact whatsoever, “I look like a Trump supporter now.”
I do agree that there is a relatively strong leftist bias in some classes at Loyola. But the opposite situation is also one that occurs sometimes (I don’t have any examples of my own because I’m not in any business classes or theology classes, but mostly social science ones). I also do not think that the example you used of “What should the government’s role in universal healthcare be?” makes sense, because you can just as easily probably justify the government not having to have a role in universal healthcare during such a debate in class.
So true! There is massive social and even economic risk to voicing an alternative opinion or explanation, and little assurance that you will be treated fairly for your inquiry or idea. But in general: don’t be so skittish. Some professors are genuine intellectuals and enjoy a good debate, or won’t care too much. Try for tenured or retiring profs if you can’t help but say something. And remember, it’s a vocal minority that really care. Many times you may find that peers approach you privately and express thanks or encouragement… don’t forget to network. Cheers!