College Campuses Become Culture War Battlegrounds: Impact on Enrollment

College has become a battleground in the culture wars, affecting where students enroll and what they’re learning.

September 12, 2024

College campuses have become battlegrounds in the culture wars, influencing student enrollment and learning experiences.

Protests, police interventions, and backlash against free speech are making many students feel unwelcome. A Gallup survey shows that political issues like abortion laws and race discussions impact college choices.

This election year, higher education politics play a crucial role in student decisions, especially with conflicts over LGBTQ+ rights, DEI, and classroom content.

Both liberal and conservative students report reluctance to express controversial opinions, leading to a polarized campus environment.

Listen to more about this issue in the backdrop of a contentious presidential election:

Listen to the whole series

TRANSCRIPT

Scroll to the end of this transcript to find out more about these topics.

Sound of promotional video: Congrats. Congrats. Congrats on getting into UC Davis! … Welcome to the friendliest. college campus!

Jon: This is a promotional video welcoming students to the University of California, Davis.

Sound of violent protest

Kirk: And this is how welcoming the campus actually sounded when a conservative student group hosted a speaker who opposed abortion and disputed systemic racism in America.

Jon: Protesters on one side said the speaker shouldn’t have been allowed to share his views at all. People on the other side wanted to hear him out. The event was canceled.

Kirk: Welcome to college in America right now.

Jon: More precisely, this is how unwelcoming college has become. Students and their parents say the breakdown of civility affects school choice, worsened by LGBTQ and reproductive rights crackdowns, and the conflict in Gaza.

David Strauss, a partner in a consulting firm, conducted a survey on this.

David Strauss: One out of four students told us they ruled out specific schools exclusively due to political considerations, regardless of their political views.

Kirk: How do students and families choose a college where they’ll feel they belong and have respectful debates?

This is College Uncovered from GBH News and The Hechinger Report, a podcast revealing how colleges really work.

Jon: And I’m Jon Marcus at The Hechinger Report. Colleges don’t want you to know how they operate. So GBH, in collaboration with The Hechinger Report, is here to show you. In this election season, we’ll explore how politicized higher education has become and what students and their parents can do to navigate these waters.

Today on the show: “Unwelcome to College.”

Jon: Students used to pick a college based on academic reputation and social life.

Kirk: Yeah, but the campus quad has become a battlefield in the culture war.

Jon: There are assaults on speech and speakers from the left and right, messy protests, new restrictions on abortion and LGBTQ rights, attacks on diversity, and complaints about excessive wokeness.

Kirk: Yeah. And for us as journalists, these conflicts have been hard to watch. But on a human level, they’re affecting how welcome students from all backgrounds and points of view feel at many colleges.

Jon: And how they pick a school.

Lee Dunn: I want my child to be in a place that’s safe, with diverse viewpoints, but without situations that feel unsafe or stifling to open debate.

Kirk: That’s Lee Dunn, expressing a concern that spans the political spectrum.

Jon: Several national surveys show that a growing number of students and families are choosing colleges based on where they feel they belong.

David Strauss: Liberal students cited issues like reproductive rights and racial equality, while conservatives mentioned liberal dominance and restrictions on conservative voices.

Jon: That’s David Strauss again. His firm found that a quarter of prospective students ruled out colleges due to the political environment in the state.

Strauss says abortion has become a polarizing issue since the Supreme Court allowed new state restrictions.

David Strauss: A college president told me her state’s quick restriction on reproductive rights led to concerns from students and parents, affecting enrollment.

Kirk: And that’s just one issue. Policies on diversity and equity have driven Black students to historically Black colleges, and LGBTQ students are reconsidering college plans due to harassment and anti-LGBTQ laws.

Jon: Alyse Levine, a private college counselor, says policy changes and campus vibes influence student choices.

Alyse Levine: Students consider policy changes and campus atmosphere, especially LGBTQ students who feel uneasy due to DEI policy eliminations.

Jon: Gallup finds over one in 10 students feel they don’t belong on campus, with many feeling disrespected or unsafe.

Angela Amankwaah, a sophomore at North Carolina Central University, chose an HBCU for a safe and welcoming environment.

Angela Amankwaah: The political landscape emphasized the importance of attending an HBCU for a supportive community.

Jon: She feels welcome at her school, compared to predominantly white institutions.

Angela Amankwaah: There’s not a single class where I’m the only Black student. The community is very supportive.

Jon: Javier Gomez left Florida for New York after Florida restricted discussions about sexual orientation.

Javier Gomez: The Don’t-Say-Gay bill made me feel unsafe in the South, especially as a queer, Latino, first-generation student.

Kirk: Since the Gaza conflict, Jewish and Muslim students report feeling more uncomfortable on campus. College counselor Alyse Levine highlights the rise in anti-Semitism.

Alyse Levine: Anti-Semitism is a major concern among our students, affecting their college choices.

Kirk: Maya Makarovski says anti-Semitic chants at MIT led to Jewish students dropping out.

Maya Makarovski: Many Jewish students are leaving MIT due to anti-Semitism. It’s heartbreaking and affects academic performance.

Kirk: Surveys show conservative students feel especially unwelcome, with liberal students more likely to shut down opposing views.

At a Republican rally, student Hayley Ebert and parents John DeMeritt and Jennifer Piacentini shared their concerns.

Hayley Ebert: I didn’t want to take classes that I disagreed with politically.

John DeMeritt: Parents must be mindful of intolerance towards differing political views. Admissions often factor in race and gender.

Jennifer Piacentini: I don’t want my children in a liberal school with constant protests and riots.

Jon: Now, let’s put this into context. Like many political discussions, there’s a lot of heat. But colleges are easy targets, often accused of indoctrinating students into being woke leftists. 18-year-olds already hold liberal views before stepping into a classroom.

Kirk: It’s like it was yesterday.

Jon: A UCLA survey shows twice as many incoming freshmen identify with the left compared to the right. Despite political influences, most students still plan to attend college.

David Strauss: Only 2% of students decided against college due to political considerations, despite the concerns from the right about indoctrination.

Jon: The proportion of conservative high school seniors who chose not to attend college for political reasons is slightly higher, around 5%, but still lower than expected.

Kirk: So, how do you pick a college where you’ll feel like you belong?

Jon: Colleges vary greatly, says Stephanie Marken, a senior partner at Gallup studying higher education.

Stephanie Marken: Some schools do better at embracing diversity, fostering productive dialogue, and supporting students, which makes degrees feel worth the cost.

Kirk: Every college claims to encourage intellectual diversity, but students shouldn’t rely solely on campus tours or websites.

Carolyn Pippen: Campus visits provide limited perspectives. Research multicultural and LGBTQ resource centers, and connect with students who use these resources.

Jon: You can find resources in The Hechinger Report’s “College Welcome Guide,” which provides information on laws and policies at universities and colleges in every state. Check the episode’s landing page for links.

Carolyn Pippen: Attend classes, stay in dorms, and interact with students to get a real sense of campus life. This is more feasible later in the process when considering fewer colleges.

Jon: North Carolina counselor Alyse Levine advises not to believe everything on TikTok.

Alyse Levine: Don’t make sweeping generalizations based on mishandled issues. Reach out to departments, attend classes, and assess the dialog and openness on campus.

Kirk: Students can usually find their niche on any campus, says Carolyn Pippen.

Carolyn Pippen: Every college has diverse groups. It’s about finding your community.

Jon: The alternative is more polarization if students only interact with like-minded peers, a concern shared by many, including John Bitzan from North Dakota State University.

John Bitzan: It’s crucial for students to be exposed to different viewpoints to learn how to deal with diverse perspectives in the real world.

Jon: Alyse Levine also worries about increasing polarization on campuses.

Alyse Levine: College campuses should be places for discussion and learning. Polarization like our society’s is concerning.

Jon: Javier Gomez, who left Florida, returned to finish his degree, emphasizing the importance of diverse voices.

Javier Gomez: Your voice is crucial in spaces where you feel unwelcome. It’s important to be present and fight discriminatory policies.

Kirk: This is College Uncovered, from GBH News and The Hechinger Report. I’m Kirk Carapezza …

Jon: … and I’m Jon Marcus.

We’d love to hear from you. Send us an email to GBHNewsconnect@wgbh.org, or leave us a voicemail at (617) 300-2486. And tell us what you want to know about how colleges really operate.

This episode was produced and written by Kirk Carapazza and Jon Marcus, and it was edited by Jeff Keating.

Meg Woolhouse is supervising editor.

Ellen London is executive producer.

Production assistance from Diane Adame.

Mixing and sound design by David Goodman and Gary Mott.

Theme song and original music by Left Roman out of MIT.

Mei He is our project manager, and head of GBH podcasts is Devin Maverick Robins.

College Uncovered is a production of GBH News and The Hechinger Report and distributed by PRX. It’s made possible by Lumina Foundation.

Thanks so much for listening.