Longhaul

I beleive we must clearly define LIBERAL college -- There are many schools with the large amount of professors & admin as being LIBERAL, but with the student body filled with kids of staunch Republicans who hold the same values & views of their families -- Are these schools LIBERAL?

debrockman

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The Course Catalog is always a good place to start.

Next place to look: The school newspaper. Is the conversation on the Opinion page civil? Is it diverse in the opinions represented? I also recommend you take a look at the level of writing ability. I just picked up a copy of the newspaper on our last college visit. I could not believe that what I was seeing. Unsubstantiated, rambling, cliche' and in dire need of a red pen.

LilyMoon

1) College Name
SUNY New Paltz

2) Your reason(s) for calling it "Liberal"
creative and unconventional student body, gay friendly, all types accepted and represented

3) Your source of information (first-hand experience as a student or parent? friend of current student or alum? etc.)
first hand experience as parent of student

jd1018

Anyone know about liberal colleges in Connecticut and Rhode Island? And what makes them liberal? Thanks!

debrockman

Actually, I did watch the video, and there was a piece of the video that I think has merit. I think that God created liberals and conservatives for different purposes. He wanted us to have both the pragmatic and an idealistic perspectives. We need the idealists to point out injustice. We need the pragmatists to develop the plans for tackling the injustice and to fund the solutions.

Yurtle

jd1018:

Yale has *a* liberal population, but I wouldn't call them strictly liberal. Wesleyan has a larger liberal population, Connecticut College has a liberal population, I believe Quinnipac is also supposed to be liberal.

Debrockman:

"Actually, I did watch the video, and there was a piece of the video that I think has merit. I think that God created liberals and conservatives for different purposes. He wanted us to have both the pragmatic and an idealistic perspectives. We need the idealists to point out injustice. We need the pragmatists to develop the plans for tackling the injustice and to fund the solutions. "

So then, if you seem to believe lack of acceptance of conservatives is unjust and unfair, does that not make you some sort of liberal in this case? You've put forth no solution to 'tackle the injustice' just point out that there is a general tilt towards the left in academia. [You are assuming, of course, that a bias/tilt is indeed unjust, so let's continue with that premise.] It's not as if students are required to mark their political outlook, or even have one on applications....so...

Then what?

debrockman

Interesting that you look at marketing brochures to determine your perspective about schools and I look at a campus visit walk around. Another testament to my theories about idealism and realism as they relate to liberals and conservatives.

Yurtle

Uh...that's a straw man if I ever saw one. I chose marketing brochures because 1.) I haven't visited all these schools, and 2.) the internet is much quicker than flying out to refresh my memory and 3.) The idea was to illustrate how a school's marketing and MISSION STATEMENTS or Philosophy might attract certain parties.

That has nothing to do with idealism OR realism. Nor is this entirely MY perspective about these schools.

I'll let *you* try again this time.

You didn't answer my question.

hopeful2b_yank3e

I have no idea if these are on here but

The University of Oregon

Very open minded people and town.

Source: I've lived next to the campus my whole life, and my cousin's girlfriend goes to Oregon after living in San Jose CA, and says it's really open minded.

LasMa

So.

School: Earlham College

Reason: Run on Quaker principles of social justice, service, tolerance. The Quakers were big players in the Underground Railroad, among other things. The school is very international, both in its student body/faculty and its curriculum, and intentionally diverse. There is a Democrats Club, but not a Republicans Club (this is not Earlham's decision; clubs are convened by students, so apparently there isn't much interest).

Me: Parent of current student.

elizabethh

School: Boston University
Reason: Well, its in Boston, first of all. School is very gay-friendly and there's an 18% Jewish population, many of whom tend to have a liberal bent.
Source: My daughter, who has told me time and again how liberal it is and loves it, coming from conservative Orange County, CA

swish14

All of the top schools are "liberal", its just a matter of degree. The southern state schools will be less than their New England/California counterparts. Truly conservative schools would be the Liberty's and Bob Jones's of the world.

debrockman

swish14 - intellectually not factual. All the top schools? BYU? Vanderbilt? Hillsdale? U of Va? William and Mary? You need to take a look at how "top schools" are defined. They are defined by professors, 85% of whom are liberal. Student statistics are only a small percentage of the ratings. Conservative schools are becoming more and more selective because smart conservative kids are working very hard to go to those schools. There are too few of them. The Ivy League schools are still full, but the LACs are struggling to fill their classes and their student statistics are in decline. If I get one more brochure from Carleton, Swarthmore or Williams for my National Merit son, I'm going to be ill. They are overpriced and overblown.

mom2sons

My son focused on schools that put the "liberal" into liberal arts. Based on our campus visits and information sessions, I would categorize these schools as liberal. Here are just a few indicators:
Pitzer - laid back vibe, student-run organic garden, Grove House, sustainability initiatives (dry landscaping), GLBT friendly
Lewis & Clark - sustainability, GLBT friendly, "gender-neutral" housing option, Portland, diverse, "crunchy" student body
Whitman - intellectual liberals (e.g. course in "Alternative Voices"), green, importance of diversity (essay topic), GLBT friendly.
Clark University - laid back (but engaged) students, innovative curriculum programs with social justice emphasis, GLBT friendly.

When we visited Claremont McKenna, the admissions officer showed a very interesting graph about the political characteristics of the student body. They are very balanced between self-identified liberals and conservatives (symmetric bell-shaped distribution.).

LasMa

I agree 100%, and I'm sorry if I accidentally implied otherwise. Respect is one of the 5 Quaker values that permeates everything that Earlham does.