<p>Among Ivy League school, which school offers an environment where teachers do not punish students who have conservative views? Our kid made the mistake in choosing a prep school based on financial aid and she is noticing that some (not all) teachers tend to put you down for having different views and raise the bar for grading much higher. In addition, she has found that many teachers tend to criticize her political views in order to submit her to their own view. However, many teachers have different political views but are very fair in dealing with students of different political views. They do not punish student that he does not agree with their views. How do you tell a non-rational person that it is okay to be different? The most frustrating aspect is when a teacher tells her that even she is on full financial aid why she supports the views, which are conservative.</p>
<p>In college, I learned to keep my mouth shut in class on political views. If the discussion forced an opinion on political issues, and the instructor cared so much what you thought to punish you for saying the wrong thing, then it was pretty easy to figure out what he wanted to hear and give it to him. Of course, I was a science major, so I did not have to take so many of these courses.</p>
<p>I don’t think any of the Ivy League schools are good places to go if you are seeking political diversity. I went to Dartmouth, which is usually mistakenly described as a conservative place, and the politics of the faculty is as far Left as any other Ivy League.
Has your daughter thought about one of the Service Academies?</p>
<p>Most faculty members at most schools – with the exception of the service academies and religious schools – are going to be liberal. It’s not that the institutions recruit them that way. The teaching profession just seems to attract people with more liberal views. (Just as most investment bankers and oil men are conservatives.) Your daughter should just get used to it and get over it. Politics are difficult, no matter what the environment. Learning how to express your political views, when asked and without offending people – is a life skill.</p>
<p>Why Ivy League schools? If you think they are all overwhelmingly liberal, and your d. might be uncomfortable there, why are they even on the radar screen? It’s not like there aren’t dozens, even scores of fine colleges out there where you can get a fine education, without professors preaching to the future power elite about the social responsibility that comes with class position.</p>
<p>I agree with the above poster - look beyond the gates of the Ivy League since it sounds like your daughter won’t like it there much. But, keep in mind there are liberals and conservatives at every school you just have to find them.</p>
<p>I think most colleges have a liberal political climate. But, my son just loves “mixing it up” and gladly defends his conservative position in classes full of liberals. Even in high school, I think he relished the role of devil’s advocate in class discussions. That’s just his personality. Of course, he hasn’t encountered any unfair grading as a result (yet).</p>
<p>My S graduated from Penn this year. One of his favorite things about the school was the freedom to discuss issues. Certainly many more folks were liberal, but what he appreciated was the meaningful, intelligent discussions. People (including himself) actually walked away from conversations saying things like, “You know, I never thought about it that way,” or “That’s a good point.” Or even, “I disagree, but I see where you are coming from.” He learned to discuss rationally and think deeply. His worthwhile convictions became strengthened, and his knee-jerk reactions got revealed for what they are.</p>
<p>He was an economics major, but took lots of poli-sci and policy courses, so he was exposed to plenty of bias; but he never felt unfairly treated, as far as I know. Part of it may be his personality: He is easy-going, doesn’t carry a chip on his shoulder or take things personally, and is incredibly logical and intelligent in his discussions.</p>
<p>I agree with binx- I’m decidedly more liberal than conservative, but I’m also a born mixer. I’ve been known to take positions that I completely disagree with, just to play devil’s advocate. I’d say there are more liberals on campus, but the conservatives make their voices heard too. At Penn, people try to talk about issues, rather than knee jerk Reps/Dems issues- though don’t get me wrong, we’re happy to kvetch about W til the cows come home.</p>
<p>And I’ve never had a professor at Penn tell me I’m wrong, or grade me down just because I disagreed with them. As long as people have clearly thought out their positions, and are willing to back up rhetoric with fact, and are open to letting the other side speak, I think people at Penn are willing to listen (however, we don’t appreciate random activist groups on campus- from people who show up with “Support Jesus or go to Hell” t-shirts waving placards of fetuses around to PETA’s “Chickens= the Holocaust” campaign… some people need to figure out their hurt the causes they support).</p>
<p><it’s not=“” like=“” there=“” aren’t=“” dozens,=“” even=“” scores=“” of=“” fine=“” colleges=“” out=“” where=“” you=“” can=“” get=“” a=“” education,=“” without=“” professors=“” preaching=“” to=“” the=“” future=“” power=“” elite=“” about=“” social=“” responsibility=“” that=“” comes=“” with=“” class=“” position.=“”></it’s></p>
<p>Good one, mini, but I doubt if it registered.</p>
<p>To stockmarket, why would acknowledging that you are benefitting from a liberal policy like financial aid be frustrating? Thought-provoking, perhaps?
The point of college is to emerge with crititcal thinking skills. If your daughter wants to attend a school that will never challenge her beliefs, then forget the Ivies, as well as top LACs, state universities, and most colleges with any diversity to be found on campus.
Christian schools are safe.</p>
<p>Stockmarket, don’t pay any attention to ASAP–that’s an old worn-out argument of the libs who don’t think they can cut it in an open exchange of ideas.</p>
<p>The truth is that most faculties at most campuses are overwhelmingly liberal politically. That’s a given. Remember that conservative faculty may have to hide their views to avoid being blackballed for tenure, or to avoid being “shunned.”</p>
<p>What you have to look for is whether or not the administration actually supports free speech and free exchange of ideas. Check out who has and is going to lecture on campus (visitors). Is there a mix of opinions, or are they all from one side? Are there campus organizations of all sorts? If so, you will find that the faculty are generally apolitical when grading. </p>
<p>If they routinely cancel, or tolerate pie-throwing at less-than-ultraliberal speakers, then forget it. If they have “speech codes” then cross it off your list post haste. If they have “free speech zones” (which means that everywhere else speech is regulated) then forget it. </p>
<p>A good indicator is the Economics Department. Look for schools which have an economics department who are characterized as “capitalist,” “free trade,” “laissez faire,” and so forth. Other adjectives to look for are “objectivist” or “libertarian.” If an econ dept is socialist, like the one at MIT, you won’t find any tolerance for alternative views anywhere on campus.</p>
<p>You can always find the tired, worn-out “progressive” view on ANY campus, so don’t concern yourself with that.</p>
<p><remember that=“” conservative=“” faculty=“” may=“” have=“” to=“” hide=“” their=“” views=“” avoid=“” being=“” blackballed=“” for=“” tenure,=“” or=“” “shunned.”=“”></remember></p>
<p>I wouldn’t complain about “tired, worn-out” views after trotting that one out.</p>
<p>Well, it may be tired and worn out, but true nonetheless. This is true not only in higher education, but throughout the education establishment. Just look at Mr. B and Bullwinkle. Really wouldn’t like to be a conservative student in their classes. </p>
<p>Also, while intellectual discourse is stimulating and thought-provoking, being in an environment where your views are constantly challenged adds to the stress of college. While some are up for this and thrive on the stimulation, others would find it distracting. It is important to know your student and to help in finding a setting where they can shine. </p>
<p>I echo the service academies suggestion, since someone has to be willing to defend the freedom of everyone to voice their views.</p>
<p>
Yes, it is true at the college level and below. Just try to be a K-12 teacher who doesn’t want to join the union…a dangerous proposition.</p>
<p>It’s a little presumptuous though to suggest grading might be affected by the political views of faculty. Even if you take, for instance, a history course, the assignment will probablybe to discuss differen’t historians’ interpretation of an issue, not to provide your opinion on a current political problem.</p>
<p>My daughter also was dependent on financial aid to attend her prep school, but that wasn’t our criteria for choosing schools.
However her school valued debate and discussion and often had students pick a contrasting view of a topic to research and debate to more fully understand it.
a school that employs teachers who routinely skews the class to discuss their own views and reflects that in the grading is not very professional in my book.
While there naturally are going to be profs on the selfabsorbtion wavelength, much can be discerned by chatting with them, finding what student groups are available ( Is there a mix of political/social/economic activities?) and checking out what texts and other books are used in classes. Asking about guest lecturers can give some insight as well- do they flaunt the dominant paradigm?</p>
<p>True, PHampson, that grading should not be impacted by having a differing view from your professor. The grade should be derived from the performance on the criteria set forth in the syllabus. Sometimes it can, though, feel like an uphill battle for a student with a view differing from that of the professor. Usually this happens not in the discussion of current political issues, but when the material is infused with the professor’s beliefs. In extreme cases the overarching climate and attitudes of the class become largely a product of this political thought.</p>
<p>Truthfully, unless you are in the classroom everyday, there is no way to know the political tone of the class. I do agree that it is important to learn to defend your position and to appreciate that of others, however, not to the degree that it becomes a distraction from the objective of mastering the material in a class.</p>
<p>I just think it’s a bit condescending to suggest a professor would impact a grade because of an undergraduate’s political position. This person is a professional and I would think would have better things than to arbitrarily mark down grades.</p>
<p>I’ve said before that the more important concern is not the prof but fellow students. There will be individuals anywhere who try to impose their views and will penalize students who do not agree. But I believe they are a rarity (and that goes for liberal as well as conservative profs). The greater pressure comes from other students. </p>
<p>Some students believe that if something is on the reading list, it must be a reflection of the prof’s own beliefs. They do not realize that profs sometimes want to use these materials a starting points for discussion on such topics as the biases of the author, the methodological issues involved in such works, etc… To give an example, the conservative writer Stanley Kurtz has been amassing information about the number of classes that assign Edward Said’s Orientalism-he seems to suggest that it evinces a bias on the part of the profs. But I have evidence that many students who read the book tore it to pieces, whether for its political biases or its methodology. In other words, they were not converted to Said’s way of thinking. As for the profs’ reasons for assigning the text? Maybe nothing more nefarious than getting their students to read a text very critically instead of nodding yes, yes and falling asleep over it.
An interesting sideline: Harvard’s professor Samuel Huntington got booed at Texas A&M for his views on immigration. Who would have thunk that a prof from “liberal” Harvard" would be greeted by protest at a “conservative” school such as Texas A&M for not being…liberal enough?</p>
<p>The Air Force Academy is known for its commitment to tolerance and religious and political diversity.</p>