Is there such thing as "liberal" southern schools?

Parents Forum
#1

<p>Ok -- I already know I'm going to catch some CC flak for this question, but I'm going forward anyway -- Is there such thing as a liberal southern school? </p>

<p>It may be very unfair, but I feel that the majority of students at southern colleges are going to come from politically conservative backgrounds and will therefore create a student body that is heavily weighted to the conservative or ultra conservative mindset. If this is in fact the case I don't think such an environment will be a match for S. So as of right now we've ruled out pretty much all southern schools except for Tulane.</p>

<p>If my logic is off-base can you give me some examples of southern schools smaller than 10,000 that are more liberal?</p>

#2

<p>Rice </p>

<p>10 char</p>

<p>ETA: You deserve flak for such a blanket statement, but I'll leave it to others. :D</p>

#3

<p>Any school with a national student body will have a mix of perspectives. Certainly Emory, Duke, Rice, and Vanderbilt come to mind immediately.</p>

#4

<p>I would look at Rhodes College, Southwestern University,Trinity University, Loyola (NOLA)</p>

#5

<p>My s is very, very comfortable at College of Charleston and he certainly would not fit in a at a conservative college. About 10,000 students. Public liberal arts college. About 30% OOS.</p>

#6

<p>[url=<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/tulane-university/696862-tulane-more-liberal-conservative-university.html%5DTulane%5B/url"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/tulane-university/696862-tulane-more-liberal-conservative-university.html]Tulane[/url&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/p>

<p>10 char</p>

#7

<p>I know you might not agree with this, but how about sending him to a school where he might actually hear different opinions, instead of being spoon read the usual liberal dogma?</p>

<p>He is only 17/18 years old. When I was that age, I was a flaming liberal. Now I am a conservative. When George McGovern fought in WW II, he was a conservative.</p>

<p>People's views change.</p>

<p>There will be plenty of liberal profs at southern schools.</p>

#8

<p>Davidson?</p>

<p>floridadad, I don't know if you live in the Bible Belt (some parts of Florida definitely qualify, others not so much), but many places down here are so saturated with political and social conservatism--to say the least--that there really is no chance to be exposed to a mix of opinions. Looking for a southern school with more ideological diversity than you'd find at, say, Wofford, is not the same as wanting to be spoon-fed "the usual liberal dogma."</p>

#9

<p>Having a national student base doesn't mean a school is liberal- conservative students from all over may choose a school because it is known to be conservative. I thought Emory was conservative- or maybe it is liberal compared to other southern schools.</p>

<p>I think the "usual liberal dogma" exposure is great if the hometown environment is conservative. It is an education for many who come from small town Wisconsin to UW-Madison. btw, I suspect a lot of arguing goes on among liberals who disagree with each other. Conserving views is stagnant, challenging them is liberal and the only way to achieve change. Any "dogmas" are forever evolving. Things considered conservative today were once radical ideas.</p>

#10

<p>S2 is very conservative. He just got his roommate assignment and roomie proclaims himself as very liberal. All of us (including S2) are thrilled that he will be exposed to, and hopefully challenged by a different view. Balance is good. </p>

<p>All this us LEFT versus RIGHT behavior is destroying our beloved country. </p>

<p>S1 attends a Lutheran college where being a Lutheran is actually a minority. You never know!</p>

#11

<p>^ Thank you Daisie!</p>

<p>^^ floridadad55 -- I absolutely want him to be exposed to other ideas and I think even a school that's 50% conservative would be fine. But I don't want him somewhere where he feels like a pariah because his ideas are not accepted by the majority. I have friends who haved lived in the south that Daisie describes -- that just won't work for S.</p>

#12

<p>^^ Well said wis75. </p>

<p>^ Kajon - I know the schools you speak about pretty well (most likely Luther, St. Olaf or Gustavus?). Good schools that I believe have very open-minded student bodies. S may even apply to one.</p>

#13

<p>emory is more liberal because it has large diversity of students from diff regions especially north east. think new york</p>

#14

<p>Don't know about very recent years, but Chapel Hill certainly welcomed liberal students in the not-too-long-ago past.</p>

#15

<p>"Having a national student base doesn't mean a school is liberal- conservative students from all over may choose a school because it is known to be conservative."</p>

<p>In practice, I don't think that's true. I can't think of any secular school with a national student base that is overwhelmingly conservative. Washington & Lee is often mentioned as the most conservative CC school, and it's fairly mixed, with plenty of moderates. Religiously affiliated, but not church-mandating, schools with conservative reputations like Notre Dame, Holy Cross, and Wake Forest have a mix too. Maybe SMU fits your description, though its national reach is open to debate (majority come from Texas). I guess the service academies might be an exception -- the USAFA in particular has an ultraconservative reputation.</p>

#16

<p>My view may be skewed- comparing to more liberal schools...</p>

#17

<p>Guilford, in North Carolina, is quite liberal in many ways.</p>

#18

<p>Chapel Hill for sure is still liberal but diverse
Guilford as mentioned above but with conservative adult learners
UNC Ashville - an excellent public LAC but also diverse
Warren Wilson
New College in FL another excellent public LAC</p>

<p>Not so much Duke. Not Wake</p>

#19

<p>I suggest Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. Hendrix is considered quite liberal for the South, has a beautiful campus, is well-regarded academically, and offers excellent financial aid. Most Arkansans consider it the premier LAC in the state. I encourage you to look it up.</p>

#20

<p>The New School in Florida</p>

<p>
[quote]
with conservative reputations like Notre Dame, Holy Cross, and Wake Forest have a mix too

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Really? I always heard that Holy Cross (in MA, not IN) was EXTREMELY left-wing. A lot of very pious, Catholic students that I know there reported being very unhappy with the political atmosphere.</p>