What do they mean exactly when they say a university is conservative/liberal?

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The man was heckled. O.K., not nice. But homophobia is among his milder offenses. It’s surprising nobody threw a shoe at him.</p>

<p>What was Columbia thinking when they invited this guy? As if he’s just another public intellectual with controversial ideas, like an Arthur Jensen or a Charles Murray. For crying out loud, he wants to murder everybody in Israel.</p>