HxA Annual Report FY19 FINAL - Flipbook - Page 19
WE DEVELOP TOOLS & RESOURCES
HxA’S CAMPUS EXPRESSION SURVEY
HxA administered our Campus Expression Survey online to two national samples of undergraduate students
(one administration took place in October 2018 and the other in April 2019). The samples were comprised of
students, ages 18-24, who were enrolled full-time at 4-year colleges and universities. There were 1,347 people
in the Fall sample and 1,357 in the Spring sample. Across samples, we found that, although most students felt
comfortable expressing their views in a classroom discussion on a controversial topic, reluctance was evident
among a number of student groups.
Overall, students were more reluctant expressing views on a controversial issue about politics compared to
race, religion, sexuality, or gender in both samples. Among all the aggregate demographic groups studied,
the largest differences in overall reluctance were typically between ideological groups. Conservatives
reported more reluctance than liberals, although much of the difference between conservatives and liberals
was driven by reluctance among conservative females to express their views on controversial issues in the
classroom, and a notable portion of liberal students also reported reluctance expressing their views.
Students who felt reluctant expressing their views consistently reported that they were concerned that other
students would criticize their views as offensive regardless of the controversial topic. Students were also
concerned about the professor criticizing their views as offensive, that they would receive a lower grade, and
that the professor would tell them their views were wrong. Again, the largest and most consistent
differences were typically found between different ideological groups. Among students who reported
reluctance expressing their views, reluctant conservatives were concerned about criticism from their peers
and, to a slightly lesser extent, the professor’s reaction. Liberals, on the other hand, were primarily
concerned about reactions from other students.
The Campus Expression Survey sought to answer these key questions:
1
Do students believe viewpoint
diversity exists and is encouraged
on their campus?
2
How do students characterize the
expression climate on their
campus?
3
Who is reluctant to express their
views in the classroom, about
which topics, and why they are
reluctant to do so?
4
Do students believe they or others
experience poor treatment
because of their identity
characteristics and/or views?
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