Majority of Republicans say colleges have a negative impact on society

A Pew Research Center poll just released finds that 58% of Republicans agree that colleges and universities have a negative impact on the country. Two years ago, ‘only’ 36% agreed with this.

72% of Democrats say that colleges and universities have a positive impact.

52% of Republicans under 30 agree that higher education has a positive impact on the country, while 27% of those over 65 agree.

The survey results: Sharp Partisan Divisions in Views of National Institutions | Pew Research Center

John Bear, M.J. (Berkeley), Ph.D. (Michigan State)
Not one of the 58%

 

I'm not surprised, as it seems like more and more colleges/universities are becoming indoctrination centers for radical liberal politics. Any speech counter to that rigid belief system is not only discouraged, shouted down, and suppressed, but sometimes suppressed with violence.

 

This story has gotten quite a bit of attention

Majority of Republicans Say Colleges Are Bad for America (Yes, Really)

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/07/11/dramatic-shift-most-republicans-now-say-colleges-have-negative-impact

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/07/why-do-republicans-suddenly-hate-colleges-so-much/533130/

There doesn't seem to be any question that college campuses have become more liberal.

 

I don't mind liberal at all, it's radical that concerns me.

One of the first college courses I took was Intro to Philosophy, and the professor was very much a liberal. We agreed on almost nothing, debated (some would say argued) vigorously during class, but more than once we went out for a beer together after class. Mutual respect, and no hard feelings.

These days, if you're not in lockstep with the progressive idealogy, you're labeled a racist, sexist, homophobe, xenophobe, Islamophobe, or any other "ist" or "phobe" they can think of, in an attempt to silence opposing thought and speech. If you still don't shut up, there will be riots, property damage, injuries, and even deaths.

That's NOT the America I (and I suspect most) want.

 

I am thinking of that Ann Coulter stuff that happened recently. That's not even "liberal," it's just stupid. I'm not really surprised that a bunch of kids would act out in that way but I'd expect more from the administration. It's that new "liberal intolerance" that bothers me the most.

 

It's amazing how so many opponents love to talk about what Republicans supposedly think, usually promoting some kind of caricature. But if a real-life Republican dares to express an opinion, then that unfortunate individual will immediately be shouted down and told that they are full of shit. That happens every day in university classrooms and we even see it happening now and then here on Degreeinfo.

I'm technically a Republican, I guess. So here's my opinion:

As much as it will raise hackles around here (what's a 'hackle?) I certainly agree that colleges and universities do have negative effects both on society and on intellectual life in general. That doesn't mean a totally negative effect or even necessarily a net-negative effect.

I would say that some departments and fields of study are arguably net-negatives. I can't see much intellectual value in 'critical race theory', for instance. Actually a great deal of the contemporary humanities and social "sciences" seem increasingly questionable to me. Again, that doesn't mean totally worthless. There's still lots of good work being done, even if it's harder and harder to find among all the drivel being published by university presses these days.

Less-politicized fields like engineering, most of the natural sciences, and the medical areas are typically in better shape.

 

At a very high level, college degrees have become a necessity not because we got so smart, but because we dumbed-down much of our education from college all the way down to K.
I learned most of the material by my 6th grade what they teach as a sophomore in college today.

 

Why, that's not arrogant at all.

 

People had spoken. Any Republican, Trumpis, or a Conservative posting on this forum is a Dem-lite RINO.

 

It's true. In the late 19th century high-school diplomas were significant accomplishments, sometimes requiring an reading and writing knowledge of both Greek and Latin. They indicated an educated individual and opened the door to many white-collar occupations. People were very proud of them.

Today, in our enlightened age, it's the bachelors degree that performs that same function. And perhaps not as well either.

 

Here's one instance where a college went in another direction

Finally, a college cracks down on the left’s snowflake fascists | New York Post

 

Good, it's about time!

Tolerance of bad behavior only leads to more bad behavior.

 

Hard to say without more data. But yeah, bad behaviour needs to be addressed, and students need to learn to disagree in a constructive way. Actually institutional Left should do more to keep its so called "supporters" in check; it'll be more effective that way. Let the woman speak and hand out a leaflet explaining where she's wrong. Have your own event. Act like college students (ostensible "scholars"), will you? Better yet, go work in politics, government, law enforcement and "improve the system from within" (as young Hillary Rodham was calling for in 1968: The First Time Hillary Clinton Was President - POLITICO Magazine ).

 

Never mind...