Liberal or Conservative … How About Open and Inclusive

There is an ongoing discussion within higher education and beyond about the liberal bias of college campuses. Studies are conducted, books are written, arguments are made … all addressing both the pros and cons and the implications of the political leanings of faculty. It seems to be especially noteworthy during election seasons.

Two of the most recent contributions to this discussion are an article in last Sunday’s New York Times by Michael Bérubé entitled, “The Way We Live Now: The Academic Blues,” and an article by John F. Zipp and Rudy Fenwick in the journal Public Opinion Quarterly entitled, “ Is the Academy a Liberal Hegemony?: The Political Orientations and Educational Values of Professors.”

Bérubé is a professor of American literature at Penn State and a frequent writer and commentator about literary and cultural issues. Public Opinion Quarterly is a well respected journal which has been published since 1937. The first provides Bérubé’s observations. The second is a research study. Both are interesting reading.

This is a topic that has concerned me for years. In large measure, this is because of the fundamental flaws in the premise. First, “liberal” and “conservative” are labels that rarely describe a person’s views and often mean different things in different contexts. Does a “liberal” professor, for example, mean someone who teaches liberal political views or is it someone who has more non-traditional approaches to teaching, student accountability, the use of technology in the classroom, etc.

More important, whether or not a professor or a faculty member is more liberal or conservative in their views on issues is irrelevant to good teaching. Classrooms should be environments where all points of view are welcomed and respected; where all legitimate theories and research is presented and analyzed; where the beliefs and opinions of students and professors are shared but not forced upon anyone. Students should learn all sides to an issue. Professors should teach all perspectives. Classrooms should be open and inclusive.

I know that some professors use the classroom to advance their points of view. But I suspect that this happens regardless of the professor’s point of view. There may be more faculty who hold views that are traditionally described as “liberal.” There may be more “faculty – Democrats” than “faculty – Republicans.” But in the classroom, we are all teachers… first and foremost. And the ethics of our profession should rise well above anyone’s partisan views or attempts to influence. We are educators … not lobbyists.