Furman Free Speech Round-Up (December)
For Paladins and Friends
Welcome to our December newsletter.
The Furman Free Speech Alliance is a group of alumni, parents, and friends concerned about Furman University’s deteriorating campus climate for free speech, academic freedom, and viewpoint diversity.
Each month, we update you on what’s happening at Furman and what actions we’re taking to defend free speech on campus.
Looking Back:
Millions of Americans went to the polls last month and elected Donald Trump as their next president. President Trump made gains in counties nationwide, including the Upstate. In Greenville County, for example, Trump improved his standing by 4 points from 2020, increasing his margin of victory to a whopping 22 points.
But what about on Furman’s campus? How did students vote, and how do they feel about our political environment today? Thanks to an excellent survey conducted by Furman’s student newspaper, The Paladin, we can answer those questions.
Published on November 10, The Paladin’s survey included 638 students. Among them, 47% identified as Democrats, 26% as Republicans, and 25% as independents. However, it seems that the overwhelming majority of those independents intended to vote Democrat in this election, as 68% of Furman students surveyed planned to vote for Harris, and only 28% intended to vote for Trump.
These results are similar to The Paladin’s 2020 election survey, which showed 27% of students supporting Donald Trump and 63% supporting Joe Biden. Reflecting national trends, the 2024 and 2020 surveys also indicated a significant gender gap on Furman’s campus, with females leaning more to the Left than their male counterparts. In 2024 specifically, 80% of female respondents planned on voting for Harris, while their male counterparts were split 50-50 between the two candidates.
The most significant difference between the two surveys was the increase in the importance of abortion. In 2020, the economy was the number one issue for Furman students, followed by other issues such as racial equity and gender equality. In 2024, the economy remained the most important issue for Republicans, but Democrats overwhelmingly cited abortion as the most important issue, putting it on top.
While the results above show that Furman isn’t as “diverse” as it claims to be — and, in fact, leans to the Left — none of them are particularly worrisome in and of themselves. Young college students tend to be very progressive.
What should worry the Furman community, however, are the results The Paladin found when it asked students how the 2024 election affected Furman’s social climate. Around 55% of students reported that this election hurt Furman's social climate, with Republicans and Independents reporting a more substantial negative effect than their Democrat counterparts.
When prompted to explain his answer, one independent student said:
There is no tolerance for conservatives at this school, among students or faculty. To succeed here and prevent ostracism, you have to be, or pretend to be, liberal. It’s very distressing, and I don’t feel like I can be myself here.
Furman must not ignore these results or write off this student’s perspective. Why? Because this perspective is supported by data and anecdotal experience.
Consider, for example, that The Paladin’s most recent survey showed that almost half of Furman’s Democratic students report being unwilling to be friends with people who voted differently than they did. Only about 10% of Republicans said the same thing.
Many Democrats at Furman are not only unwilling to be friends with people who disagree with them, but they humiliate and harass their political opponents. Consider abortion, for example, the issue Furman Democrats reported caring about most. In January 2023, when Furman senior Peter Paluszak stood silently with pro-life signs in front of Furman’s library, hundreds of his fellow students mobbed him, shouting profanity and attempting to be physically intimidating.
This is just one example of the anti-free-speech behavior regularly occurring at Furman! Although the administration has taken action to support free speech in the past year—such as introducing the “On Discourse” program and adopting a new statement on “Freedom of Inquiry and Expression”— The Paladin’s latest survey shows that there is so much more work to do to improve the campus climate at our alma mater.
One Stat You Should Know:
Nearly 50% of Democratic students at Furman report that they are unwilling to be friends with people who vote differently from them.
Looking Ahead:
We want to do our part to help improve Furman’s campus climate. That’s why this month, we are rolling out a brand new confidential portal that will enable our community to report instances of free speech coming under fire at Furman.
Who can use this portal? Good question.
Are you a parent whose child is being bullied for their religious beliefs or indoctrinated by Furman’s DEI bureaucracy? This portal is for you!
Or are you a faculty member who has repeatedly been passed over for promotions because of your conservative beliefs? This portal is for you!
Or are you perhaps a current or former student who was discriminated against and marked down by your professors because you refused to submit to their political indoctrination? This portal is for you!
Or are you the leader of a student organization whose posters were torn down? This portal is definitely for you!
These aren’t hypothetical scenarios that we are making up. They are real examples that we know have happened on Furman’s campus in just the past few years. Now, we want to hear from you!
If you fill out our portal, we will keep your information confidential and work with you to do everything we can to support you. In some cases, this might look like publicizing the situation. In others, it might involve legal support. No matter what, we will do everything we can to support you!
It is long past time that members of the Furman community had an outlet to voice their concerns about free speech. This portal is that outlet! This is a vital tool as we continue to fight to improve free speech at Furman. Please use it and share it with your friends!
In the Network:
Earlier this month, National Review exposed how the University of Virginia’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights (OECR) reprimanded a student, Simon Goldstein, for wearing a “Make America Christian Again” hat to class.
When similar events occur on Furman’s campus, we hope our new portal will help bring them to light.