New ACTA Survey of Furman Students Reveals Troubling Attitudes Toward Free Speech
New ACTA Survey of Furman Students Reveals Troubling Attitudes Toward Free Speech
The American Council of Trustees and Alumni, in partnership with the College Pulse, released a survey earlier this month examining Furman University students’ attitudes toward free expression and viewpoint diversity. The survey reveals “high levels of self-censorship, considerable intolerance for opposing viewpoints, and experiences of social exclusion and harassment due to expressing their views.” Below are some key findings. You can see the full results and methodology of the survey here.
Almost 50% reported experiencing or witnessing uncivil treatment for sharing political or social views at least occasionally. Respondents reported witnessing frequent or very frequent uncivil treatment of students with conservative views 4 times as often as those with liberal or progressive views.
48% of students said they self-censor at least occasionally, including 40% percent of Republicans.
39% of Republicans and 20% of Democrats reported being socially excluded for sharing their political or social views.
39% of respondents said shouting down a speaker is always or sometimes acceptable.
27% of Democratic students surveyed said using violence to prevent someone from speaking is always or sometimes acceptable. 6% percent of Republicans said the same.
22% of Republicans and 18% of Democrats reported experiencing threats of harassment for sharing their political or social views.
These data back up the stories we hear from Furman’s campus. Consider, for example, the steep price that Furman senior Peter Paluszak paid last year for taking a pro-life stance. Or remember the experience of Mary Eberstadt, who canceled a speaking engagement at Furman last spring because of concerns about the campus environment.
The Furman Free Speech Alliance (FFSA) was formed to alert the friends of Furman to a growing intolerance on campus to free speech and viewpoint diversity. This latest survey from the ACTA, along with the 2024 free speech rankings from the Foundation for Individuals Rights and Expression (FIRE) — which ranked Furman 163rd out of 248 colleges for tolerance of free speech — point to the need for a course correction in the campus culture at Furman.
While initiatives by the administration such as On Discourse and the recently released Statement of Inquiry and Expression are promising, there is clearly still more work to be done. As this ACTA survey shows, the hostility to free speech and differing points of view on campus runs deep.
This survey builds upon data collected by FIRE on Furman’s College Free Speech Rankings last year, which you can read about here.
FFSA is not officially affiliated with Furman University. It is a non-partisan organization founded by a group of Furman University alumni and parents dedicated to finding ways to address Furman’s culture of intolerance. With your help, we can bring much needed change to Furman.
Visit us at Furman Free Speech Alliance and see how you can help.