Campus Expression
Survey
Our Campus Expression Survey collects data from thousands of university students annually to better understand the climate of open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement on campus.
Students are Reluctant to Discuss Controversial Topics on Campus
The 2023 Campus Expression Survey findings suggest that inquiry on campus isn’t always open. In fact, many students hesitate to discuss controversial issues in the classroom and on campus. Nearly half are reluctant to talk about politics, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or gender issues.
Data consistently show that students and professors censor their viewpoints in the classroom and across campus. This self-censorship deprives others and themselves of the opportunity to learn from counterarguments and constructive disagreement, and stifles learning.
HxA created the Campus Expression Survey (CES) in 2019 to measure the extent to which students feel reluctant to discuss various topics on their campuses, and what variables are associated with reluctance. The CES also examines year-to-year changes.
Since 2019, Heterodox Academy has administered the CES annually and released a report of our findings. The report provides insight on questions like:
Who is more reluctant to express their opinions?
Which topics are students reluctant to discuss?
What consequences do students fear if they speak their opinions and from whom do they fear these consequences (fellow students or professors)
Our survey is free to use, subject to the terms of a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 DEED license. Read all of our reports below, explore our data, and download the survey.
Administer the Campus Expression Survey on Your Campus
The Campus Expression Survey can be easily adapted and administered on your campus or in your research. Our 10-step guide provides an overview of how to get from your goals to a final report. Questions? Get in touch with HxA Research.
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