Hamilton Assistant Dean of Faculty for Institutional Research Gordon Hewitt and Xavier University Assistant Professor of Political Science Mack Mariani presented "Indoctrination U.? The Effect of Faculty Ideology on Changes in Student Political Orientation" at the North East Association for Institutional Research 34th annual conference in New Brunswick, N.J., in November. Their presentation was the result of a study they conducted using data collected by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA to research the effect of faculty ideology on the change in student political orientation.
Contrary to the beliefs expressed by some high-profile conservatives that liberal faculty are indoctrinating college students, they found that orientation does not change for a majority of students while in college. Fifty-seven percent reported no change from freshman to senior year. Of those students who do change, they tend to move to the left. The percentage of students who report being left-of-center as seniors, however, is very similar to the population at large and 18-24 year-olds at large.
Contrary to the beliefs expressed by some high-profile conservatives that liberal faculty are indoctrinating college students, they found that orientation does not change for a majority of students while in college. Fifty-seven percent reported no change from freshman to senior year. Of those students who do change, they tend to move to the left. The percentage of students who report being left-of-center as seniors, however, is very similar to the population at large and 18-24 year-olds at large.
