Viewpoint Diversity. Blueprint for Reform

Viewpoint diversity is essential to the academic mission of colleges and universities. Academic freedom, open inquiry, honest debate, and the search for truth rely on diverse viewpoints being welcomed and protected on campus. In the past three decades, university faculty and administrators have become overwhelmingly liberal. This orthodoxy of opinion is bad for academic research, students learning, and for universities' respect and support in the eyes of the public. This document describes the negative impact the lack of viewpoint diversity on campus has, concluding that viewpoint diversity is necessary to create a climate of truth-seeking and civil discourse--on campus as well as off. Steps that policymakers, university boards, and faculty governing committees can take to promote and protect viewpoint diversity at colleges and universities are described. [For a related document, see "Free Speech on Campus. Blueprint for Reform" (ED608290).]