The social culture at New College, which for decades attracted students who sought fearless intellectual exploration, is at risk of becoming a hollow caricature of this mission.
The community is ideologically homogeneous at best — and at its worst, it is unwelcoming and punishing of those who hold alternative political or cultural views.
While it's true that at many universities, students and faculty tend to lean "left," being liberal at New College is all but assumed, practically a prerequisite for wanting to attend or making it through all four years.
While a student at New College, I observed classmates ostracize, intimidate, and punish others for holding certain religious and political beliefs.
Many alumni have stories of their own, though I didn't find myself as a target until after graduation.
I had gone back to visit campus in 2006 while working for Charlie Crist's Republican gubernatorial campaign, as I'd been told there was one "College Republican" who may want to engage with our efforts. So, I set out to meet him.
But when I arrived, it was not a welcome return. One staff member told me, not jokingly, "Your diploma should be revoked."
Somewhat ironically, the names I was called by students on that visit 16 years ago are the same I'd likely be called by students today for opposing Crist's 2022 Democratic candidacy.
The part that stood out, however, was not directed toward me at all. The conservative student I had gone to meet canceled at the last minute, citing fear that he'd face serious social and academic repercussions for his views.
This does not mean that most New College community members then or now, would engage in punishing behavior toward others — I'm certain most wouldn't. But it doesn't take many to create a hostile culture when the loudest, angriest, or most extreme make others fear dissent, whichever direction the noise comes from.
Echo chambers are good for cults, not for colleges
Ideology is just one of the many types of diversity that matter, but I believe it especially matters on college campuses, where the exchange of ideas is central.
In the political science courses I teach at Florida State University, I make a point to invite guest lecturers and share content from experts who stand for various backgrounds, experiences and beliefs.
In fact, Florida law requires colleges to provide students with opportunities for synchronous debate, on the premise that thoughtful disagreement is central to a civil, democratic society and that exposure to people with divergent ideas can mitigate hatred or prejudice.
Author and economist Thomas Sowell thoughtfully laid out why the underrepresentation of conservative voices on college campuses matters, especially in the liberal arts. And the value of direct exposure to competing ideas was espoused by one of history's most renowned liberal thinkers, John Stuart Mill, who wrote in On Liberty that students must be able to hear opposing views "from persons who actually believe them … in their most plausible and persuasive form," not just from those who oppose them.
The solution for New College may be pretty simple and speaking with some alums who think very differently than I do, it shouldn't be controversial either: Hire additional, credible faculty with viewpoints or research that come from outside the college's norm — whether they teach courses on economics, history, literature or otherwise — and bolster the school's curriculum on civics, political theory, and other relevant topics.
The point isn't to forcibly shape a student's ideology, but to ensure that students have exposure to diverse inputs with permission and safety to explore them. Echo chambers may be great for cults or cable networks, but not so much for colleges.
While a shift toward true ideological diversity on campus feels justified and overdue, there are many things about New College's design that remain worth commending and preserving.
New College's unique academic structure is successful and worth preserving
At the core, state money is invested in state schools to teach, train, and prepare students for careers and fulfilling lives.
And when it comes to academic structure, there are many things about New College that contribute to its undeniable success story. If you've heard of New College at all, chances are it's been about the high ratio of its students who go on to earn graduate degrees, its exceptional track record for Fulbright Scholars and other fellowships, and various other undergraduate research accolades.
New College students get earnest and meaningful attention from faculty. For example, under the school's novel contract system, students and their advisers meet to set formal expectations for each semester. Generally, contracts require a student to take and pass certain classes. But they can go well beyond that.
One example of this deeply impacted my life.
In 1999, my third year at New College, my contract with anthropology professor Uzi Baram looked a little different.
"You're going to pass your classes," I recall him saying, "But you don't engage enough in them. You don't speak up. You don't ask questions or challenge other students."
He wasn't wrong. I was shy, and hesitant to speak without tons of preparation, which usually meant never speaking at all. It held me back and felt painful. "What would help you gain confidence?" Uzi challenged.
I don't remember if it was his idea or mine, but somehow, we agreed that I'd join the school's improv team as a condition for fulfilling my contract that semester.
So, I did.
It was hard — a true challenge for me to speak in front of people without time to think. If it hadn't been required of me, I would have quit. But somehow, improv helped. My confidence grew, my willingness to challenge — and be challenged — expanded. I was happier. I started to speak up in class.
In large measure, I credit my talk with Uzi that day (and the contract system itself) for my willingness to speak up now, even knowing that many from my alma mater disagree with where I stand.
Here are some of the elements I see great value in preserving, and urge the Board of Trustees to consider amplifying and building upon:
— Contract System: Students and their advisers discuss, negotiate and fulfill semester contracts. This process provides well-defined and personalized challenges to students, and even creates opportunities for them to try out courses they otherwise may not have the confidence for. The contract system also offers preparation for life after college, by having students design expectations and accountability for those decisions.
— Narrative Evaluations: Instead of grades, New College students receive a narrative evaluation at the end of each course, with a satisfactory/unsatisfactory designation. These evaluations are detailed, providing students with a comprehensive assessment of their performance throughout the course. It eliminates grade-related competition among students, and removes the opportunity for grade inflation, too.
— Independent Study Period: There are no classes in January. Instead, students engage in independent study on a topic or project preapproved and supervised by a faculty member. These projects have catalyzed extraordinary things — the formation of business models, unique inventions, research discoveries and breathtaking works of art.
— Thesis or Senior Capstone Project: Modeled after graduate research programs, all New College students complete — and defend — a final project. These build off coursework and independent study, and result in exceptional, original research. While there's faculty guidance throughout, self-motivation is both necessary and developed through the process.
New College can stay a bit different, a bit better
For a place that rightly prides itself on being a home for those who are a little bit different, there has been increasing pressure or self-selection toward a whole lot of the same. I think we can do better.
At a public meeting held at New College on Wednesday, new Board member Christopher Rufo told students and faculty that he doesn't want his personal views to become the doctrine of the college. Rather, he said, he wants to see "a Marxist professor debating a libertarian professor debating a Christian professor" — a place where students who hold these various ideologies are "able to participate on equal footing."
This is a vision worth embracing.
New College is a state-funded school where students of all backgrounds should be challenged to think critically, are comfortable learning together, and can make the world a better place for it.
___
Karen Cyphers, Ph.D., is a partner and director of research at Sachs Media, and a member of the teaching faculty at Florida State University. She can be reached at karen@sachsmedia.com.
