Higher Education Leaders Face a Critical Test
How higher education leaders respond to campus unrest this fall will shape public opinion, legislative oversight, and campus climate for millions of college students. The campus protests of spring 2024 intensified an already heated debate over free speech and safety. How can higher education leaders give voice to student concerns while maintaining a positive educational environment?
Strategies for Leaders
Through a review of prior literature, quantitative analyses of national data, and qualitative interviews with 26 campus stakeholders, the report identifies five critical elements for navigating unrest on campus:
Trust, both relational and institutional.
A culture that promotes critical thinking and compassion.
A set of policies that are clear, comprehensive, and consistently enforced.
An effective event response team, with diverse membership, a foundation of trust, and clear escalation procedures.
A compassionate approach to interfacing with student activists.
Accompanying each recommendation are step-by-step blueprints for implementation.
Campus Protests During the 2023- 2024 Academic Year
The report also includes a historical perspective on student activism. It then uses large-scale quantitative data to identify the type of school that is prone to protest activity, and the type of student that is likely to be a protestor. It delves deeply into the stories of pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian students, painting a psychological portrait that explains why the protests of the previous academic year got so heated. Key insights from these analyses include:
- At a national level, protests were more likely to occur at highly selective schools located in urban areas.
- In terms of campus climate, protests were less likely when students felt comfortable discussing controversial issues.
- Many student activists were personally impacted by the war in Israel and Gaza, and became isolated and polarized when their peers invalidated their grief and pain.
Check Out Other Resources
Find a free resource, register for professional development, or read original research to gain actionable insights for containing election-related campus conflict and transforming discourse.
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