Jeff Shafer of the Alliance Defense Fund has an excellent article out today.  He posits that on today's college campus, the status quo is enforced through stigma -- not real debate. 

I found one quote to be particularly relevant, (emphasis added is mine):

At the college campus, in addition to the social atmosphere which serves the stigma-method of buttressing uniformity are the omnipresent institutional forms, including: mandatory thought-reform programs, speech codes, nondiscrimination policies applied against student associations, and the unstated faculty career advancement requirements.  These reinforce the prevailing dogma by removing from subversives their avenues of expression, access to resources and position, and other benefits that allow distribution of an alternative voice.

This post is part of CampusReform.org's guide to the nation's top 100 colleges. Each day, CampusReform.org profiles a different college, examines its political climate, and offers items of interest to conservative students, parents, and alumni. Click here to see the full list of college profiles.

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is the state's university. Its main campus is located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. More than 52,000 students -- of which 39,000 are undergraduates -- from all 50 states and 100 countries choose Rutgers for their education.

Campus Life

Out of the 18 political student organizations, 12 of these groups are liberal-leaning and only six are conservative- or libertarian-leaning.

The twelve liberal organizations are Beyond Polarities (LGBT Publication); Amnesty International; BiGLARU (Bi, Gay and Lesbian Alliance); RU Democrats; Labor Association; NAACP; Progressive Student Alliance; Roosevelt Institution; RU Choice (a pro-abortion group); Students for Environmental Awareness; Undergraduate Women's Students Association; and the Women's Center Coalition.

The six conservative/libertarian organizations are The Centurion; Young Americans for Liberty; Students for Concealed Carry on Campus; College Republicans; College Libertarians; and Rutgers for Life. The three italicized groups are affiliated with CampusReform.org's Campus Leadership Program, which provides students with advice, assistance, and support.

The Young Americans for Liberty chapter at Rutgers is especially active. In the 2009-2010 school year, the group held multiple events, including a Constitution Day display and bringing Jordan Page, a "pro-freedom musician," to campus.

Johnathan Zasloff is an accomplished professor of law at the University of California, Los Angeles.

But he is also a very loyal Democrat, once serving as an advisor to the Democratic California Speaker of the House. His participation in Journolist, an online discussion list for left-wing journalists, in which he questions whether the Federal Communications Commission could stick it to Fox News by prohibiting that media outlet to broadcast, has raised criticism.

On March 12, 2010, Zasloff posted to Journolist that President Obama should revisit his adversarial tone toward Fox News, which began during his presidential campaign and continued into the early months of the administration, ending his post: "Is there any reason why the FCC couldn't simply pull their broadcasting permit once it expires?" This question is easily answered -- and dismissed.

Let me firstly say that the comment itself, while silly, is not the cause for concern to campus reformers. I'm not about to go ballistic over a web post he probably gave less than a second's thought in writing. It's worth remembering, though, that this kind of perspective exists in a university system where arbitrary media censorship has already occured.

While Zasloff claims that he is not an expert on the FCC and the First Amendment, it does seem more than a bit questionable that an experienced law professor would think to engage an educated group of peers with this question. The fact that it is within the realm of acceptable discussion in leftist company is precisely the reason we should worry this could translate into decision-making on campus. 

This post is part of CampusReform.org's guide to the nation's top 100 colleges. Each day, CampusReform.org profiles a different college, examines its political climate, and offers items of interest to conservative students, parents, and alumni. Click here to see the full list of college profiles.

The University of Connecticut (UConn), located in Storrs, Connecticut, is a "Public Ivy" and the flagship school of the state. UConn enrolls more than 26,000 undergraduate students and offers 105 different majors; to say the least, it is a large school. In addition to its strong academic programs, UConn is known for its Division I sports teams: the Huskies.

Campus Life

Of the 19 political student groups at UConn, 14 are left-leaning.

The liberal-leaning groups on campus include the ACLU; College Democrats; PIRG; Youth for Socialist Action; Allies and Queers Undergraduate Association; EcoGarden Club; Green Grads; The EcoHusky Student Group; Idealists United; NAACP; NOW; ONE UCONN; Queers United Against Discrimination; and Youth for Human Rights.

Conservative groups include the College Republicans; Students for Liberty; CFACT (a free-market environmental group); UConn Pro-Life; and Youth for Western Civilization. The four italicized groups are affiliated with CampusReform.org's Campus Leadership Program, which offers advice, assistance, and support to the groups.

Spend any time on a college campus and you'll hear all kinds of flak about Ronald Reagan.

From the tone of the condemnation, one would never get the idea that nearly 60% of the voting public--and electors from 49 out of the 50 states--decided to return him to the office of President of the United States in 1984.

If anything, these comments are a projection; they're sour grapes over the fact that economic recovery did not come to the country with the application of left-wing policies and that traditionally reliable supporters of the left switched sides when asked to assess what kind of government was in their own self-interest.

It shouldn't be missed that there are similarities between the challenges of these times and the late 1970's, making the Reagan vision ever more important for conservative student leaders to share with their classmates.

Perhaps surprisingly, the State of California has passed a most useful piece of legislation to this end. Senate Bill 944 was signed into law recently, which declares every February 6th "Ronald Reagan Day". February will mark the former President's 100th birthday, and the measure encourages public institutions of education to use the occasion to remember the life of Ronald Reagan and recognize his contributions to California, the United States and the world.

This post is part of CampusReform.org's guide to the nation's top 100 colleges. Each day, CampusReform.org profiles a different college, examines its political climate, and offers items of interest to conservative students, parents, and alumni. Click here to see the full list of college profiles.

Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a private Christian university of more than 6,200 undergraduate students near the center of Dallas, Texas. It was founded in 1911 by what is now the United Methodist Church and maintains this affiliation today. SMU is home to the George W. Bush Presidential Center, a library and museum about President Bush's administration. The former president's wife, Laura Bush, is an alumna of SMU.

Campus Life

The leftist student groups outnumber the conservative ones at SMU.

According to the Student Activities & Multicultural Affairs department, there are at least five leftist student organizations on the campus: Democracy Matters, Democrats, Amnesty International, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and Women's Interest Network.

The only conservative organization on campus is the College Republicans. However, in the recent past, there has been an active chapter of the Young Conservatives of Texas on the campus. (Interested conservatives should contact me, Tony Listi, for information about starting a conservative student group at SMU.)

This post is part of CampusReform.org's guide to the nation's top 100 colleges as ranked by US News and World Report. Each day, CampusReform.org profiles a different college, examines its political climate, and offers items of interest to conservative students, parents, and alumni. Click here to see the full list of college profiles.

The University of Delaware (UD) was founded in 1783 in Newark, Delaware. Today the university enrolls approximately 16,000 undergraduate students and 3,500 graduate students. UD was the first American university to offer a study abroad program, which began in 1923.

Campus Life

The campus atmosphere at UD historically has been hostile toward conservative students. In 2009, UD began an "ideological reeducation campaign" that forced resident hall students to adopt specific, university-approved views on politics, race, sexuality, sociology, moral philosophy, and environmentalism. UD only changed its policy after FIRE, a prominent legal defense organization, sued the school.

"We, unlike the uninformed masses, are getting involved instead of being distracted by the latest episode of American Idol." Ever heard this kind of self-congratulatory statement from student activists? It's not only a left-wing sentiment either. I've heard conservatives use it myself.

Alas, my fellow activists, there's a reason people watch American Idol (not that I won't promptly struggle to clarify that I am not one of them): it's called entertainment.

Right-of-center students cannot afford to be as tone-deaf to the public's fatigue with overly self-righteous activists as the throng of contestants who make good fodder for the show's advertisements.

Getting past this is the first step to legitimacy on campus and definitely worth its own article, but another good way not to come off as stupid is to come off as clever. That is, make them laugh.

Don't forget your Alinsky: "Ridicule is man's most potent weapon. It is almost impossible to counteract ridicule. Also it infuriates the opposition, which then reacts to your advantage." 

Brigham Young University (BYU), located in Provo, Utah, is supported and funded by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Brigham Young founded the university in 1875. Today, BYU enrolls 30,798 students, of whom 90 percent are adherents to the Mormon faith. BYU is unapologetic in its defense of religion, tradition, and the moral beliefs that guide the institutions.

Campus Life

BYU is unique in that conservative campus groups outnumber liberals. The only left-leaning campus organization is a chapter of the College Democrats.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), founded in 1865, is one of the nation’s oldest technological universities. It is a private college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, where it enrolls 3,453 undergraduates and employs 365 faculty members. Its academic programs and initiatives mainly focus on science and engineering.

Campus Life

Of the six political student organizations at WPI, five are liberal and only one is conservative.