Viewpoint Diversity at Pepperdine School of Public Policy

At Pepperdine's School of Public Policy, viewpoint diversity is a foundational principle—inside and outside the classroom—and a necessity for American higher education. It is a skill practiced by our faculty who are expert in facilitating conversations around even the most polarizing political issues, as well as an experience found in our many public events welcoming speakers bringing diverse perspectives to our campuses in Malibu and Washington, DC, and beyond. More than an ode to academic freedom, SPP believes this commitment is essential to preparing public leaders to serve in an increasingly polarized and ideological environment.

National polls continue to show that today's undergraduates, particularly conservative students and students of faith, feel they must squelch their political opinions out of fear of retribution from fellow students, faculty, and administrators. A recent national survey by the Heterodox Academy found that more than half (58.8%) of college students (of all political leanings) were reluctant to discuss potentially controversial political or social issues on campus. The same survey revealed almost two-thirds of students believed their campus culture "prevents people from saying what they believe because others might find those views offensive."

This isn’t just about controversial campus speakers, it’s what students experience in the classroom everyday. Many have described it as an environment where they feel they have to “walk on eggshells” when it comes to discussing polarizing policy and political issues. It’s reported that some write assigned essays considering their professor’s political perspective, while many decide to withdraw from politicized majors - from communications to sociology. 

This is no way to prepare students for careers in public service.

Committed to Viewpoint Diversity Since Our Founding

From our founding back in 1997 with faculty like James Q. Wilson, Congressman Jack Kemp, Michael Novak, and Kevin Starr to today with full-time and visiting professors including Victor Davis Hanson, Martin Kramer, Luisa Blanco, James Prieger, Dana Stroul, Steven Hayward, and Kiron Skinner, it is fair to say our faculty are incredibly skilled in hosting tough classroom discussions on polarizing policy topics, even as they support students throughout their careers no matter what their political affiliation.

Through numerous events and speakers, we’ve highlighted the challenges to viewpoint diversity on college campuses, and how this fear-based education is increasingly impacting our national politics and public policy.

Each year students tell us that for the first time in their academic experience, they feel free to express themselves and ask questions about the “conventional wisdom,” as they hear from fellow students and faculty arguing perspectives they’ve never heard before. More than this, students build friendships with those who they may never agree with on political topics.

Why is it Important?

What you'll hear our students say—both conservative and liberal, faith-inspired or not, in our MPP and MMEPS programs—is that Pepperdine School of Public Policy provides a welcoming and challenging environment to everyone. From our Great Ideas: Ethics, Culture, Markets, Politics, and Technology coursework to invited speakers, our "City on a Hill" campus offers the unique opportunity to think critically about one's own perspective as well as others', producing leaders who are humble, collaborative and optimistic about the future.