According to a recent report from The College Fix, The Florida State University enlists a small minority of Republican professors, associate professors, and assistant professors compared to a vast majority of Democrat professors in its departments. Additionally, The Fix found that Republicans were in only six percent of the 10 identifiable departments. Also, there were six departments with zero Republican representation at FSU.
These departments include the sociology, communications, English, philosophy, African American and Asian studies, and religion departments with zero Republican faculty.
The Fix’s article showcases the opinions of Republican professors (some shared their identities, and others remained anonymous). Some swear by FSU’s ability to cultivate an environment of thought diversity, but another remained anonymous out of fear of discrimination.
For instance, political science Professor Karen Cyphers, a Republican, said she has not experienced any problems as a conservative in academia at FSU.
“Never, in any of these roles, have I encountered a stifling of thought in the classroom, pressure related to curriculum, or even contempt from peers,” Cyphers told The Fix in an email. She added that FSU “stands out as an example of how to do things right.”
Another conservative political science professor, Hans Hassell, somewhat scolded his fellow Republicans for having academia in a negative light.
“As a conservative academic, I find it troubling that other Republicans have this negative view of academia and that it is unwelcoming of conservative scholars,” Hassell told The Fix in an email. “The systematic study of anything shouldn’t be ideological and we only get into trouble when we let our own expectations override the data that is available.”
Of 239 professors reviewed by The Fix, 132 were Democrats, and 12 were Republican. Forty were non-party affiliated, two were Independents, one was Libertarian, and 52 were listed as unknown.
As a recent graduate of Florida State, I am not surprised at the data found in the article. Moreover, as someone who majored in English and minored in philosophy, I’m not surprised by the English and philosophy departments having no Republican representation. Most professors and instructors held viewpoints that were left-leaning. It was expected when entering a college campus.
At the same time, despite the discrepancies in the faculty at FSU, I found that students could share their differing ideas, and they were reciprocated in a respectful manner.
Professors were certainly more on their toes once Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) started cracking down on “DEI” at the state university level. Professors did share their disdain with this notion, for certain.
