Voters polled say they want universities to get rid of DEI, ‘advance truth over ideology’
The once epitomized Ivy League institutions of higher education now garner little trust among the American public.
A new poll by the Manhattan Institute found that only 15 percent of voters have a great deal of trust in the elite universities, while 46 percent have little to no trust at all.
Most of those polled said they want to see reforms such as the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion and race-based admissions and programs.
Additionally, 64 percent “support requiring universities to advance truth over ideology by enforcing rigorous academic standards, controlling for academic fraud, requiring preregistration of scientific studies, and basing decisions on merit,” the poll found.
The public’s trust in public colleges and universities is a little higher, but not much.
According to the poll, 20 percent said they have a great deal of trust in these institutions, compared to 37 percent who had little to no trust.
“These results place Ivy League colleges among the nation’s least trusted institutions. They draw similar levels of distrust as the media—including newspapers (46% distrust) and TV news (47%)—the Supreme Court (40% distrust), and the Presidency (47%),” according to the institute.
Nearly half of voters also said they believe higher education overall is headed in the wrong direction.
The percentage of displeased Americans was basically the same when broken down by various demographics, including men, women, college graduates, and people without college degrees. The only outlier was young adults ages 18 to 29, with 44 percent saying higher education is going in the right direction.
When asked about higher education reforms, most voters supported policies that require universities to “advance truth over ideology,” and prohibit political activism by the institution itself.
DEI is a no-go as well, according to the poll:
We also asked voters whether universities should be required to adopt a colorblind approach—eliminating DEI bureaucracies, ending racially segregated programs, and banning the use of race in admissions, hiring, promotions, and contracting. A majority, 57%, supported the policy, with only 18% opposed. Support held across party (44% to 30% among Democrats; 74% to 6% among Republicans) and racial lines (50% to 19% among Black voters; 58% to 19% among Hispanics; 43% to 25% among Asians; and 60% to 17% among Whites).
“By a double-digit margin, and across a range of demographics, Americans believe that universities are on the wrong track, with overwhelming bipartisan and multiracial support for bold changes: banning disruptive protests, abolishing race-based admissions, reining in DEI, and restoring free speech and academic rigor,” the institute reported.
“Despite deep political division, Americans agree that higher education has lost its way and that it is time to restore excellence,” according to its analysis.
Some Ivy League universities have begun to dismantle their DEI programs in response to the Trump administration’s reforms.
Earlier this month, the University of Pennsylvania agreed to ban male athletes from women’s sports to resolve a Title IX violation lodged against it by the Trump administration, The College Fix reported.
Harvard University also stopped hosting special, racially segregated graduation ceremonies and renamed its DEI office in the spring, The Fix reported.
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IMAGE CAPTION AND CREDIT: A doorway opens onto the campus of Princeton University; Jay Yuan/Shutterstock