Campus Experience Survey: An Assessment of Arizona University Students

The latest Free Expression Annual Report by the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) explains, “The Arizona Board of Regents and university leadership strive to protect intellectual freedom and free expression at Arizona’s public universities.” Both ABOR and Arizona’s public universities have adopted important policies aligned with this vision for campus freedom, but, as the following report from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) and College Pulse shows, more work is needed to provide a culture of free expression for Arizona’s public university students. 

Our survey of 3,294 students at Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona reveals high rates of self-censorship and intellectual intolerance. While 61% of students value exposure to different perspectives, 20% of students report having two or less friends with different political ideas. Fifty-nine percent of students feel the need to self-censor at least occasionally because of how others might respond, and barely one-third of students say it is never acceptable to shout down a speaker on campus. Only 17% of students across all three universities report receiving training in free expression policies—even though two of these schools offer such training at new-student orientation! Our survey also shows several interesting variations in these results for each university and for students with different political perspectives. Explore the full survey report to learn more. 

Visit our Arizona Report Card for a complete analysis of ASU, NAU, and U of A based on our Gold Standard for Freedom of Expression™.