The role of universities in society.
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41202144.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.adx2929 and PMC identifier 13142045.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
This study examines public views on universities' societal roles beyond education and research. A representative sample of 2089 U.S. citizens evaluates whether universities should engage in initiatives such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), free speech, and environmental sustainability, benchmarking views against corporations. We include an incentivized experiment asking respondents to allocate money between universities based on performance on various dimensions. Results show broad support for engagement in initiatives related to environmental sustainability, well-being, and free speech but opposition to political engagement. Views on DEI are polarized: Women and liberals reward universities excelling in DEI but conservatives and men penalize them, even when academic performance is equal. These findings highlight the polarization surrounding universities' societal roles.
Medical subject headings
- Public Opinion