Campus Reform: University of Florida

This post is part of CampusReform.org's guide to the nation's top 100 colleges. Each day, CampusReform.org profiles a different college, examines its political climate, and offers items of interest to conservative students, parents, and alumni. Click here to see the full list of college profiles.

The University of Florida (UF), located in Gainesville, Florida, is one of the largest public universities in the country with an enrollment of more 50,000 students. UF is the oldest university in Florida, having been established in 1853. Among its other programs, UF is known for its Division I sports teams, the Florida Gators -- especially the Florida Gators football team.

Campus Life

Of the 18 political student groups on campus, 10 are liberal and eight are conservative.

Liberal campus groups are the Animal Activists of America Alachua County; Action Party; Amnesty International; College Democrats; Gator Chapter of the NAACP; Human Rights Awareness on Campus; Law School Democrats; NORML; Pride Student Union; and VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood.

Conservative campus groups are Americans for Prosperity; Network of enlighted Women; Pro-Life Alliance; American Constitution Society; College Republicans; Gators for Israel; Law School Republicans; and The Florida Frontier, a conservative newspaper. The italicized groups are affiliated with CampusReform.org's Campus Leadership Program, which provides students with advice, assistance, and many kinds of support.

The conservative groups are very active on UF's campus. Last fall, the UF chapter of Americans for Prosperity protested Bank of America's support of ACORN.  (You can read more about their activism here.) Members also participated in building a mock Berlin Wall to mark the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the wall.

The Network of enlightened Women chapter received an apology from the campus newspaper, which published graphic, sexual cartoons.

The Pro-Life Alliance on campus protested Sarah Weddington, the lawyer who represented Jane Roe in the landmark case Roe v. Wade, when she came to speak on campus for Women's History Month.

Faculty

In the 2008 election, according to campaign finance data from The Huffington Post, 83% of UF faculty and staff who donated to campaigns chose to donate to Democrats.

That puts UF faculty and staff out of step with Florida residents. In the 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama won the state by two percentage points. His vote total was 50.9% to John McCain's 48.4%. That suggests the monolithically liberal politics of UF are far different from the rest of the state.

University Policy

UF offers an ROTC program on campus. Students can also choose to join the Gator Guard Drill Team.

FIRE, a prominent legal defense organization, has given UF a red light rating. According to FIRE, a "red light" university has "at least one policy that both clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech." Click here to read FIRE's full report on UF.

UF coordinates its sustainability projects through its Office of Sustainability. Among the typical projects to conserve energy and "green" campus buildings are more concerning "initiatives" related to "academics and research" (e.g. a minor in Sustainability Studies), UF's "cultural climate," and campus equity, which includes a note on helping "the UF community embrace diversity and social justice."

UF's Minor in Sustainability Studies betrays an equally politicized agenda. As its website explains, the minor is "characterized by three overarching concerns: maintaining ecological and environmental health; creating economic welfare; and ensuring social justice." Too often sustainability concerns bypass science, math, or engineering courses that focus on new, greener technology, and head straight into promoting the far left's political agenda and desire to "remake" society.

For example, the course objectives for Facets of Sustainability, the minor's "gateway course," are listed below (emphasis added):

Is the earth headed for ecological collapse, and if so, what can be done to avert catastrophe? How can humanity’s growing needs be met without mortgaging the future?  Are there economically viable ways to ensure an equitable and prosperous life for the citizens of the planet?  Is a sustainable world primarily to be achieved through green design and technology, or by changing consciousness and behavior?  What are the characteristics of sustainable lives and businesses, and what practical means are at our disposal to achieve these goals?

If you would like to take action on this campus or learn more about conservatism at this school, please contact me, Lindsay Souza, CampusReform.org's Regional Field Coordinator for the University of Florida.