Faculty Views on Academic Pluralism
Problem
Faculty perspectives are missing from the conversation about intellectual diversity in higher education.
Understanding of how academic climates shape faculty views on open inquiry and intellectual pluralism in higher education is limited. While administrators and policymakers debate academic freedom, little research actually captures what faculty experience day-to-day and how this experience differs across our nation’s institutions. This study will help build an evidence-based understanding of faculty perspectives and practices by examining their views on topics such as diversity of perspectives and intellectual pluralism.
Solution
NORC will survey faculty across the United States about current issues in higher education.
Surveying faculty about sensitive topics like intellectual diversity and open inquiry presents a complex methodological puzzle. How do you capture authentic perspectives across the dramatically different academic environments—from large public research universities to small private liberal arts colleges—while ensuring faculty feel safe to share honest views on potentially controversial topics?
Our faculty study includes a comprehensive stratified sampling framework that goes beyond typical academic surveys. Rather than treating “faculty” as a monolithic group, the design includes 16 distinct institutional groups across eight Carnegie classifications and two institutional types, representative institutions were then carefully selected within each group. All faculty within each chosen institution are invited to participate in the study. This approach ensures that a lecturer at a community college and a tenured professor at an R1 university both have their voices heard proportionally.
This design includes often-overlooked voices—adjunct faculty, lecturers, and emeritus faculty—who experience campus climate differently than traditional tenure-track professors. To reduce burden on busy faculty and encourage their participation, the survey has been streamlined to 5-7 minutes while the institutional diversity of the sample design captures the full spectrum of American higher education.
Result
Survey findings will allow researchers to map the true landscape of faculty perspectives on open inquiry—moving beyond anecdotal reports to empirical evidence.
Ideally, findings from this study will provide institutional leadership, policymakers, and faculty members themselves, a clearer understanding of the current climate surrounding intellectual diversity in higher education.
Project Leads
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Karen Grigorian
Vice PresidentSubject Matter Expert -
Erin Knepler
Senior Research DirectorProject Manager
FAQ for Study Participants
The Faculty Views on Academic Pluralism Survey collects information from faculty across the nation on their beliefs and experiences related to open inquiry in higher education. It is an online survey that takes approximately 5-7 minutes to complete. Participants will be asked about their views on topics such as diversity of perspectives and intellectual pluralism.
Because the landscape of higher education is evolving in multiple ways, there is deep interest in understanding how faculty across our country are being impacted. As a result, NORC has been contracted to conduct three faculty surveys this fall:
- Politics and Higher Education (politicsandhighered@norc.org)
- Faculty Views on Academic Pluralism Survey (FacultyViewsSurvey@norc.org)
- The Survey of the American Professoriate’s Perspectives on Current Topics in Higher Education (FacultyPerspectivesSurvey@norc.org)
Each research study is being run independently. Each has a different design and is seeking faculty insights on distinctly different higher education related topics. Due to the way each study selected faculty to participate in their survey, it is possible some faculty were selected for more than one survey.
If you have been asked to participate in more than one NORC survey, please understand we appreciate your consideration of each request and hope you’ll decide to participate. However, all surveys are voluntary and we understand if choose not to participate.
NORC at the University of Chicago is conducting this survey on behalf of an independent research organization. NORC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan corporation affiliated with the University of Chicago that conducts survey research in the public interest for government agencies, educational institutions, private foundations, nonprofit organizations, and private corporations. NORC is contracted for the survey data collection and will provide de-identified survey results to the independent organization that is sponsoring this study for analysis.
Approximately 50,000 faculty across 80 institutions were sampled for inclusion in this survey.
A stratified random sample of eight 2021 Carnegie classifications were used: Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity, Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity, Doctoral/Professional Universities, Master’s Colleges & Universities: Large Programs, Master’s Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs, Master’s Colleges & Universities: Small Programs, Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts and Sciences Focus, and Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields. Within each Carnegie classification, five public institutions and five private, not-for-profit institutions were sampled. All available email addresses for the faculty at each institution were collected, including adjunct and part-time faculty, lecturers, and emeritus faculty. Post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, and administrative staff were excluded.
You are being asked to participate because you were listed as a current or former faculty member at one of the 80 U.S. institutions that were selected for this study.
Names and emails were collected from each university’s public-facing webpages (e.g., faculty directories and department websites), or in some cases, scholarly publications where corresponding email addresses were listed. All available email addresses for the faculty at each institution were collected, including adjunct and part-time faculty, lecturers, and emeritus faculty.
The survey takes about 5-7 minutes to complete.
Your responses represent your beliefs and experiences regarding open inquiry, diversity of perspectives, and intellectual pluralism in higher education. Your participation helps to ensure that study results are valid and complete, so that we have an accurate understanding of the views of faculty across the nation.
This survey is voluntary and you are not required to participate, though we hope you will consider taking a few minutes to share your perspective. If you do participate, you may skip questions that you do not wish to answer.
Responses to data collection are voluntary, confidential, and will be used only for broadly descriptive and statistical purposes. Respondents will submit their self-administered online survey using a secure server. Your personal information will only be used by the NORC research team for the purpose of contacting you to request participation in this survey. All data that is provided to the independent research organization responsible for analysis will be de-identified, meaning there will be no link between your survey answers and your name, email, institution, or other personally identifiable information. Results will only be reported in aggregate groupings of sufficient size so there will be no way of identifying individual participants—or the schools at which you serve.
No. While completing the survey offers a way to be automatically entered, you may also enter by mailing a 4” x 6” index card with specific information. Full instructions are included in the Official Rules.
If you’re selected, you’ll receive an email between December 15 and December 30, 2025, using the email address you provide in the survey or on your mail-in entry. The email will provide the Amazon gift code and its value, i.e., $500, $250, $100, $50, $20 or $10. Non-winners will not be notified.
Odds of being selected depend on the number of eligible entries received on or before December 10, 2025, when the survey ends. The estimated odds of being selected for one of the 100 Amazon gift codes are 1 in 40.
If you have any questions or concerns pertaining to this survey or your participation, please contact the NORC research team by emailing FacultyViewsSurvey@norc.org. If you have any questions or concerns about your rights as a research participant, please contact the NORC IRB Manager toll-free at (866) 309-0542.
