Heterodox Academy
·
2026

Faculty Attitudes Toward Diversity in their Disciplines: A National Survey

Key Finding

All 8 dimensions of diversity tested won majority faculty support, with methodological/theoretical diversity valued most (84%) — but nearly 30% of faculty lack regular engagement with people who substantively disagree with them.

About this research

Based on a national survey of 3,563 faculty across 80 U.S. institutions, fielded with NORC at the University of Chicago in November–December 2025, this Heterodox Academy study measures faculty support for eight distinct dimensions of diversity, from political and religious views to methodological and theoretical approaches. It finds majority support for all eight dimensions — methodological/theoretical diversity rated highest at 84% — while also identifying a “perception gap” in which faculty underestimate colleagues’ support for viewpoint diversity, and an engagement deficit in which nearly 30% of faculty report no regular engagement with people who substantively disagree with them (roughly twice as common among adjunct as tenured faculty).
Format

Study

Year

2026

Published by

Heterodox Academy (Shiri Spitz Siddiqi, Erin Shaw, Dylan Selterman)

Category

Civic Health & Polarization Data

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