The Sconi

Scott Walker, former governor of Wisconsin, has expressed concerns over ideological imbalance at Harvard University, suggesting it undermines academic freedom for conservative faculty and students. This statement was made on the social media platform X.

"Nearly 80% of faculty at Harvard are liberal while less than 3% are conservative," said Walker. "The irony is that they think “academic freedom” is under attack. There is little, if any, academic freedom for conservatives on their campus. That's wrong."

Elite universities such as Harvard have been under increasing scrutiny regarding ideological bias and academic freedom. Recent federal actions have intensified this debate. According to The Guardian, the Trump administration revoked Harvard's ability to enroll international students and froze hundreds of millions in research funding, citing concerns over antisemitism and "woke" ideology. Critics argue these actions threaten academic independence and indicate an authoritarian shift in education policy.

A 2022 survey conducted by The Harvard Crimson revealed that more than 80% of Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences identified as "liberal" or "very liberal," while only 1% described themselves as "conservative." This ideological imbalance has raised national concerns about a lack of political diversity and its impact on open academic discourse at elite institutions.

A 2024 survey by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) found that only 20% of university faculty nationwide believed a conservative would fit well in their department, compared to 71% who felt the same about liberals. FIRE indicates that this gap highlights the climate of exclusion many conservative academics perceive in higher education, adding urgency to calls for greater viewpoint diversity.

Walker served as the 45th governor of Wisconsin from 2011 to 2019, where he championed education reforms that sparked national debate. According to Politico, Walker enacted significant cuts to the University of Wisconsin System and curtailed tenure protections, advocating for greater fiscal accountability and institutional restructuring. His policies drew protests and criticism from faculty over perceived threats to academic freedom.

During Walker’s tenure, the Wisconsin state government implemented extensive changes to public higher education, including a $250 million cut to the University of Wisconsin System in 2015. According to AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees), these reforms transferred power over tenure and academic governance from faculty to the Board of Regents, prompting national concerns over political influence in university decision-making.