It finds overwhelming agreement on issues such as diversity, fairness, and preferences. A resounding 95 percent rank diversity of ideas and high standards as more important to a quality education than ethnic diversity. Only 3 percent say ethnic diversity is more important with Democrats and liberals at only 4 percent. It's not hard to see why four out of five students say it isn't right to use racial preferences. Preferences conflict with the principles that students value most fairness and standards.
Students oppose the use of racial preferences regardless of their political affiliations.
And moderates, the largest group in the sample, are closer to Republicans, opposing preferences at 83 percent. They ought not to do either. The survey reveals a generation of college students who, contrary to popular perceptions, are thoughtful about the issues that will ineluctably shape the future of U.S. higher education. Students are concerned not only about how diversity relates to fairness but also about the quality of their education. Seven out of ten want their professors to challenge them more, and eight out of ten say colleges need to focus more on traditional subjects that help students acquire valuable skills.