Israel-Hamas war may have chilled classroom debate at USC

USC students were notably more uncomfortable expressing controversial political views during last semester’s pro-Palestinian protests than they typically are, new polling shows.

The report from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression — one of the foremost advocates for free speech on college campuses — also ranked USC nearly dead last in the nation for speech climate.

You can read the full report and methodology here.

Before the encampments, 53% of students felt either “very” or “somewhat” uncomfortable expressing controversial views on social media. After the encampments started, 67% felt the same.

A similar majority reported feeling uncomfortable challenging the status quo in classroom settings.

The report does not delve into specifics, like which views students feel most uncomfortable expressing — or what specifically made them more unwilling to share.

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