In an increasingly polarized nation, colleges can no longer afford to duck difficult political issues. Colleges and their personnel have long been targets for propaganda and harassment, and while 2020 offered campuses a respite from rising political tensions that is likely to end as colleges open back up.
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Managing Political Tensions, experts point to the 2017 “Unite the Right” march in Charlottesville, Va. as a stark warning of the dangers of extremism, and offer advice and strategies on how to keep the threats out and the students in. These tense historical moments present clear challenges to college, but could also help clarify the role higher ed plays in advancing essential democratic values.
