USC students say their campus is diverse and provides them the space to voice their opinions, despite there still being room for improvements.
USC ranks 109th on the free speech rankings out of 248 Universities, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization.
FIRE said these free speech rankings were based on comfort expressing ideas, tolerance for liberal and conservative speakers, disruptive conduct, administrative support and openness.
According to the USC Student Handbook, the university encourages a learning environment full of free inquiry and expression.
“The university is a diverse community based on free exchange of ideas and devoted to the use of reason and thought in the resolution of differences,” the handbook said. “However, when self-restraint and self-discipline fail, the university will initiate such action as necessary to prevent disruption of or substantial interference with its community and to preserve the rights of its individual members.”
The student handbook said the lack of self-restraint becomes a problem when the university feels threatened.
“They shall be free to support causes by all orderly means, which do not disrupt or substantially interfere with the regular and essential operations and activities of the university, since such disruption or substantial interference violates the responsible exercise of free inquiry and expression,’” USC said in their student handbook.
Dylan Gonzalez, a junior at USC studying screenwriting, said he feels USC focuses on “business rather than education.”
“When it comes to lower income students, or people that have pointed out marginalized communities on campus and how they feel, It’s not as loud and apparent,” Gonzalez said. “I think that there’s a good amount of lower income students that are actually going here, and I think that a lot of USC isn’t really adapted to that.”
Gonzalez mentioned his experience with work-study, an on campus job platform that gives students financial aid and wage for hours worked.
“I’m doing work-study right now, for example,” Gonzalez said. “I’m trying to take a full 16-18 units, and some of my previous classes don’t really account for that. And so I think that, when people try to talk about those things, I don’t feel like they’re as apparent or you’re allowed to express these views at USC. There’s no platform to spread it.”
Gonzalez also said he believes certain opinions may be less accepted than others.
“I feel like there’s preconceived biases that I’m afraid to challenge, because I don’t want to be perceived poorly based on having a different opinion, or be reprimanded for it,” Gonzalez said.
USC freshmen said they feel comfortable talking about their experiences, although they come from a different background. Freshman Ella Zarrow said she grew up in Los Angeles, and that USC was a continuation of that “open space.”
“I think USC fosters a liberal environment, and people associated with these views, which is what drew me to this school,” Zarrow said. “Everyone who’s expressed their opinions whether they be on any end of the spectrum of politics or just personal ideology, everyone’s been very receptive to that.”
Ella Grossman, a USC freshman studying law history and culture, said the school seems to foster a specific ideology.
“I think the majority of people here think similarly to each other, and I think there’s some danger in that, even at such a large institution,” Grossman said. “The way to combat this is to foster communities where people can express opinions that may be different, without backlash.”
Another USC freshman, Liam Campora, said he felt that though the dominant culture was not diverse, he is still able to express his own values.
“I am vegan and very against people not supporting the environment by not being vegan … I make the space for myself but I know I receive judgment for it,” Campora said. “I am sure I don’t suffer as much as other people, but I think the dominant culture here of what’s cool is not very diverse.”
Gabriel Perez, a sophomore who studies psychology at USC, also said he preferred creating or finding your own space within the campus environment.
“When I first imagined going to USC I didn’t really think about it being as diverse as it really is,” Perez said. “You can find a lot of people here who share similar opinions with yourself, and create a comfortable space for you to share your opinion.”