College Campuses and the Politics of Tolerance

The Campus Tolerance Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 2002 to research tolerance towards many social and ethnic groups on American campuses, has just come out with a study of 2,500 undergrads and the results aren’t cute. Some low-lights:

• Depending on the university, 40% – 69% of students have either witnessed or have been victims of bias incidents on school grounds. The results ranged from a high of 69% at Ohio State University to a low of 40% at Harvard University.
• 62% of women surveyed report that they have either been victims of broader sexual harassment or personally know someone who has been. The results ranged from 73% at George Washing University to 52% at Barnard College.
• 33% of women surveyed have been the victims of serious physical sexual harassment. The situation is most pervasive at Harvard University and best at the University of Washington and Barnard College

I’ve never been a fan of the word tolerance. To me, it suggests some sort of tacit acceptance, rather than the much loftier ambition of true recognition and celebration. Within my communities–feminist, literary, family etc.–I don’t just want to be tolerated, I want to be seen as adding something unique and important to the mix. I want to be safe, respected, included.
In other words, these statistics demand some major attention on the part of college administrators, school leaders, and campus activists across the nation. But I would hope that they would move forward with a vision that calls for more than tolerance.