Higher education’s reaction to the 2024 election has been muted thus far, relative to 2016. But that doesn’t mean students don’t want their institutions to acknowledge how they’re feeling.
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The University of Virginia ramped up mental health supports for students feeling stressed ahead of and immediately after Election Day. Recognizing that election season thrusts heavy topics to the top of news feeds, the university’s Student Health and Wellness program also advised students to limit doomscrolling and to do the following: unplug, be present, rest, connect with others and move their bodies.
But the university, among others offering special election-related programs or messaging, may be in the minority this year. In a new Student Voice flash poll from Inside Higher Ed and Generation Lab, 64 percent of the survey’s 1,031 two- and four-year respondents say their college did not do or say anything about the election in the days following.
Some 55 percent of students also say that none of their professors did or said anything about the election results. That’s even as a majority of students say they’re at least somewhat upset and/or concerned that political tensions could increase on their campus. Most students are also concerned—somewhat (25 percent) or very (44 percent)—about the future of democracy in this country.
The findings add dimension to ongoing comparisons between higher education’s rather muted response to the 2024 election and that of 2016, when Donald Trump was first elected and many institutions and their presidents issued public statements or otherwise acknowledged students’ strong feelings.
The survey also captures students’ views on whether their colleges and universities are doing enough, and enough of the right kinds of things, to support them at this particular moment. The upshot? More than one in three (35 percent) say their institution is offering the right amount of support, and just 5 percent say their institution is doing too much. (Thirty-one percent aren’t sure.)
Here’s a quick overview of the survey, in four charts covering how students are feeling, what they say their institutions and professors did or said postelection, and what students think about any supports offered.
A majority of students are unhappy about the election results, and rates of concern—unsurprisingly—are elevated among students who voted for Harris/Walz. Among those 535 students, seven in 10 (72 percent) are very disappointed or upset; nearly the same share (69 percent) are very concerned about the future of democracy in the U.S.
Most of the 228 students who voted for Trump/Vance are at least somewhat happy about the election outcome (90 percent). But nearly half of those students (46 percent) are also at least somewhat concerned that political tensions could increase on their campus, suggesting they’re not immune to election-related stress.
Differences emerge by gender and race, as well. Women (47 percent) and nonbinary students (85 percent; n=43) are more likely than men (32 percent) to be very disappointed or upset, as are Black students (56 percent) relative to white students (38 percent), Hispanic students (44 percent), Asian American and Pacific Islander students (40 percent), and those of other races (45 percent).
About two in three students say their college or university, or specific programs within the institution, did not do or say anything about the election outcome to their knowledge. This increases to 74 percent among community college students. In terms of specific actions taken, if any, students over all are most likely to say that their college offered destressing or mental health resources. Four-year institutions appear to lead here, on organizing time for students to meet to discuss the election and on releasing a statement to students.
This landscape looks different by geographic region, too: Students in the New England region are least likely to say their institution did nothing postelection (36 percent), while those in the Southeast are most likely to say this (79 percent). Students at private nonprofits are also less likely to say their institution did nothing (44 percent) than are those at publics (69 percent).
Professors appear to have been somewhat more active than their institutions broadly in supporting students postelection, with the public-private nonprofit divide widening here. Just 34 percent of students at private nonprofits say their professors did or said nothing following the election, versus 60 percent of students at publics.
The largest share of students over all who report that faculty members did anything say professors briefly addressed the election, such as at the beginning of class. Geographic divides exist here, as well, with just 31 percent of students in New England and 38 percent of students in the Rocky Mountain region saying their professors did nothing. That’s compared to 70 percent of those in the Southeast and 61 percent of those in the Plains.
Very few students—and just 11 percent of Trump voters—say that their institution is doing too much to support students following the election. About a third of students over all agree that their institution is offering the right amount of support. Just one in 10 students agree that their institution is offering the right types of support. Yet fewer students explicitly say that their institution is offering the wrong types of support. In the Southeast, where student supports appear relatively thin, 25 percent of students say their institution is not doing enough. Another 34 percent of students there say their institution is offering the right amount of support.
Nicole Ruzek, chief mental health officer at UVA, says that this election cycle “brought about a period of change and uncertainty,” and, as a result, students may be experiencing a range of emotions, “from stress and anxiety to hope and excitement.” Asked about the faculty role, in particular, in supporting students postelection, Ruzek says it’s not professors’ job to help students process feelings about the election, but “it is important for them to acknowledge and convey care about their students’ feelings. Students are greatly impacted by the interest and care their faculty show for them.”
Another thing that can help? Assisting students in “cultivating curiosity about how they are feeling and how others might be feeling during this time,” Ruzek adds. “Being curious in this way can lead to greater self- and other awareness.”
What is your institution doing to support students postelection? Let us know here.
