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IDEALS project

Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor Alyssa Rockenbach

Nov 2, 2020

Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor Alyssa Rockenbach Selected as Member of ACPA Foundation’s 2021 Diamond Honoree Class

Alyssa Rockenbach, Ph.D., Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor in the NC State College of Education, has been selected as a member of the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Foundation’s 2021 Diamond Honoree Class. 

Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor Alyssa Rockenbach

Sep 11, 2020

HuffPost: Students’ Positive Views Of Liberals Increased During College Years, Study Finds

A new study from the IDEALS Project suggested that students’ appreciation for both conservatives and liberals increased during freshman year. But by the time they graduated, positive attitudes toward conservatives dropped back to freshman-year levels, while opinions about liberals continued to improve. 

Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor Alyssa Rockenbach

Sep 11, 2020

The Conversation: Does 4 Years of College Make Students More Liberal?

Through analysis of 3,486 students at 116 U.S. colleges and universities, the IDEALS Project found that students’ positive attitudes toward political conservatives were largely the same when they started college and four years later.  

Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor Alyssa Rockenbach

Sep 3, 2020

Diverse Issues in Higher Education: College Students Care About Interfaith Dialogue, But Most Don’t Engage In It

A new IDEALS Project study co-authored by NC State College of Education Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor Alyssa Rockenbach, Ph.D., shows that college students are enthusiastic about religious pluralism and interfaith dialogue, but most aren’t engaging in it. 

Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor Alyssa Rockenbach

Aug 25, 2020

Inside Higher Ed: Survey Finds Many College Students Lacking Knowledge About Religious Traditions

Many college students are not gaining the skill sets and knowledge they need to navigate a religiously diverse country, according to a new longitudinal study from the IDEALS Project, on which NC State College of Education Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor Alyssa Rockenbach serves as co-principal investigator.  

Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor Alyssa Rockenbach

Aug 25, 2020

Associated Press: Survey Says US College Students Learn Less About Religion

A new study released by the IDEALS Project, on which NC State College of Education Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor Alyssa Rockenbach serves as co-principal investigator, found that U.S. college students spend significant time learning about people of different races, political affiliations and sexual orientations and much less time learning about people of different religious and worldview group. 

Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor Alyssa Rockenbach

Aug 24, 2020

New IDEALS Project Study Reveals that As Colleges Teach Students About Diversity, They Miss A Crucial Topic: Religion

A first of its kind, multi-year survey of thousands of college students on 122 campuses nationwide through the IDEALS Project-- on which NC State College of Education Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor Alyssa Rockenback serves as co-principal investigator-- has found that while schools make enormous strides in educating students about diversity, they are not doing enough about a critical subject: religion. 

Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor Alyssa Rockenbach

Mar 2, 2020

Washington Post: Conservative Faculty Appear to Influence Their Students More Than Liberal Professors Do

The IDEALS project, on which Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor Alyssa Rockenbach, Ph.D., serves as a co-principal investigator, explored whether or not college students feel pressured to shift their political views to align with their instructors' views.  

Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor Alyssa Rockenbach

Feb 10, 2020

The Salt Lake Tribune: College Survey Shows How to Turn Suspicion of Latter-day Saints into Appreciation

The IDEALS Project, on which NC State College of Education Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor Alyssa Rockenbach, Ph.D., is a co-principal investigator, highlights the importance of being able to disagree about a topic like religion while maintaining a friendship.  

Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor Alyssa Rockenbach

Dec 9, 2019

IDEALS Project Cited in Government Accountability Report Addressing Religious-Based Hate Crimes on College Campuses

The IDEALS project was cited in a recent U.S. Government Accountability Office report addressing the increase of religious-based hate crimes on college campuses. Co-principal investigator Alyssa Rockenbach addresses her work on the report and the latest findings from the IDEALS project in this Q&A.