Key Findings from 2017-2018 Data

Updated data on Cal Poly faculty is now available. Here are some key findings.

• The Republican to Democrat ratio for faculty now sits at 1 : 3.96 ; at the university level, there are about 4 registered Democrat professors for every 1 registered Republican professor. In 2013-2014 this ratio was about 1:2.70
  • In CAFES this ratio is 1:1.5 (1:0.83 in 2013-2014)
  • In CAED this ratio is 1:3.92 (1:3.07 in 2013-2014)
  • In OCOB this ratio is 1:2.8 (1:2.07 in 2013-2014)
  • In CENG this ratio is 1:3 (1:2.15 in 2013-2014)
  • In CLA this ratio is 1:7.07 (1:5.74 in 2013-2014)
  • In COSAM this ratio is 1:5.2 (1:3.59 in 2013-2014)

 

• Of the 54 departments at Cal Poly: 
  • Democrats compromise a majority (i.e., 50% or more) in 20
  • Democrats comprise a plurality (i.e., are the largest faction, but not a majority) in 17
  • Republicans comprise a majority in 1
  • Republicans comprise a plurality in 2
  • No Republicans exist in 11 

 

• Excluding the 11 departments where there are zero Republicans, the departments with the largest Republican to Democrat ratios are*:
  1. English with 1:20.5 (1:8 in 2013-2014)
  2. Chemistry with 1:18 (1:6.17 in 2013-2014)
  3. History with 1:15 (1:16 in 2013-2014)
  4. Architecture with 1:15 (1:11 in 2013-2014)
  5. Physics with 1:7.67 (1:9 in 2013-2014)
  6. Art and Design with 1:7.5 (1:9 in 2013-2014)
  7. Biology with 1:6.67 (1:5 in 2013-2014)

 

• The departments with the lowest Republican to Democrat ratios are*:
  1. Ag Ed. and Comms with 1:0.25 (5:0 in 2013-2014)
  2. BRAE with 1:0.33 (1:0.36 in 2013-2014)
  3. Animal Science with 1:0.44 (1:0.10 in 2013-2014)
  4. Wine and Viticulture with 1:1 (1:0.50 in 2013-2014)
  5. Architectural Engineering with 1:1 (1:1.33 in 2013-2014)
  6. Horticulture and Crop Science with 1:1.25 (1:1.5 in 2013-2014)
  7. Construction Management with 1:1.67 (1:0.75 in 2013-2014)
  8. Accounting with 1:1.67 (1:2.4 in 2013-2014)

* Note: in a few departments, a factions other than Democrat or Republican have even numbers, or in a few times are even a plurality. But given Democrat-Republican are the two major parties in our electoral system, and are typically the to that are most often compared, ratios for these two are the only presented here