The University of Virginia boasts some excellent conservative-leaning professors and seems to have lately become a destination of choice for the children of some Washington area conservatives. Yet the school remains in many ways a typically biased left-leaning college. Therein lies an interesting tale.

When some conservative freshmen decided to form a “Burke Society,” they were opposed by the student council. It took the intervention of FIRE to vindicate the right of conservatives at the University of Virginia to freedom of association. The whole incident seems to have taught a valuable lesson to the campus as a whole. Recall that the University of Virginia is one of the schools that have recently adopted a highly problematic “bias reporting system,” also being energetically opposed by FIRE.

It’s obviously too early to recommend the University of Virginia as a clear alternative for conservatives, although it’s certainly worth a look. With luck, the courageous conservative pioneers there now will smooth the way to a future where students and professors with either conservative or liberal political views can feel welcome and free. In the meantime, we’ve had yet more dramatic proof of the essential work done by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. To contribute to FIRE, go here.