Liberal Bias At Home Of George W. Bush Presidential Library

NBCdfw.com:

A conservative group says liberal political bias exists at Southern Methodist University.

SMU's entry on CampusReform.org says the Dallas university shows evidence of liberal bias in faculty, student organizations and administrative policies.

The Leadership Institute put together in-depth profiles of the nation’s top 100 research universities as ranked by U.S. News and World Report. SMU is No. 68 on the U.S. News and World Report list.

The charge of liberal bias comes at an institution where Laura Bush, the wife of former Republican President George W. Bush, is a graduate and trustee.

Former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney is a former trustee.

SMU was criticized for having a conservative bias by its acceptance of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Institute, which is currently under construction on the Dallas campus.

"I would say that the George Bush Library's presence on campus may be misleading," said Tony Listi, a CampusReform.org regional director.

He said the evaluation of the SMU's political climate was based on several factors. Liberal SMU student groups outnumber conservative groups by five to one, and 84 percent of the school's faculty and staff who donated in the 2008 presidential election gave to Democratic candidates.

"We think that political contribution data indicates a political bias on the campus of Southern Methodist University," Listi said.