Impassioned professors standing on soapboxes in classrooms have less of an effect on their students than critics might fear, according to a recent study.

College students are not influenced by their professors’ political views, according to an October study by Gordon Hewitt of Hamilton College in New York and Dr. Mack Mariana of Xavier University in Ohio.

‘Broadly defined, the faculty is more liberal than the population,’ Hewitt said. ‘But they don’t influence students’ political orientations.’

Though professors do not indoctrinate students with their partisan points of view, when the faculty as a whole is liberal, students may be unwilling to speak out, Mariana said.’

The study showed that most students’ political beliefs do not drastically change while they are in college, but that if they do, their opinions were most influenced by their peers.

‘I always encourage my students to argue with me,’ College of Communications associate professor Anne Donohue said. ‘I don’t think anybody feels muzzled in my class.’

College of General Studies sophomore and conservative John Seibler said the liberal environment in some classrooms at Boston University is uncomfortable for conservative students.

‘I think most professors are pretty liberal,’ Seibler said. ‘It would be nice if there was a better balance.’

The nation’s recent election brought politics to the forefront of many discussions at BU.

College of Arts and Sciences senior Hannah Wirtshafter said a professor’s liberal comments about politics might prevent students from speaking out in class.

‘I think professors’ comments might persuade people to be a little less vocal,’ said Wirtshafter.

Still, Wirtshafter said political advertisements that constantly bombard students on sites like Facebook and other Internet outlets influence students’ political preferences more than professors.

College of Communication junior Mike Swan said though some students may not want to jeopardize their relationship with a professor over differences in political views, classroom political discussions should not stop. The mission of universities is to educate, and discussion is an important part of that education, he said.

‘Stifling discussion, whether from the right or left, is a bad thing,’ Swan said.