Jan 04, 2016 01:24 PM EST By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

Colleges and universities are cracking down on students who publicly broadcast racist views, but a new poll shows Americans are divided on whether or not it is necessary.

The Huffington Post and YouGov released a poll gathering Americans' positions on matters like creating a diversity office and other efforts that promote inclusion. The HP/YouGov poll included responses from 1,000 U.S. citizens at least 18 years old.

One of the biggest divides was over the necessity of a diversity office at a college or university was among political parties. 62 percent of Republican respondents thought it was not necessary for schools to educate students on race relations, whereas 66 percent of Democratic respondents did.

However, 72 percent of all respondents believe the school's president should be expected to address "racist incidents" on campus. 53 percent of respondents also believe the students responsible for such incidents should be punished, whereas 28 percent disagreed and 19 percent were unsure.

The issue of racism on college campuses has been thrust into the national spotlight with incidents at several major U.S. institutions. In some cases, like the University of Oklahoma, the school's swift, decisive response was generally lauded. On the other hand, more delayed responses and even just the appearance of neglecting such issues resulted in widespread criticism, like at the University of Missouri.

Some of these highly publicized cases have also brought up the matter of free speech and oversensitivity to things that may not be offensive, but rather a difference in perspective. President Barack Obama went on record multiple times of late discussing free speech on college campuses.

While he praised OU's response to an overt and indefensible display of racism, he has cautioned students to not dismiss opposing viewpoints simply because they conflict with their own.

38 percent of respondents to the HP/YouGov poll believed schools should allow "an absolute right to free speech, even if that means allowing offensive or racist comments." 43 percent agreed it is important "students have an environment free from discrimination, even if that means placing some limits on what students can say."

See Now: Covert Team Inside Newsweek Revealed as Key Players in False Human Trafficking Lawsuit