A North Carolina university became embroiled in controversy on Friday after a student group posted a 'privilege board' on campus which calls on white, male, able-bodied, Christian, or cisgender people to 'check their privilege.'

Students at Appalachian State University notice the board when they enter Plemmons Student Union, a major campus hub that has allowed the incendiary board to remain in place since last semester.

The board's existence, which was first reported last year by the web site Campus Reform, has conservatives outraged over what they perceive as the singling out of one religious group as well as the imposition of a political point of view on unsuspecting students.

The board first surfaced last year in a residence hall, but now it has been placed in a more prominent location with greater exposure to students.

The original campaign, the brainchild of three University of San Francisco professors who handed out fliers such as this one, drew interest from campuses around the country

'[The board] is picking at the fact that privilege is so silly,' said Reggie Gravely, the App State police science major who posted the board.

Gravely was interviewed by The Appalachian.

While many sympathize with the message the board is trying to convey, the style and its presentation has ruffled feathers.

'Talking about a controversial topic [like privilege] should be voluntary, it shouldn't be brought to your front door,' dorm resident Matthew Desantis told The Appalachian.

'Of course certain groups of people have privilege, but the presentation is what bothers me.'

'The content of the board is not inclusive, which is what an RA should be,' said another dorm resident. 'I have a hard time believing that I should learn at [3 a.m.] on my way to the bathroom. I agree with what [Gravely] is getting across, but not how he's doing it.'

Ja'Nina Walker, a USF psychology professor and one of the intiators of the campaign, said the goal is to get students to 'recognize the structural inequalities' around them

'A residential hall is the last place to push an agenda,' Laurel Littler, a junior at the university, told Campus Reform last year. 'When I come home, I want to feel accepted, not outcasted for something I can't help. I can't help that I'm Caucasian.'

'Will they be happy if I change the color of my skin so I don't have my 'white privilege' anymore?'

'I want to be comfortable in my own skin. You can't preach equality if you aren't willing to let a people group feel accepted as they are.'

Littler told Fox News last year that she was 'cyber-bullied' because of her decision to protest, and the abuse she was receiving online was 'deserved' because of her status as a 'privileged Caucasian.'

The App State controversy is a continuation of a campaign that first originated at the University of San Francisco, where professors disseminated fliers that urged the public to 'look at all the privileges I haven't checked.'

'If you can expect time off from work to celebrate your religious holidays, you have Christian Privilege,' reads one of the fliers.

The professors defined privilege as 'unearned access to social power based on membership in a dominant social group.'

Ja'Nina Walker, a USF psychology professor and one of the intiators of the campaign, told the San Francisco Foghorn that the goal is to get students to 'recognize the structural inequalities around them.'

'We just hope that people use this as an opportunity to think critically about the world around them and challenge themselves to really consider the implications of structural inequalities and how they, as an individual, can help mitigate the negative effects of social inequalities,' said Walker.

This past Spring, over 1,500 students from across the country descended on Philadelphia to attend the so-called 'White Privilege Conference,' which was designed to provide support for those who might be 'burned out from working to dismantle racism and white supremacy'

The professors, who have sought to disseminate the message through fliers and shirts, were surprised when their nascent campaign went viral and they began receiving requests to use the material on other campuses.

'In order to effectively advocate for others, one needs to have an awareness of self and the biases and positions within the society in which we live,' said assistant professor Sonja Poole.

'Privilege is a touchy subject and it is often unrecognized by those who have the most. It is important to identify and confront issues that affect marginalized people so that we can reduce social and economic injustice and increase societal well-being.'

Organization in colleges and universities, traditionally a hotbed of social activism, have sought to provide training, workshops, and seminars centered on the controversial topic of 'privilege.'

This past Spring, students from across the country descended on Philadelphia to attend the so-called 'White Privilege Conference.'

More than 1,500 people attended the gathering, which was held in Philadelphia and cost $400 a piece.

There were 20 workshops covering sex, race, and gender - including one session that deals with those who might be 'exhausted, burned out from working to dismantle racism and white supremacy.'

Some titles of the seminars had the spelling of woman changed to 'womyn' - so 'man' is taken out of the word.

According to Campus Reform, Miami University (MU) of Ohio covered more than half the cost and charged students a flat fee of only $60, potentially $240 less than the total expense of the conference.

One workshop was called 'Self-Care and Healing as Change Agents.'

The description of the session reads: 'Feeling exhausted, burned out from working to dismantle racism and white supremacy, and other forms of oppression in organizations, groups, and individuals?

'Still deeply committed to creating greater equity, inclusion and social justice in society and in organizations, yet finding yourself, at times, too weary or overwhelmed to make meaningful change?