Wednesday, 10 December 2008

• YOUR College...Intergration of Faith & Learning

  Response 2 to “Integrating Faith and Learning in Higher Education” by David S. Dockery, President of The Research Institute of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission Fall Meeting September 2000                

  Following the Second World War, growth of higher education took place across America. Dockery says that “as we enter the 21st Century there is approximately 3,600 institutions of higher learning:  2,000 public and 1,600 private. Many of the public institutions are community colleges.  Others are large research universities.  Of the 1,600 private institutions almost 800 maintain some church relationship (about 400 mainline; a little less than 300 Roman Catholic; and few more than 100 Evangelical)”.

  Of all these school we can identify 4 types:

                 1)                  The Private College

  ·         independent in its operation

  ·         few Christian commitments

  ·         Faculty and students (with some or many board members) probably unrelated to the Christian heritage of the college

  ·         approach to education generally as diverse and pluralistic as most public institutions

  2)         The Bible College

  ·         Preparation for Church Related Vocation

  ·         Generally study only Christian material

  ·         Undergraduate seminary

  3)         The Church-Related College

  ·         Acknowledgement of Christian heritage

  ·         Sees itself as an academic partner with its sponsoring denomination with many faculty, students, and board members coming from that tradition

  ·         Approach to education—two generally unrelated spheres:

  a.       Campus ministry and chapel programs

  b.      Academic curriculum and program

  ·         Caring context for education

  4)         The Christian Liberal Arts College

  ·         Strong cultural ties with sponsoring denomination/constituency

  ·         Faculty and students conscious of denominational/constituency ties

  ·         Board has strong tie to denomination/constituency

  ·         Provides opportunity for examination of subject matter from a faith perspective

  ·         Grace-filled context for education

  ·         Approach to education grounded in Christian world and life view

  ·         Education as a learning community—one sphere characterized by the integration of faith and learning and faith and living.

  I believe my college falls under the category “Christian Liberal Arts”.  The only part of the description I have not experienced at my college has to be the first two bullets.  I feel like if anything at my college, there has not been an emphasis on denominational ties. But I do feel that my college exhibits the following:

  ·         Provides opportunity for examination of subject matter from a faith perspective

  ·         Grace-filled context for education

  ·         Approach to education grounded in Christian world and life view

  ·         Education as a learning community—one sphere characterized by the integration of faith and learning and faith and living

  What college have you or do you attend?

  Which category does that college fall under?

  Why?

  Do you feel like David S. Dockery’s assumptions are correct?

   

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