Christian Higher Education Analysis

The Continuing Crisis in Christian Higher Education An Examination of the Ability of Christian Colleges and Universities to Compete in the Academic Marketplace and Impact the Culture

Faith and Learning Once Connected • European origins • The American experience •

How the Divorce Happened

• The two spheres illusion • Church outbid by secular donors

The Great Mistake: Education is Not a Commodity • Christian education is not: – mere niceness – public education plus chapel – best practices 

• Christian education involves a relationship between faith and learning 

The Buckley Example • God and Man at Yale controversy in 1951 • Yale defended itself • Contrast Yale today. No defense or defensiveness at being called unChristian.

The Secular Revolution • Christian Smith’s thesis: Secularists moved American higher ed. • The Carnegie professors pension fund example: Buying churches away from denominations

The Heritage of Secularization • • • 

Eviction Marginalization Lack of resources

Surveying the Landscape: Understanding the Levels of Capability in American Higher Education and Where Christian Institutions Fall on the Scale

Levels of Universities • • • • • •

Premier and Virtually Unlimited Premier, Comprehensive Comprehensive, National Premier Liberal Arts National Liberal Arts Regional, Master’s-Granting

Premier, Virtually Unlimited • Examples include Harvard ($35b), Yale ($23b), Princeton ($16b), MIT ($10b) • Scholarships at will • Elite student body • Train Ph.D.’s and professionals in large numbers • Teaching load 2:1 or less • Finest scholarly publications –

Premier, Comprehensive • Examples include University of Chicago ($6.2b), Emory University ($5.6b), Rice University ($4.7b) • Broad scholarship funding • Elite student body • Train large numbers of Ph.D.’s and professionals • Teaching load 2:1 or less. • Some scholarly publications are top level – –

Comprehensive, National • Examples include Michigan State Univ. ($1.2b + state $)University of Florida ($1.2b + state $), University of Delaware ($1.4b + state $), Baylor Univ. ($1.0b). • Some scholarship funding, often with major state tuition subsidies if public. • Competitive, large student body • Train large numbers of Ph.D.’s and professionals • Teaching load 2:2 • Some scholarly publications are strong 

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Premier Liberal Arts • Examples include Williams College ($1.9b), Grinnell College ($1.7b), Amherst College ($1.7b). • Heavy Scholarships (replace loans with grants) • Elite student body • Wide range of undergraduate programs, well-funded • Teaching load 2:1 • Pipeline to the Premier, Unlimiteds

National Liberal Arts • Examples include: Berry College ($683m), Furman ($545m), Wheaton ($363m), Calvin ($99m). • Some tuition dependency • Near-elite student body • Good range of undergraduate programs • Teaching load 3:3 • No strong scholarly journals –

Regional, Master’s Granting • Examples include: Houston Baptist University ($85m), Biola ($54m), Azusa Pacific ($36m), Seattle Pacific ($47m), Westmont ($80m). • Heavily tuition dependent • Virtually no Ph.D. or professional schools • Teaching load 4:4 • Rare to host scholarly journals, almost never of high rank –

Where We Are • • • • •

Regional Undergraduate Tuition dependent Localized in influence Heavy teaching loads limit faculty contribution • Best faculty leave • Virtually no training of Ph.D.’s

Levels of Higher Educational Impact Formulation of social and scientific knowledge Research and publication Strong scholarship capability Doctoral programs Professional education Full range of undergrad programs Education with formation Education

The Price of Limited Vision • • • • • • •

Graduate students not trained Seminars not held Doctoral degrees not conferred Conferences not convened Journal articles not written Cultural presence not established Inability to address scientific controversies academically • Inability to establish social knowledge • Perpetuation of perception of faith and reason as separate realms

What Is Needed?

• Someone to take up the banner of the unaccomplished mission of Billy Graham and Carl F. H. Henry. • A comprehensive, Christian university that takes the confession of Christ’s Lordship seriously 

What Is a Comprehensive University? • • • • • • •

Full range of programming Moving toward tuition independence Strong power to scholarship Very strong student body Publishing faculty Scholarly journals Broad cultural impact including scientific thought

Why Should We Focus on Higher Education?  

Incredibly strategic time of decision for students – Church participation – Marriage – Voting – Vocation – Philosophy of life – Mentors

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