Study abroad programs are in vogue today, especially among Christian colleges and universities. It is, therefore, appropriate to ask tough questions of these programs. Do they help our students become more mature followers of Jesus? Are they respectful of people in the target culture? College and university leaders must focus in particular on how…

This study contributes to the understanding of the structural and cultural influences of Christian college environments on student activism through the framework of symbolic interactionism (Blumer, 1969; Mead, 1934). The goal of this research was to examine how the students at Christian institutions understand and engage in activism within their…

Colleges and universities are increasingly relying on philanthropic contributions to allow them to continue to provide high-quality education. Christian higher education is no different. African Americans give a larger percentage of their disposable income to nonprofits than any other racial group; this giving is primarily directed to the Black…

Historically, Christian colleges and universities have struggled to incorporate racial and ethnic diversity into White and homogenous campuses. Research indicates that a positive racial climate is essential to promote spiritual growth for students from diverse backgrounds. As a result, diversity is a compelling interest for Christian institutions.…

Integrating prior research focused on gender climate and expectations in Christian higher education, this article describes mentoring models and strategies sensitive to dual family and career goals frequently expressed by female students. Discussion includes a review of literature relevant to women's mentoring on Christian campuses, exploration of…

Civic and political engagement may encourage individuals to make positive societal contributions and thus act as responsible and productive citizens. A positive relationship between civic/political engagement and the extent of one's faith-based beliefs and behaviors has been the basis for a growing field of research (e.g., Becker & Dhingra, 2001;…

The theory of student involvement (Astin, 1984) acknowledges that as students devote time and energy to educationally purposeful activities, they can expect to make cognitive and affective gains throughout the college years. Participation in clubs and organizations is one form of involvement associated with a host of learning and developmental…

This article presents some of the findings from a recent study on adult students (25 years and older) in Christian nontraditional programs and the implications these findings have for Christian higher education. One goal of the study was to develop a better understanding of adult spirituality. Utilizing a descriptive, cross-sectional survey…

In the Christian college environment, students are encouraged to understand their vocational calling, yet quantitative research on how college students conceptualize calling is sparse. This correlational study extends the research literature significantly by empirically examining variables that affect sense of vocational calling in 270 college…

This study investigated the degree to which strengths ownership, psychological capital (PsyCap) qualities of hope, self-efficacy, optimism, and resiliency, and demographic characteristics of gender, college class level, leadership experience, and strengths experience are predictive of effective leadership practices as defined by the Leadership…

As part of a larger investigation into the spiritual climate at one Lutheran college, we interviewed Protestant Christian students in order to compare their conceptualizations of spirituality, religion, and faith with biblical notions of those concepts. We found that the students' understandings of those concepts only loosely reflected general…

This article explores current research, diagnosis, and common problems of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among Christian college and university students. For years, ADHD was believed to dissipate as children mature, but current research contradicts that belief. Proctor (2009) and others detail the continuance of ADHD into…

Although character formation has always been a central goal of education, efforts to promote character education in schools have, in the last century, always been hampered by an inability to adequately define character. We offer the concept of the flourishing life as the appropriate context for defining and developing character. This concept,…

While the concept of mentoring is used frequently in discussions about and within educational settings of all levels (primary, secondary, higher education), little is known based on empirical study about the nature of faculty members' peer relationships. This qualitative study examined the characteristics of successful peer relationships among…

Current research about the political and social views of students at conservative evangelical colleges is reviewed. The results reveal that there is more diversity among these students than is assumed by the general population. One drawback to the research is that the studies are disproportionately about White college students. The article…