Faith-affiliated colleges and universities confront a special challenge in assessing students' development relative to dispositional learning goals. Since 2007, three New England Catholic colleges have collaborated to evaluate students' religious, spiritual, moral and ethical growth. A four-part mixed-method study resulted in qualitative as well…

This article examines how an orientation toward "hope" can guide institutions of higher education in achieving their ultimate purpose of providing education for the common good of society. In today's cultural context, colleges and universities must navigate a multitude of challenges and competing philosophies, many of which question the…

This article does not attempt to address the many and varied changes currently facing Christian higher education, but seeks to provide a framework for thinking about the future that is grounded in the church's heritage and tradition. Believing that the secular culture is indifferent to the Christian faith and that the Christ world tends to be…

As part of a larger investigation into the spiritual climate at one college of the Lutheran church, we interviewed students to determine the meaningful experiences that they faced as students. Many experiences mentioned related to two specific religion and philosophy courses. The analysis of data provided by ten students who had completed one of…

This article explores theological dimensions of the academic vocation, taking its cue from the research undertaken by the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate, which envisions the scholar as a steward of an academic discipline. We contend, however, that the Christian scholar's sense of stewardship extends beyond one's academic…

In this collaborative autoethnography, we explored how 14 academic and administrative leaders of color working in faith-based higher education have experienced personal and professional mentoring, and how mentoring experiences have influenced their leadership development. All participants identified a wide array of developmental relationships that…

How faculty at Christian universities encourage teacher candidates to draw on a Christian worldview ultimately influences the ways teacher candidates become effective agents of change in K-12 schools. This study examined the assumption that K-12 Christian teachers cannot remain religiously neutral since one's worldview shapes all aspects of life,…

Through the studies of the concept of mattering by Rosenberg and McCullough in 1981, Schlossberg in 1989, and now many others, the importance of university students to matter has been underscored. Klug's 2008 research began to shed light on the practices that help students to feel that they matter. Klug identified five themes: nurturing,…

As the number of students taking online courses continues to grow steadily, it is becoming increasingly important to inquire about the experiences of these students in order to understand the factors that contribute to their success. It is imperative that the social needs of students be understood, as interaction is an important aspect of the…

There are over 500 institutions of higher education within the United States that identify with the Christian faith. A majority of these schools were founded by specific Christian denominations with which many are still affiliated. Faculty members within these institutions who identify with a Christian tradition or denomination different from the…

Catholic universities seek to provide students with not simply information for a career, but also a formation for life. At one institute, this goal is expressed in a tag line adapted from St. Francis de Sales: "Be who you are and be that well." How can this motto characterize the institution itself and distinguish it from its educational peers? A…

The purpose of this study was to explore how women in administrative positions in Christian higher education integrate their professional and personal lives. Six women in leadership positions in small, faith-based liberal arts colleges were interviewed. Levinson's (1996) concept of gender-splitting was used as a lens to analyze the data. The women…

In the current atmosphere of expanding school choice, evangelical Christian schools provide a distinctive alternative consistent with deeply held beliefs of what is required for human flourishing, and represent a significant resource for parents seeking education based on a perspective diverging from those promoted by popular culture and public…

Public Law 94-142 (PL 94-142), the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, was signed into legislation in 1975. This anchor piece of legislation became one of the most influential in the advocacy of a special needs population that previously had been institutionalized or removed from the public school setting because they were not…

Approximately 36% of people living in America today belong to a minority group. Despite the increase in diverse population of the United States, less than 17% of registered nurses in 2008 belonged to a minority group. This is a concern because people from minority backgrounds are more apt to seek ACmedical care, trust information received, and…