Higher education continues to face an uncertain future, not only through demographic shifts, rising costs, and a competitive marketplace, but also through dissonant visions for the telos of education. In this context, Christian institutions have the opportunity to carve out a distinctive niche, provide answers about the purpose of a liberal…

Mentoring of some sort is always part of the socialization process as new faculty members join the life and mission of a university. One type of mentoring is informal in nature. Newer members of a community pick up on the ways of an institution through "water cooler" conversations, casual interactions with colleagues, and even the…

Scholars studying Christian higher education frequently suggest that faculty are the campus constituents with the most influence over the future of an institution's Christian mission. Thus, both faculty hiring and development are important elements for maintaining and strengthening the Christian identity of a university over time. Despite this…

Christian higher education has been experiencing frequent transformational organizational change (e.g., downsizing, elimination of departments, technological innovations, addition of majors, etc.). These changes are significantly impacting faculty members. In other contexts, researchers have asserted that organizational change correlates with…

Institutions of higher education face an increasing demand for evidence that they are providing the high-quality educational experience promised in promotional materials. Accrediting bodies require assessment for accountability to ensure continuous improvement. Faculty at Christian higher education institutions join their secular counterparts in…

Justice education in the Catholic, Jesuit tradition is filled with tensions, many of which surface in different community service contexts. Saint Louis University offers an institutional illustration of these tensions, both in the conceptual origins of justice education and in the practical ways that students make meaning from service experiences.…

Institutions of higher learning are located within the context of neighborhoods. But to what degree do they see themselves as neighbors? What does it mean to be an engaged institutional neighbor? Inspired by this question, I utilize place-based community engagement principles, combined with self-study research methods, to trace the development of…

University efforts to galvanize work that is often siloed and disconnected across departments is supported by collaborative and creative initiatives. Campbell University's mission to support community engagement at multiple levels of university life, while also emphasizing faith and vocation, is an example of how one university is modeling this…

Christian institutions are founded on a diverse set of historical and theological backgrounds and strive to integrate faith, learning, and living in a way that not only educates and develops students, but also responds to the Christian call of service. Community engagement, therefore, becomes a way for Christian institutions to achieve said…

This article explores the merits and challenges of a community partnership that was forged between a Religious Studies professor at DePaul University and the nonprofit Interfaith Community for Detained Immigrants (ICDI). Through this partnerhip, students in a Religious Studies class participated in a set of ICDI-related, half-day immersion…

Equipping students for citizenship has always been a core element of American higher education. Amid financial distress, changing technology, and global interconnectivity, the project of equipping citizens is becoming increasingly disembodied. Embracing the notion that one's physical place matters, one application of an "embodied"…

This article provides an example of how the traditions and values that have long underpinned the work of Christian higher education are of particular relevance to how Christian universities might partner with communities to address critical 21st-century challenges in groundbreaking new ways. The University of Dayton's Catholic and Marianist…