Thursday, July 16, 2009

2009 Students of Faith Survey

First Things is engaged in a project which might well help Christian parents and prospective college students choose a campus that is not at least actively hostile to the faith: the "Students of Faith Survey."
First Things is embarking on a journey through the wild world of college rankings, and we need your help. We'd like to come up with a list of schools that provide (1) a solid academic training, (2) a diploma that will mean something at the end of day, and (3) an environment where faith, if not actively supported, is at least approved of and not discouraged inside and outside the classroom.

To help with that last part, we're asking undergraduates and recent graduates to fill out an online survey that will give us an idea what it is like on their campus for a student of faith.
The survey asks ten questions [each question asks both for a rating and for examples that illustrate the rating]. Some of the questions:
  • In your experience, do your professors generally ignore or ridicule religion, or do they take it seriously?
  • In the classroom, do you find faith considered a serious object of academic discourse, or do you find it deemed irrelevant or irrational?
  • If students are generally religious, do you sense that they live out their beliefs?
  • Do you find that you can, from time to time, engage your fellow students in religious discussions on a deeper level than, say, whether religion is good or bad?
  • From what you've seen, in what form would you say religion is most often expressed on your campus: in service projects, worship services, or some other form?
If you are currently a student or have recently graduated, the survey is here.

The picture is from an interesting Daily Californian [UC Berkeley] article about the experience of Christians on that campus.

First Things - Students of Faith Survey

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