DRAFT
April 2005
Dennis Lynn
THE CASE FOR CHRISTIAN HIGHER EDUCATION
Luke 10:25--28
Key verse: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.”
Complete education
Academic excellence
Social encouragement
Eternal perspective
Complete education
Christ-centered higher education integrates faith and learning in ways that shape a whole person for a complete life. Findings from the 2000 National Survey of Student Engagement noted that alumni from schools associated with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) overwhelmingly affirmed that their undergraduate experience helped them connect faith with other aspects of their life, compared with 20% of non-church related private and public institutions. 95% of CCCU alumni reported that their undergraduate experience helped them develop moral principles that guide their actions. This compares to less than 40% of public university alumni. An integrated and comprehensive Christian worldview informs and transforms students in every aspect of life for their whole life.
Christian higher education is very concerned about providing an environment for life changing experiences. Academic education is important, but it is not a complete education. Christian education integrates faculty and staff mentoring, chapel experiences and academic illustrations that yield character and life training. Therefore, the overall purpose of Christian higher education is to produce well-trained academicians who understand the importance of character and values in every aspect of life.
Academic excellence
Students in Christian colleges and universities are taught by faculty who bring expertise in their specific discipline and rigorous standards of scholarship to the classroom. In a 2001 study, nine out of ten CCCU alumni affirmed that faculty were interested in the personal and academic success of their students. First-year CCCU students perceive their institution as being significantly more committed to academic quality than do students at other colleges. Smaller classes taught primarily by faculty with tenured degrees who focus on equipping students for a successful career path with a meaningful purpose offer academic quality that makes a distinctive difference.
One of the evidences of the quality of the academic experience in Christian higher education is the way our graduates perform after graduation. Typical of Christian institutions is that graduates excel after graduation. Acceptance in professional schools such as medical, dental, physical therapy, pharmacy, etc. is well over 90%. Graduates of independent colleges and universities traditionally have done extremely well in graduate schools. It is not uncommon to find our teachers to be among those in highest demand. The same is true for people in fields of business, accounting, agriculture, behavioral sciences and communication.
Social encouragement
A healthy campus environment, positive peer pressure, trustworthy mentors and a strong sense of Christian community combine to create the balance and boundaries essential for security and growth during the college years. In the 2000 National Survey cited earlier, first-year CCCU students reported that their colleges and universities provided the support they needed to thrive socially. Seven out of ten CCCU alumni reported having a professor who served as a mentor or role model during their college days. Daily chapel, campus devotionals, social clubs, service projects, meaningful and enjoyable opportunities to use creative talents and athletic abilities, and residential life guided by Christian principles encourage students to build positive relationships and make wise decisions during their college experience.