ThomasRice

Faculty Priorities:Where Does Faith Fit In?: 

Faculty Priorities: Where Does Faith Fit In? Gene Rice, AACU rice@aacu.org Nancy Thomas, SVHE democracyproject@aol.com

Slide2: 

What question or questions, if we could answer them, would best move us in the right direction?

Eventual framing:: 

Eventual framing: How do we address widespread religious illiteracy on campus and in society in general? How do we preserve standards of public reason, intellectual integrity, academic freedom, and public discourse? How do we address students’ interest in exploring questions of purpose and spirituality?

Challenge 1: Address widespread religious illiteracy:: 

Challenge 1: Address widespread religious illiteracy: To achieve this level of understanding and competency, students need to be exposed to religion across a full range of disciplines, including the sciences, humanities, arts, social sciences, and the professions.

Challenge 2: Uphold standards of intellectual integrity, critical inquiry, and academic freedom, yet welcome a broader understanding of reason:: 

Challenge 2: Uphold standards of intellectual integrity, critical inquiry, and academic freedom, yet welcome a broader understanding of reason: The academy needs to broaden its notion of reason in ways that protect scientific, empirical, and instrumental rationality but also consider truth claims based in faith traditions as valid “other ways of knowing,” at all times cognizant of academic standards and freedom.

Challenge 3: Respond to students’ search for purpose and spiritual meaning: 

Challenge 3: Respond to students’ search for purpose and spiritual meaning

A Broader Agenda: Change the way we talk about religion, faith, and spirituality: 

A Broader Agenda: Change the way we talk about religion, faith, and spirituality Model the way this nation should do its business: the arts of democracy Inclusive and respectful dialogue Informed deliberation Conflict transformation Consensus seeking (common ground) Social change and action

Where does faith fit in faculty life? : 

Where does faith fit in faculty life?

Table Topics: 

Table Topics #1: Religious Literacy Colleges and universities need to do more to educate students for a religiously pluralistic world. #2: Preserving Public Reason Colleges and universities must support learning that is value-neutral and affirms standards of intellectual reason and academic freedom, particularly in the face of religious assertions. #3: Religion in the Classroom Passionate believers and committed nonbelievers will learn through their individual lenses. Both are equally entitled to academic freedom in the classroom. #4: Spirituality As educators, we should encourage students to search for spiritual meaning and to explore the spiritual dimension to their learning. #5 Tolerance and Public Discourse Colleges and universities should be teaching tolerance and promoting ground rules for public discourse on matters of religion, faith, and spirituality.