It is no secret that American colleges and universities are increasingly becoming Orwellian dystopias. Those who dissent from the prevailing orthodoxies often survive by keeping their mouths shut and their heads down. Concerns about the transformation of much of higher education into grossly overpriced hotbeds of leftist indoctrination are not new, even as we have shifted from talking about “political correctness” to the now ubiquitous “woke.” Yet, despite all the hand-wringing, things have mostly gotten worse.
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Many conservative evangelicals think they have a viable alternative: Protestant evangelical colleges and universities. Evangelical parents and students are willing to spend private tuition dollars at these institutions to escape the madness — often on top of the hefty investments they have made in private and in-home K–12 education.
Sadly, after spending all that money and foregoing other opportunities so as to obtain a “biblical” education, too often these evangelicals instead end up with the same old woke nonsense, which is barely hidden under a veneer of pious justification and Christian-sounding jargon. (READ MORE: Education Has Reached Peak Absurdity, But There Is Hope)
Disturbing reports have emerged showing trendy leftism flourishing at numerous evangelical colleges. Several now hire faculty members who are legally married to members of the same sex. Many have also pulled out of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) rather than stick to orthodox Christian teaching on marriage and sex. Many remaining CCCU colleges are almost as badly compromised. For example, one college that officially claims to profess that sex is only morally acceptable within the bounds of marriage, defined as between one man and one woman, has given its faculty permission to dissent from this teaching.
Minority-restricted clubs and experiences are not unusual on evangelical campuses, and evangelical colleges interestingly use this form of racial segregation to achieve “reconciliation” and create “safe places.” For example, one well-known CCCU member held a minority-only homecoming, while still another hosted separate commencement ceremonies for minorities. Many evangelical colleges also have aggressive diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and training programs that teach acceptance of same-sex relationships. This is all similar to what one might find at a state university.
Clearly, conservative evangelicals considering faith-based colleges need to be discerning. It is not just about carefully reading a college’s mission and faith statements. These may be window dressings that are rarely, if ever, enforced. Worse, on close inspection, much of the wording in these statements may be vague platitudes that can mean almost anything. Many phrases can easily be found even in the mission statements of uber-liberal Protestant churches.
So, what to do? Here are some concrete suggestions for parents and students considering evangelical Protestant colleges as alternatives to Woke U. I offer these as someone who has been in Christian higher education since 1986, at three separate institutions. I also served in college administrations for many years and sent all six of my children to evangelical colleges.
First, look for doctrinal statements and behavioral expectations that are clear and specific. There ought to be provisos that address the specific errors and pressures that are currently pressing on the modern church. Does the college have decisive stances on such areas as critical race theory (CRT), sexual activities, identities, and orientations? If not, why not? When in doubt, ask.
Second, are these doctrinal and behavioral parameters enforced? Go ahead and make that admissions officer squirm with questions like: “How many faculty members, administrators, and chapel staff disagree with this doctrinal stance?”; “Has the college ever removed an employee for being out of alignment with this doctrinal stance?”; and “In which areas is your college most likely to allow employees to hold or express beliefs that violate its doctrinal statement?” Hit the “tough” issues. Ask about homosexuality, easy divorce, abortion, transgenderism, and critical race theory. Be specific.
There ought to be reasonable latitude within any academic institution for diverse points of view. Similarly, students need to read about and be accurately taught a wide range of perspectives, including those that are in opposition to a school’s doctrinal stance. However, faculty members, administrators, and chapel staff should not be promoting ideas and practices that go against these doctrinal statements, particularly on aspects that are central to a college’s mission and identity.
Just because a place was trustworthy even ten years ago does not mean that one can count on it to be the same today.
Third, look up what a school is or is not doing in regard to LGBTQ affirmation and DEI, which currently constitute the main areas of progressive drift in evangelical colleges. It does not take much work to find relevant staff, offices, clubs, and programs, if they exist, on college websites. If the college has high-ranking officials such as vice presidents and deans specifically tasked with promoting DEI initiatives, that means that these are high priority and infused throughout the institution’s curricula, personnel, and student policies, including those involving hiring and promotion. Avoid such places. Take opportunities to ask current students about these areas, and by all means bring these up directly with admissions counselors, faculty, and other university representatives.
Fourth, look at speakers and programs held outside the classroom, especially those that reveal the commitments a school has at the highest level. The most important area to review is the chapel program, for the past two to three years at the least. Another is the programming organized by student-life staff. Next are speakers and programs sponsored directly by presidents, provosts, and deans, in particular endowed speakers. Focus not on one or two figures or topics here and there, but, rather, examine the overall weight, trend, and drift of these extracurricular events. For example, hosting a pro-CRT speaker is not necessarily a problem. In fact, done well, it can be a valuable contribution to a university’s necessary mission to expose students to competing ideas. But if you see four or five antiracism activists speaking in high-visibility venues over the course of the past few years, but no or little evidence of speakers presenting opposing views, then, well, “Houston, we have a problem.”
Fifth, walk the campus when college is in session and check out the offices, posters, display tables, and the like. One potential rich source of information is faculty doors, which often reveal professors’ ideological commitments.
Sixth, consider how the college handles various holidays and similar events. Do organizations openly participate in the annual LGBTQ “National Coming Out Day”? Has the college replaced Columbus Day with something like “Indigenous People’s Day”? Are famous black conservatives like Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas ignored during Black History Month? Who are the heroines praised as role models for students during Women’s History Month? Are they all feminists and progressives? What is happening on campus during Pride Month? Similarly, what kinds of statements did the college release in response to crises such as the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020? This kind of information can be found in a college’s press releases and the news section of its website.
Seventh, what are the college’s associational affiliations? CCCU membership tells you something, but not much. Better by far is a college’s being tied to a new Christian university organization founded as a reaction to CCCU’s mission drift, such as the International Alliance for Christian Education (IACE). IACE is much more proactive than the CCCU in enforcing basic orthodoxy. Another good bet is being listed as an official affiliate of the highly selective Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS).
Finally, look up the social media accounts and publications of faculty — especially those who are more famous and influential — and departments — particularly those that offer majors you or your child is interested in. Look up names, profiles, and posts on sites such as Twitter and LinkedIn.
Meanwhile, do not rely on reports from folks who were involved with the college many years ago. Evangelical colleges have changed rapidly. Just because a place was trustworthy even ten years ago does not mean that one can count on it to be the same today. Similarly, although more rarely, colleges do make shifts toward greater orthodoxy.
In dealing with evangelical colleges, prospective students and parents are in the driver’s seat. Many schools will be going out of business over the next decade or so. Some already have. The shrinking number of traditional college-age students, combined with hyperinflation in college costs, suggests no end in sight to these challenges. Evangelical college administrators who want to urge their institutions leftward like to point out that, because most young people are liberal, their colleges must become doctrinally broad, even squishy, to survive. Yet, as with churches and denominations, colleges that accommodate modern progressivism and identity politics usually decline. Why pay all that money for a baptized version of what can be bought from a public university at a fraction of the cost? The fact is that most students interested in private evangelical colleges are not liberal — they are actively looking for alternatives to woke academia, not “lite” versions of it.
Private college is a colossal financial investment. Just as it would be crazy to take on a mortgage without a careful home inspection, you must ask tough questions, turn over rocks, and be demanding and insistent in your college research. This won’t guarantee perfection, but it will certainly make having serious buyer’s remorse down the road a lot less likely.
David Ayers is professor of sociology at Grove City College.
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