Solving Christian higher education’s diversity problem

Christian colleges and universities have a diversity problem.

While only about 50 percent of public school students are white, 66 percent of students enrolled in colleges belonging to the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities are white. That disparity draws attention to a disconnect between Christian higher education and the nation’s growing ethnic community, said Pete Menjares, a professor at Vanguard University and a senior fellow for diversity at the CCCU.

Menjares works with schools to identify racial and ethnic blind spots and figure out ways to attract and retain minority high school graduates.

“Some believe this is a kingdom imperative,” he said. “They are actively recruiting and are sensitive to campus climate issues. They’re actively engaged in the local community, working with leaders and churches to identify and support students. Others are further behind and still need to be convinced that this needs to be a priority.”

While some Christian universities and seminaries have scholarship programs designed to attract minority students, few are working together to address the problem in a more holistic way. A new effort launched in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination could change that.

As part of MLK50, a joint conference hosted in Memphis, Tenn., last week by The Gospel Coalition and the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), 20 Christian universities and seminaries agreed to set aside scholarship funds specifically for Memphis students. The combined effort totaled $1.5 million in financial assistance.

Schools that did not already have a minority outreach program are viewing the Dream Forward Scholarship Initiative as a catalyst, said Brent Leatherwood, director of strategic partnerships for the ERLC.

“It’s almost like a pilot program,” he said. “Schools are interested in taking this to other cities and neighborhoods.”

While the Memphis program offers a small number of scholarships relative to the total enrollment in Christian higher education, the program’s most important and lasting effect could come from provoking replication, Menjares said.

“That’s my hope,” he said. “Every school will think about how they can do something similar. … Individual schools have their own programs, but I can’t think of anything else on this scale.”

The Dream Forward Scholarship Initiative stemmed from conversations between the conference organizers and the Memphis Christian Pastors Network. The local church leaders urged MLK50 organizers to do something that would leave a lasting legacy for the city. Although they didn’t ask for a scholarship fund, the pastors repeatedly mentioned education as one of the community’s most significant needs.

Leatherwood expects several more schools to join the program in the coming weeks. Local pastors will help identify prospective students and encourage them through the application process and eventual transition to college, a continued link to the community that will help ensure the students’ success.

While the scholarships won’t solve all the problems Memphis faces, Leatherwood said he hoped they will serve as a meaningful first step: “We’re not under any illusion that this will change everything. But this is a small step forward toward opening pathways to a quality higher education for some minority students in Memphis.”

The Rev. Rufus Smith, senior minister at Hope Church Memphis and executive chairman of the Memphis Christian Pastors Network, credited the conference organizers with listening to the Christian community’s concerns “after some initial paternalistic missteps.”

“One of those concerns was the optic of appearing in Memphis for two days but leaving without a meaningful milestone to mark its continuous caring,” he said. “What we thought would be five Memphis student scholarships has turned out to be 24 as of yesterday!”

Teachers still striking

Oklahoma teachers carried their walkout into an eighth day Wednesday, in a push for more education funding. Schools in two of the state’s largest districts closed because so many teachers planned to rally again at the state Capitol. Other districts have remained open despite sporadic teacher absences.

The educational activism continues to spread, with teachers in Arizona announcing Tuesday they are ready to set a date for their own walkout. Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, has promised teachers a 1 percent raise and $100 million in extra funding this year, but leaders of Arizona Educators United want more. On Wednesday, teachers wore red shirts and staged a “walk-in” at about 1,000 schools throughout the state to call for a 20 percent raise and more than $1 billion in new education funding.

In Kentucky, Gov. Matt Bevin, a Republican, vowed to veto a $480 million tax increase designed to provide more money for classroom funding. The new taxes on a variety of services would fund a $4,000 per pupil spending boost for schools and restore $254 million in school bus funding Bevin wanted to cut. The governor didn’t seem troubled by the prospect of going toe to toe with angry teachers.

“I did not take this job to make people politically happy,” Bevin said. “Those of you who are parents understand this. Sometimes making the hard decision, putting the sugary cereal back on the shelf, doesn’t make everyone involved in that situation happy. But sometimes it is the right thing to do.”

Lawmakers will consider overriding Bevins’ veto Friday, and the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents has urged educators to rally again at the statehouse to show their support. At least one district announced plans to cancel classes. —L.J.

California mulls new homeschool regulations

California lawmakers are preparing another attempt to regulate homeschoolers following one of the worst cases of child abuse in U.S. history. In the weeks after police freed 13 children from their parents in Riverside, one state lawmaker introduced a bill that would require local fire marshals to check registered homeschools at least once a year. The latest bill would establish a committee to propose additional layers of government oversight, including curriculum mandates and teacher certification requirements for parents, as well as health and safety inspections. Homeschool advocates have noted that while David and Louise Turpin used their educational choices to help keep their children hidden, homeschooling is not a risk factor for widespread abuse. But if California lawmakers pass new regulations, they could have a significant effect on educational freedom across the country, warned Mike Smith, president of Home School Legal Defense Association: “What occurs in California has a significant impact on the rest of the nation because of its size and media influence.” —L.J.

Clash of the Titans?

Activist Shane Claiborne and Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. are locked in an epic battle of the wills (not to mention theology). Claiborne and his group of liberal, social justice–oriented followers held a revival in Falwell’s backyard last week, and Claiborne asked the conservative evangelical leader to pray with him. He also asked to hold a prayer meeting—not a protest, he was quick to note—on the Liberty campus. No can do, according to the Liberty police department, which sent Claiborne a letter threatening him with arrest if he set foot on school property. Claiborne shared both his letter and Liberty’s response on Twitter with a note citing them as “BREAKING” news. Because what’s an epic battle without an audience? —L.J.

Shooting as sport

The Associated Press takes an interesting look at high school and college shooting clubs, where students say they learn patience and discipline and parents insist they aren’t worried about putting guns into their teenagers’ hands. Amid all the talk about attacks on schools, it’s easy to forget that shooting is an Olympic sport. —L.J.