Twenty years ago, I was sitting in my dorm room at Limestone College in Gaffney, S.C., skipping classes so I could watch the funeral of Pope John Paul II. As an aspiring church musician from the rural South, I was…
United Methodist schools stand up to Trump administration
Leaders of United Methodist-affiliated colleges and universities are expanding their resistance to Trump administration efforts to interfere in the nation’s educational institutions. The movement began in late February when Roland Fernandes, top executive of the General Board of Higher Education…
Furman faculty say they won’t give in to outside pressure
As the Trump administration seeks to pressure universities such as Columbia and Harvard to abandon DEI and “woke” ideologies, the faculty of Furman University have laid down a line they will not cross. An April 23 statement from Furman’s Faculty…
Trump’s attack on Harvard is Christian universities’ ‘worst nightmare’
The Trump administration’s attacks on Harvard are Christian universities’ “worst nightmare,” according to retired Christian university sociology professor John Hawthorne. What Trump and his allies are doing in demanding radical changes from Harvard could establish a precedent that could be…
Harvard vs. Trump, round 1
In a nation built on the power of ink, intellect and ideals, a silent war has erupted — not in the streets, not in the skies, but on the hallowed academic grounds of America’s most prestigious institution: Harvard University. The…
If higher education enrollment is headed for a cliff, what will happen to Christian colleges?
In the post-World War II economy, higher education has become one of the most powerful, desired and politicized elements of modern life. But it may be facing a severe existential threat. In 1940, only 5.5% of the U.S. male population…
Gladys the Baptist paved a way for women
Perhaps the greatest moniker Gladys Lewis ever was given was when the comedian Grady Nutt called her “Gladys the Baptist.” This Oklahoma City woman is not someone most contemporary Southern Baptists and Cooperative Baptists have heard of, but she helped…
Like all schools, Christian universities wrestle with rising costs of education
College tuition continues to increase year after year, with student loan debt mounting and affecting the ability of the middle class to invest in the future. That is a bread-and-butter issue for many private Christian universities. As the Associated Press…
We have a teachable moment, and we’re blowing it
We haven’t seen protests on college campuses like this since the 1960s. As a professor, I’m thrilled to see a deep level of engagement by students on an important issue. I’m also horrified at the responses of many institutions to…
In defense of DEI: 10 benefits of DEI in higher education
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs in higher education are under attack around the country. Conservatives see these programs as purveyors of “wokeism” that limit free speech and teach discrimination, hate and divisiveness. I’ve spent my 37-year-career in higher education in…
We face a cultural crisis, not just a political one
As Jeanie and I danced the night away in Atlanta on New Year’s Eve — yes, we actually did that, although I admit I ended up with a twisted knee, a sadly predictable outcome for a man of my rapidly…
Christian Colleges caught in ‘woke’ culture wars
Christian universities are feeling the pressure to choose a side in the ongoing culture wars over “wokeness.” The issue of “wokeness” has only grown over time as the term has become a core rhetorical point in the culture wars, presidential…