Contemporary Issues at the Secular University

1
Contemporary Issues at the Secular University
Examining the characteristics of Millennial
Generation students Offering strategies that
will open minds and hearts for the Gospel.

• M7 Conference
• Kansas City, Mo
• Carlton F. Harvey, Ph.D.
• Presenter

2
The Strength of a Secure Base

• Secure bases are those people, goals, or things
  to which we bond in a special wayThey give
  protection, comfort and energy.
• Secure bases serve as anchors in our liveslike
  the earth around the roots of a tree that
  provides the foundation and strength to protect
  it during turbulence (Kohlrieser, 2006, p. 67).

3
Secularism

• Secularism means deliverance first from
  religious and then from metaphysical control over
  human reason and language (cf. Hunter, 1992,
  footnote on p. 173).
• Not just religious practice, but God has been
  removed from the campus.
• Students need an anchor.

4
Todays Presentation

• Section 1 General observations of Millennial
  Generation students and seven (7) key traits.
• Section 2 A new academic modelopening minds to
  the Christian alternative to secularism.
• Section 3 The story modelopening hearts to the
  story of Christ
• Section 4 A final word

5
Millennial Generation Students

• Boomers (1943-1960)
• Generation X (1961-1981)
• Millennials (1982-2002)
• E-Generation (2002 - ???)
• Source Howe Strauss, 2000

6
General Observations

• Healthier
• More diversity
• More women enrolled

• Seek structure and less individualism
• Want to change the world
• A lot more stuff!

7
7 Key TraitsHowe and Strauss, 2003

• Special
• Parent resources to purchase goods and services
• Special needs students
• High praise
• Sense of entitlement
• Helicopter parents

• Sheltered
• High levels of safety and security
• Day care, after school programs, Baby on Board
• Campus living is second home
• Drinking Crime are down
• Sheltered from unfair grading practices

8
7 Key Traits continued

• Confident
• Optimism about future
• Dream of becoming next Bill Gates
• Follow the rules, work really hard, dont mess
  up.
• Greater danger/less reward in being creatively
  different
• Return to school spirit

• Team-oriented
• Sports programs from preschool up
• Group projects and cooperative learning are the
  norm
• Respond favorably to team situations

9
7 Key Traits continued

• Conventional
• Big names, big brands are popular
• Individuality is not as critical or popular
• Prefer to have a clear path established for them

• Pressured
• Lots of stuff BUT No time or money to keep
  life in balance
• Frenetic schedules
• Grades
• More and higher sophistication in cheating
• Tell me what I need to know.

10
7 Key Traits continued

• Achieving
• Test scores are improving
• Higher percentage completing K-12
• With that, higher sense of entitlement
• Struggle to apply head-knowledge

11
Great time to be a student

• Where do Millennials
• turn for
• secure bases?

12
A New Academic Model

• Opening minds
• to the
• Christian alternative
• to
• Secularism

13
U.I. Presidents edict

• Prohibits the teaching of Intelligent Design
  except in philosophy and religion classes
• Hostile environment
• Ideological censure
• Some questions not
• allowed to be asked
• Asking the great questions is what scientific
  research is all about.

14
Campus Ministry Groups

• Fill a vital role
• Provide secure bases for struggling Christian
  students
• Training future Christian leaders
• Some success in evangelism
• Hardly a ripple in the tsunami of secularism
  submerging the secular university campus

15
The Gap

• What about the professor and/or student with no
  awareness of spiritual need?
• Precontemplative (Prochaska, Norcross, and
  DiClemente, 1995)
• -10, No awareness of God (Engle, 1979)
• Where do these people turn for a secure base
  when the inevitable questions of faith arise in
  life?

16
www.sciphre.org
17
Promoting balanced inquiry inScience, Philosophy
and Religion

• Representing a broader understanding of science
• Reaffirming the compatibility of science and
  religion in current society
• Emphasizing the importance of philosophical and
  spiritual positions in academia
• Providing consultation on the spiritual dimension
  of personal character

18
Promoting balanced inquiry inScience, Philosophy
and Religion

• Engaging the great questions of
• Science, Philosophy and Religion
• Interdenominational
• Unity in our mutual faith in Jesus Christ as
  Savior and Lord

19
Promoting balanced inquiry inScience, Philosophy
and Religion
Faculty
Students
Sciphre
Church
20
Promoting balanced inquiry inScience, Philosophy
and Religion

• Lecture series
• Endangered Species Act
• Israels Response to Hezbollah
• Intelligent Design
• Psychology of Leadership

• Publications
• www.sciphre.org
• Scholarly inquiry
• Managing matters of faith in the public school
  classroom

21
Promoting balanced inquiry inScience, Philosophy
and Religion

• Lecture series
• Publications
• Scholarly inquiry

• Strategic faculty placement
• Blending excellent scholarship and Christian
  compassion

www.sciphre.org
22
Promoting balanced inquiry inScience, Philosophy
and Religion

• Sources of funding
• Start-up by a family foundation
• Writing for grants
• Other foundations
• Government agencies
• Corporate sponsorship of events
• Local churches
• Seminars, workshops, inspirational talks
• Working to become a 10 Approved Missions Special

23
Promoting balanced inquiry inScience, Philosophy
and Religion
Faculty
Students
Sciphre
Church
24
Promoting balanced inquiry inScience, Philosophy
and Religion

• The Church
• Place to refer faculty and students
• Prayer support
• Attending with prospects

25
Promoting balanced inquiry inScience, Philosophy
and Religion

• Sciphre offers to the Church
• Place to refer faculty and students
• Faculty expertise
• Consulting
• Research
• Focus groups (local and national)
• Presentations by top-rated scientists and scholars

26
Promoting balanced inquiry inScience, Philosophy
and Religion
Faculty
Students
Sciphre
Church
27
The Story Model

• Opening hearts to the story of Christ.

But in your hearts set apart Christ as
Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to
everyone who asks you to give the reason for the
hope that you have. But do this with gentleness
and respect. I Peter 315, NIV
28
The Story Model

• Three cultures
• Oral Tradition ? story and parable
• Literary Tradition ? principle and precept
• Electronic Tradition ? sound as beat
• (Sample, 1994, 1998)

How can academics best engage the discussion of
the great questions of life and faithboth with
fellow academics and students?
29
Promoting balanced inquiry inScience, Philosophy
and Religion
Scott Minnich, Ph.D. Molecular Biology University
of Idaho
30
Promoting balanced inquiry inScience, Philosophy
and Religion
Moral of the story Christian academics can reach
back into the Oral Tradition for a model of
communication that reaches across generations and
traditions.
Great scholarship Great stories Open hearts
31
Promoting balanced inquiry inScience, Philosophy
and Religion
Millennial Generation Students Greatest Mission
Field Leaders, decision-makers, influencers
The Church must recapture our roots as leaders in
the academy engaging the great questions through
scholarship and story.
32
Promoting balanced inquiry inScience, Philosophy
and Religion
www.sciphre.org [phone]