Religion and University Management
The way faiths are provided for, and the information provided about them, is an area of concern for many university staff. Some suggested that more or better resources about students’ religious needs would be useful, particularly because such information has been shaped – and distorted – by concerns with extremism:
“I don’t feel that I have any typical resources. There’s a couple of things and there was a thing a while ago, really negative. [T]here’s all this stuff about extremism on campus—fine, I’ll read it, but it doesn’t actually fit with us. We need different kinds of information…. The answer isn’t out there. [I]t would be nice to have some kind of [guidance].”
(Head of Student Support, London)
Others felt that as institutions universities are at risk of making errors of judgement in their dealings with religious groups by treating the issue superficially:
“I don’t want to be cynical and I don’t want to pour scorn on good efforts and the fostering of goodwill, I’m all in favour of it. It’s just that it can seem a little condescending sometimes from a secular institution to say: “Well if we make this building for all you, religious types, and so you can all get in there and mingle and then speak to each other, then all these problems about lack of understanding will be sorted out.” I don’t think it works, that’s contrived, it doesn’t work like that. It works more organically and particularly through friendship, I think. People can establish proper friendships. That’s the best way, I think, to come to a better understanding of people’s beliefs, respected beliefs rather than trying to force the issue.”
(Catholic chaplain, north of England)
And again:
“My general perception and [...] my feeling is that the college is useless and I just don’t even try, you know, I don’t even think that the college is going to, in anyway, accommodate for my needs, my spiritual needs, you know. I just don’t think that it is the place for that, I sort of come to lectures, go to seminars and then leave because, I think, I just don’t find it very inspiring at all.”
(Undergraduate student, London, no religious affiliation)
A number, however, thought that significant steps in the right direction had been made in the last five to ten years. In some cases, these were a direct result of equality and diversity legislation, but for others it was a general trend. Faith advisors, the majority of whom are voluntary, have become better established:
“The first chaplain in the university I met 35 years ago said that he could have been thrown off the university by the humblest cleaner. Five years ago, when I started, I was vaguely acknowledged by the university, but that was it. Then after a year we were given an office, shortly after that we were given staff status with the use of library and various other things…. So over the past five years we’ve reached a stage where rather than being tolerated we’re an accepted part of the university institutions.”
(Chaplaincy co-ordinator, north of England)
