The Ivy Jungle Network

Campus Ministry Update

September 2009

Trends in Campus Ministry, Culture and Higher Education:

Most Young Adults Think They are Spiritual:  A survey conducted by LifeWay research indicates the vast majority of unchurched young adults consider themselves spiritual.   This contrasts a view of young adults as uninterested in God or spiritual matters.  73% of 20-29 year olds said they think they are spiritual and want to learn more about "God or a higher supreme being."  Among those 30 and over, that number is only 62%.   89% of 20-29 year olds said they would be open to a conversation about Christianity – 14% higher than those over 30 years old.   63% said they would attend church if it presented truth to them in a way that "relates to my life now."   58% said they would be more likely to attend if they felt the church "cared for them as a person."   (Lifeway.com  September 16, 2009)

How Students Pick Schools:  A study by the college matching site Zinch.com reveals the factors that most influenced their users' choices for which college to attend.  Parents ranked the highest, with 58% of students saying their parents were "extremely influential" in their college choice.   Only 12.5% ranked their parents as a three or lower on a seven point scale.   Teachers and guidance counselors were much less influential.  College visits held more sway than websites or view books.   Making the choice can be stressful, with nearly 50% of students said the college choice caused them "quite a bit" of stress or experienced "more stress than I ever imagined" in the process. (aacu.org/aacu_news September 16, 2009)

Friending Your Admissions Officer:  As Facebook has become a common communication tool for college students and graduates alike, the social networking medium has created a small dilemma for college admissions officers who regularly receive friend requests from potential students.  Some students seem to think friending the people reading their applications might help their chances for admission.  While less than 15% of schools have an official policy about Facebook communication, most schools have an approach that falls into one of two camps.  The first avoids making any contact through social media.  The other embraces it as one more way to communicate with potential students.   Only 9% of admissions counselors say they looked at a student profile when evaluating an application.  (USA Today September 17, 2009)

Religious Life at USC:  The University of Southern California reports that has extended official recognition to 86 campus religious organizations.  Of those, 60 are Christian, 7 Jewish, 4 interfaith, and 3 each for Buddhist and Muslim groups.    The school just appointed a Hindu as the next director of Religious life on campus.   (Touchstone October 2009 p. 71)

Community College Enrollment Grows:  California community colleges continue to report growth at a rate that will lead to a total annual enrollment of more than 2 million students in the next 10 years.   At the same time, the 110 two-year schools in the state are currently facing a significant budget cut of 8%.   If applied to students, that cut will mean 180,000 fewer students next year.   (Inside Higher Ed September 1, 2009)

Cal Protest:   On Thursday, September 24^th, thousands of students walked out of classes to protest budget cuts and tuition hikes in the UC system.  8 of 10 campuses had protests planned.  Among the grievances are budget cuts, salary cuts, lay-offs;  and a 44% tuition hike all in an attempt to close an $813 million budget gap.

How are Christian Students responding?  Read Daniel Curran, Campus Minister at UC Berkley, blogs about Christian responses to the protests:   http://danielcurran.blogspot.com/2009/09/christian-responses-to-uc-system-wide.html  

Diversity and the SAT:  2009 marked the most diverse class to ever sit for the SAT.  40% of test takers self identified as minorities.    However, the overall score also dropped by 2 points from the previous year, with scores differing widely among students grouped by race and family income.  Hispanic students represented the fastest growing group of test takers, but also posted average scores 152 points below the overall average.  Students of Asian descent saw a 13 point gain in their average scores.   The largest gain came from students whose families earn more than $200,000 annually, posting a 26 point gain. (US News and World Report August 27, 2009)

Borrowing More For College:  Last year represented the largest ever increase in student borrowing to pay for college.  The total amount borrowed by college topped $75 billion last year, a 25% increase over the previous year.   Two-thirds of college students borrow for college, at an average rate of $23,186.   Twelve years ago, only 58% of students took out loans at a much lower average amount of $13,172.  (Wall Street Journal September 2, 2009)

More Students Using Pell Grants:  Legislators can add Pell grants to their ongoing budget concerns on Capitol Hill.  Grant applications came in at a rate much higher than expected this year.  The nearly 13% increase in applications is good news for college admissions, but means that the cost of Pell grants will be $27 billion higher than expected over the next decade.  (Inside Higher Ed August 26, 2009)

Swine Flu on Campus:  Every week different schools have posted stories about swine flu cases on campus.  To date, swine flue is responsible for the deaths of at least two students.   Thousands of students have contracted the flu this fall, representing a small, but noticeable, percentage of the more than 14 million students in higher education this year.  Schools have taken steps to prepare for the H1N1 virus including purchase of thousands of masks, doses of Advil and Tylenol, and gallons of hand sanitizer.   Some schools have set up student quarantines for those who have the flu – swine or otherwise.   Most schools are ordering thousands of doses of the H1N1 vaccine which is still in production at this point.  (CNN.com September 18, 2009)  (Inside Higher Ed September 29, 2009)

Pulling Team Beer Cans:  Anheuser-Busch has continued to take heat over their promotional "fan cans." The brewer began marketing best-selling Bud-light in team colors around the country.  However, they have run into trouble as schools have asked them to stop for fear that the cans will appear to condone and encourage underage drinking by students during football season.  The FTC has also added its voice to the objectors (AP August 26, 2009; Inside Higher Ed August 25, 2009)

Jerry Falwell and Snowboarding:  In an effort to increase its appeal to students, Liberty University, founded by Jerry Falwell, has built a snow board hill that uses a synthetic material called "snowflex" to provide students at the Virginia school with year round snowboarding.   Wanting to offer recreational alternatives to the typical college party scene, the Christian school has added a number of student perks to help increase enrollment and student retention.  In his book, Undercover at America's Holiest University,  Kevin Roose called the many recruiting and retention perks like being in "Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory."    Students say they just enjoy the hill.  (Inside Higher Ed August 25, 2009)

Calvin Professors Push for Dialogue on Homosexual Issues:  In August, Calvin College faculty received a memo from the Board of Trustees concluding it would be "unacceptable" for professors to "teach, write or advocate on behalf of homosexual issues or same sex marriage".  The professors have expressed a desire for more dialogue on the issue and have registered their concern over the process and its implications for academic freedom.   Calvin College affirms the Christian Reformed Church's position that homosexuality is sinful, but a person's orientation is not.  (Grand Rapids Press August 28, 2009)

Stimulus Funds for Syracuse Sex Study:  Republican groups have questioned the use of federal stimulus package funds that have been awarded to a Syracuse professor who is investigating the "hook-up" culture among college freshmen.  The psychology professor, Dr. Michael Carey, finds the political objections interesting, given he applied for the grant in 2008, well before the stimulus package was put into action.  (Inside Higher Ed August 25, 2009)

Gym Credit for Video Games:  The University of Houston is one of several schools that have begun to offer credit for PE courses using the Nintendo Wii.   The school says the classes offer an hour of credit just like more traditional physical education courses and have found the Wii Fit another way to attract students and encourage physical activity.  (Houston Chronicle September 7, 2009)

Luxury Dorms:  Boston University has joined the list of schools offering luxury dorms as it opened its new 960 room high rise this fall.  Amenities include walk in closets, private baths, and elegantly furnished common rooms with flat screen TV's.  Many parents can't believe the contrast with the cinderblock dorms of old.   Critics say these posh accommodations represent one more way today's young people are coddled.  BU officials say the dorms are part of a long range plan to increase on-campus housing and recruit students.  (Boston.com September 2, 2009)

*** Jobs, Resources and Events ***

*** Jobs: ***

IJM Director of Student Ministries:  IJM is seeking a Director of Student Ministries to provide leadership and management for student-focused education initiatives. The qualified candidate will be an effective bridge builder, administrator, innovator and manager of people and programs.   For a complete job listing, qualifications and to apply, please visit www.ijm.org/directorofstudentministries 

The mission of International Justice Mission (IJM) is to protect people from violent forces of injustice by securing rescue and restoration for victims and ensuring public justice systems work for the poor.

*** Resources: ***

** Join the Ivy Jungle Network Group on Facebook**  http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=13424091882

This month – links to some Campus Ministry Blogs – join the discussion!

Resources from ProActive Faith for your campus ministry:         

 God Moments In Timewill challenge your students to live a life in such a way that God can open doors of opportunity in their life that will change the direction of their live or impact eternity. Each chapter has five discussion questions, which makes this book great for small groups. Order 20 copies or more for the bulk price of $5.00 each

CRUNCH Time:   A five-session evangelism resource written for students on the collegiate campus. This resource is newly packaged on one CD-ROM. You will be able to print as many copies of the booklets as you need for your students and leaders.

Crisis Moments Seminars will train your students how to respond to a crisis (Biblical Response to a Crisis, Death, Hospitalization, Personal Loss, Evangelism through a Crisis). This seminar is great to a retreat setting.

Join our Facebook Group ProActive Faith Group @ http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=30097018073

Visit our website www.proactivefaith.org to discover how these resources will impact the lives of your students and their campus.  You can also call our office.

Office: (405) 607-0722
Toll-Free: 1-877-607-0722 

Free shipping when you enter ivy jungle in the discount code box. After you place your order you will receive a personal call from our office to confirm your order before any charges are made to your credit card.

Why Faith Makes Sense: Reasons You can Believe God is Real helps students see the rational behind the Christian faith. Author Will Davis Jr., who also wrote the Pray Big book series, explains why Christians don't have to stop thinking in order to believe. The book uses biblical teaching, story telling, and humor to show students how much it makes sense to believe in God, and how a person literally has to stop thinking to reject God. Why Faith Makes Sense addresses such topics as the mystery of God, the revelation of God through nature, evolution and humanism, the Bible, and the exclusivity of Christ. It's the perfect tool for Bible studies and small groups, skeptics' discussion groups and even apologetics classes. To learn more and to read an excerpt, go to willdavisjr.com. Why Faith Makes Sense is available at Amazon.com, Revell Books, Barnes and Noble, and Christianbooks.com.

***Events ***

21 Days For Global Harvest is a prayer campaign sponsored by the Student Volunteer Movement 2 to unify the emerging generation of believers in devoted prayer and intercession for personal revival, generational awakening, and global harvest in our lifetime. In cities and nations around the world, the emerging generation will seek the face of God for transformation.

As we stand together in unity during these 21 Days, with Ezekiel 37:1-14 as our theme, we will declare to the dry bones of our own lives, of our generation, and of the least reached, "Let the Dry Bones Live!"  To learn more visit www.svm2.net 

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