Since then Trinity Western, which is
based in Langley, B.C., has offered to
sponsor an academic conference that
would open more public dialogue on
these issues – and it has invited CAUT
to participate. The proposed conference would focus on best practices in
Canadian higher education generally,
including a discussion focused particularly on academic freedom at faith-based
universities.
biaS a problem?
The need for more public discussion
on these issues is evident in a 2007 Ipsos
Reid national study of 7,800 people.
It showed that most Canadians assume Christian higher education is
biased.
Fair enough, in one sense. Can-
adians should expect that an avowedly
Christian institution with a mission, a
statement of faith and a code of con-
duct would respect such stated convic-
tions (even if CAUT seems to think it
shouldn’t).
Schools get Unprecedented funds
Millions of dollars of new federal government funding suggests increasing
societal respect for Christian colleges and universities. By Alex Newman
an unprecedented move by the federal government has richly benefited several Christian universities and
colleges in Canada.
Recognizing that knowledge
infrastructure is crucial to Canada’s
economy, the federal government’s
Knowledge Infrastructure Program
(KIP) funded $2 billion to public and
private colleges and universities for
improving facilities and infrastructure,
particularly in the areas of science and
technology.
For Christian universities, “It’s a
historic change, and nothing short
of amazing,” says Justin Cooper,
president of Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ont., which received
$2.9 million. The funds will help cover
costs of increasing research and energy
sustainability initiatives across campus.
Educational funding is a provincial
mandate, and Christian universi-
ties generally aren’t eligible, so they
welcome the change. (Alberta and
Manitoba are the exception: private
colleges there have long been eligible
to receive about half what a public
institution might get for capital costs).
