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S2E7: Religious and Spiritual Diversity in the Classroom

Call to mind an occasion when you felt out of your depth or unsure what to do in an encounter or engagement with religious or spiritual diversity inside or outside the classroom. What did you do in that situation? What do you wish you had done in that situation? We asked these same questions of three clergy from Georgetown University’s Campus Ministry. In this episode of What We’re Learning About Learning, Rabbi Rachel Gartner, Imam Yahya Hendi, and Brahmachari Sharan talk about the good and bad experiences students regularly share with them, and how faculty can listen, reflect, and grow to better serve students.

Three clergy members from Georgetown University’s Campus Ministry, Rabbi Rachel Gartner, Imam Yahya Hendi, and Brahmachari Sharan, share their perspectives on students’ experiences with religious or spiritual diversity in the classroom and beyond. This episode explores instances when individuals, including faculty, felt uncertain in handling such diversity and reflects on the actions taken and those that might have been more effective.

Krzysztof Batorowicz of The University of Southern Queensland emphasizes in her paper Dealing with Religious Diversity within Universities the need for universities to embed an organizational structure that accommodates for religious and spiritual diversity on campus, as doing so provides students with exposure to multifaceted identities and ways of thinking (Batorowicz, 2007). Establishing “an open and judgment-free environment where dialogue can flourish will lead to students learning from one another about other traditions and becoming not only tolerant of other faith traditions, but also inclusive of those traditions within their own experience,” (Tarantino, 2016). And yet, in a 2015 Higher Ed survey, less than half of the students recorded felt engaged in classroom discussions of religion and spirituality prior to attending college (Bauer, 2018).

Batorowicz (2007) argues for the integration of an organizational structure within universities to accommodate religious and spiritual diversity, fostering exposure to diverse identities and perspectives. Creating an open and judgment-free environment, as highlighted by Tarantino (2016), enables students to learn from one another, promoting tolerance and inclusivity of various faith traditions. However, a 2015 Higher Ed survey indicates that less than half of students reported engagement in discussions of religion and spirituality before attending college (Bauer, 2018).

In Multiculturalism on Campus: Theory, Models, and Practices for Understanding Diversity and Creating Inclusion (Cuyjet, Cooper, Howard-Hamilton, Linder 2016), Georgetown was identified as “the first Catholic university to employ a full-time rabbi” and “the first to appoint a full-time Muslim chaplain.” This is to say Georgetown has invited and engaged an array of religious and spiritual perspectives on campus for some time; but as we hear in this podcast episode, there is still room for growth.

Georgetown University, as identified in_ Multiculturalism on Campus: Theory, Models, and Practices for Understanding Diversity and Creating Inclusion_ (Cuyjet, Cooper, Howard-Hamilton, Linder 2016), has been recognized for employing a full-time rabbi and appointing a full-time Muslim chaplain. This signifies Georgetown’s commitment to embracing diverse religious and spiritual perspectives on campus over time. Nevertheless, as discussed in this podcast episode, there is an acknowledgment that there is still room for further growth.

As the clergy point out in the episode, there are several ways you can intentionally foster an inclusive climate in your classroom:

Bios

Interviewed for this episode:

Georgetown resources

References

Batorowicz, K. (2007). Dealing with Religious Diversity within Universities. The International Journal of Diversity in Organizations, Communities and Nations.

Bauer-Wolf, J. (2018, January 23). Study shows drop-off in new college students’ exposure to other religions. Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs.

Cuyjet, M. J., Linder, C., Howard-Hamilton, M. F., & Cooper, D. L. (2016a). Multiculturalism on campus theory, models, and practices for understanding diversity and creating inclusion.

Tarantino, K. (2016, May 1). The William & Mary Educational Review. Addressing Religious Diversity in the Public Institution.

Additional research

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