{"id":5101,"date":"2023-11-30T11:52:28","date_gmt":"2023-11-30T16:52:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admitted.nacacnet.org\/wordpress\/?p=5101"},"modified":"2023-11-30T11:54:08","modified_gmt":"2023-11-30T16:54:08","slug":"index-measures-campus-efforts-to-create-welcoming-environments-for-religious-and-non-religious-diversity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/admitted.nacacnet.org\/wordpress\/index.php\/2023\/11\/30\/index-measures-campus-efforts-to-create-welcoming-environments-for-religious-and-non-religious-diversity\/","title":{"rendered":"Index measures campus efforts to create welcoming environments for religious and non-religious diversity\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"><a class=\"https:\/\/www.inspiresindex.org\/campus-search\" href=\"https:\/\/admitted.nacacnet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/INSPIRES_Index-scaled.jpg\" rel=\"https:\/\/www.inspiresindex.org\/campus-search\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5102 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/admitted.nacacnet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/INSPIRES_Index-1024x430.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"474\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/admitted.nacacnet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/INSPIRES_Index-1024x430.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/admitted.nacacnet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/INSPIRES_Index-300x126.jpg 300w, https:\/\/admitted.nacacnet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/INSPIRES_Index-768x323.jpg 768w, https:\/\/admitted.nacacnet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/INSPIRES_Index-1536x645.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/admitted.nacacnet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/INSPIRES_Index-2048x860.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">By Renee L. Bowling, Laura Dahl, and Matthew J. Mayhew<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The topic of diversity in education elicits strong feelings across the political spectrum, yet religious, secular, and spiritual (RSS) diversity is often left out of the conversation despite its importance to students\u2019 lives. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Reactions seen on university campuses in response to the Israel-Hamas war have underscored the importance for educators, administrators, and counselors to engage with this underrepresented form of diversity and its intersections with history, culture, and politics to understand how to support diverse worldview communities on campus.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The Interfaith Spiritual, Religious, and Secular Index, or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.inspiresindex.org\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">INSPIRES Campus Climate Index<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> measures an institution\u2019s efforts to establish a welcoming climate for students of diverse RSS identities. Built by researchers at\u202fThe Ohio\u202fState University and North\u202fCarolina\u202fState\u202fUniversity, INSPIRES is grounded in data gathered through the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.avdf.org\/grants\/next-steps-in-interfaith-innovations-introducing-the-welcoming-worldview-climate-index\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Interfaith Diversity Experiences and Attitudes Longitudinal Survey (IDEALS)<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">. The project first began in 2020 and is now in its third intake. It is funded by the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.avdf.org\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Arthur Vining Davis Foundations<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">, an organization committed to courageous multi-faith efforts.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><span data-contrast=\"none\">More than 230 U.S. campuses have participated in the INSPIRES Index, with about 60 currently sharing their results publicly.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Each school\u2019s \u201coverall welcome\u201d is scored from one to five stars, as well as in seven domains: structural diversity, space for support and spiritual expression, institutional behavior, academic engagement, extracurricular engagement, religious accommodations, and efforts to reduce negative engagement. A few specific areas of measurement include:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Dining hall options for students with religious dietary restrictions such as halal, kosher, and vegetarian.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Whether faculty are required or encouraged to include information about religious accommodation in their syllabi.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Whether campuses include meditation\/prayer spaces for students of all religious, secular, and spiritual identities.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Previous research shows that a student\u2019s RSS identity influences how they experience the campus climate, impacting students\u2019 sense of belonging and engagement, and that religious identities are often intersectional with other identities. Students with minority RSS backgrounds may feel pressure to conform or self-silence within or outside of the classroom, with the most underrepresented groups facing the most barriers to receive religious accommodations, such as dietary needs.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">RSS identities and accommodations are something all higher education institutions must consider, as many students are affected, including Indigenous and international students. Even evangelical students who are part of the Christian majority <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s13644-021-00472-z\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">often report<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> feeling that their worldview is not welcome in classrooms with an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/42980908\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">academic secular bias<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">. The INSPIRES Index helps campuses assess and benchmark how they are doing in creating welcoming climates for diverse RSS worldviews in comparison to their peer institutions. It also provides a tool counselors may use in assisting students in the college search, particularly those applicants for whom the RSS identity is salient.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Further, there is an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/03\/27\/opinion\/problem-college-rankings.html?searchResultPosition=5\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">appetite for tools<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> that go beyond traditional ranking methodologies and that personalize college recommendations based on students\u2019 priorities. The INSPIRES Index offers one such tool for families for whom RSS identity matters.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">In an increasingly diverse society, a sense of belonging matters for student engagement, persistence in college, and for students to feel like they have spaces of belonging. Attention to worldview diversity by public campuses is an acknowledgment that education is never neutral; it is always informed by a perspective.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">In the past two years, the 230 U.S. campuses that have joined the INSPIRES Index have included public, private nonsectarian, mainline Protestant, Evangelical, and Catholic institutions. More institutions are invited to participate in the\u202fINSPIRES Index. Participation is free due to the generosity of the <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Arthur Vining Davis Foundations<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">, and only requires a campus representative to fill out a single survey. The institution will then receive an individualized scorecard and report \u2014 which they can decide to make public-facing or not \u2014 that can be used for benchmarking and improving institutional practice. Institutions may reach out via email to <\/span><a href=\"mailto:inspiresindex@osu.edu\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">inspiresindex@osu.edu<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> to join. Counselors are encouraged to share the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.inspiresindex.org\/campus-search\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">INSPIRES Index website<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> with students and families and to incorporate it as a resource in their work.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">Renee L. Bowling<\/span><\/i><\/b><i><span data-contrast=\"none\"> is an International ACAC member, chair of NASPA\u2019s Spirituality and Religion in Higher Education Knowledge Community, and member of The Ohio State University\u2019s College Impact Lab that developed the INSPIRES Index. You can reach her at <\/span><\/i><a href=\"mailto:bowling.187@osu.edu\"><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">bowling.187@osu.edu<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">. <\/span><\/i><b><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">Laura Dahl<\/span><\/i><\/b><i><span data-contrast=\"none\"> is research director of the College Impact Lab at The Ohio State University and formerly a researcher on the IDEALS study. <\/span><\/i><b><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">Matthew J. Mayhew <\/span><\/i><\/b><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">is the <\/span><\/i><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">William Ray and Marie Adamson Flesher Professor of Educational Administration at The Ohio State University, <\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">co<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">-leader of the INSPIRES Index project and co-principal investigator of the IDEALS study.<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0By Renee L. Bowling, Laura Dahl, and Matthew J. Mayhew\u00a0 The topic of diversity in education elicits strong feelings across the political spectrum, yet religious, secular, and spiritual (RSS) diversity is often left out of the conversation despite its importance to students\u2019 lives. Reactions seen on university campuses in response to the Israel-Hamas war have &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/admitted.nacacnet.org\/wordpress\/index.php\/2023\/11\/30\/index-measures-campus-efforts-to-create-welcoming-environments-for-religious-and-non-religious-diversity\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Index measures campus efforts to create welcoming environments for religious and non-religious diversity\u00a0<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[537,536],"class_list":["post-5101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-college-admission-resources","tag-inspires-campus-climate-index","tag-rss-identities"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"NACAC","author_link":"https:\/\/admitted.nacacnet.org\/wordpress\/index.php\/author\/wpadmin\/"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/peWmJq-1kh","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/admitted.nacacnet.org\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/admitted.nacacnet.org\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/admitted.nacacnet.org\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/admitted.nacacnet.org\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/admitted.nacacnet.org\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5101"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/admitted.nacacnet.org\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5101\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/admitted.nacacnet.org\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/admitted.nacacnet.org\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/admitted.nacacnet.org\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}