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Positive public perceptions of academic quality and professional ethics are critical to the long-term legitimacy of American colleges and universities. Faculty codes of conduct are one mechanism whereby the professoriate can define acceptable practice, exercise social control, and maintain public confidence in higher education, yet the drivers of their adoption are not well understood. Building upon previous research into such organizational behavior by institutional type, this study examined the prevalence and content of publicly posted faculty codes of conduct within an organizational field of institutions that share a common religious identity but differ in their institutional types and employment structures. Faculty handbooks from American member institutions of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU), an international association of faith-based institutions, were gathered and analyzed. Although only 27% of CCCU member institutions in the U.S. (36/135) publicly posted faculty codes of conduct, the average number of tenets present in each code (n = 7.5) was higher than suggested by previous research. Study findings also revealed that membership category, institutional type, and employment structures influence the content of faculty codes of conduct, indicating that isomorphic pressures operate within this particular organizational field. The piece concludes by commending publicly posted codes of conduct as an affirmation of the personal responsibility, fairness, and care exercised by ethical professionals in the academy.

Institutional diversity has long been recognized as a signature strength of the American system of higher education, yet the sector contributing most to this remarkable feature—small and midsized private colleges—currently finds itself under significant financial pressure as a result of recent social and economic disruptions. To overcome such challenges, campus leaders must understand the market positioning of the institutions they serve. This article investigates the relationship between market demand and organizational distinctiveness within one segment of the diverse private sector—religiously affiliated colleges. It draws upon longitudinal data from the membership of one national professional association, the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, to develop an empirical typology of institutional religious distinctiveness and examine patterns of market demand over time. Results suggest that religious distinctiveness has a medium effect on student demand at both the application and matriculation phases of the admissions process. The article concludes by considering appropriate recruitment strategies for faith‐based colleges and universities depending on their degree of religious distinctiveness.

Civic work—both scholarship and practice—has long been central to the purposes of American higher education. Whether cultivating future leaders, advancing knowledge in service to society, or enrich...

Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) constitute a vibrant sector within the American system of higher education – one with a unique and vital mission. Moreover, this sector comprises many diverse segments, each with their own particular characteristics, challenges, and opportunities. To be successful in our present postsecondary context and beyond, HBCU leaders must understand their institutions' positions within the larger sector and actively manage key dimensions of institutional performance. In support of these twin imperatives, this chapter will begin by offering an overview of the HBCU sector, its mission, and the characteristics of its institutions. The chapter will next present trend data for four critical areas of postsecondary organizational management: institutional resources, market demand, access, and affordability. The chapter will conclude by considering the implications of the trend data for the future and articulating various strategies campus leaders should pursue to ensure long-term institutional survival and success.

Evangelical colleges and universities situated in rural communities are uniquely positioned to bridge the ever-widening cultural, economic, and political divide that threatens American demo...

Leaders of evangelical Christian colleges must navigate a challenging environment shaped by public concern about college costs and educational quality, federal inclinations toward increased regulation, and lingering fallout from the Great Recession. Proceeding from the premise that empirical analysis empowers institutional actors to lead well in uncertain times, this article examines four key areas—access, affordability, student outcomes, and financial sustainability—using publicly available data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Results for the evangelical segment and the wider private nondoctoral sector of American higher education are compared, and areas of relative strength and weakness are considered. To facilitate benchmarking by institutional research professionals, the article's appendix presents national longitudinal norms for both the evangelical segment and the private nondoctoral sector.

Although they represent a relatively small segment of the private nonprofit postsecondary sector, evangelical colleges and universities carry on the educational legacy of America’s earliest institutions of higher education. The evangelical segment is a rich tapestry woven from multiple dimensions of institutional diversity. This chapter first explores the historical development of these institutions, their philosophical and religious commitments, and their organizational structures and campus ethos. Attention then turns to contemporary forms of evangelical higher education and distinguishing institutional features such as denominational status, confessional and behavioral membership requirements, and the curricular orientation and delivery format of the academic program. The chapter concludes with a discussion of contemporary challenges to the future of evangelical higher education. These include concerns related to fiscal health, faculty recruitment, and curricular direction.

As the conclusion to a three-part series assessing the denominational identity of American evangelical colleges and universities, this article presents findings from Phase III of the CCCU Denominational Study. Data for this research were gathered via an online survey that was completed by 3,160 full-time undergraduate students attending 16 denominationally affiliated evangelical Christian colleges. Similar to national trends, the results indicate that more students identify as nondenominational than any other particular Christian denomination. In addition, most students view their denomination as having little importance to their faith lives, and are likely to base their college choice on an institution's Christian identity, not its denominational identity. Nevertheless, students do not have negative views of their denomination and typically hold similar beliefs to the denomination of their institution. These results are discussed in light of their implications for Christian higher education, followed by ...