Who Is Learning About Religion? Factors That Predict First-Year Students' Curricular Decisions

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: Developing Interfaith Campus Communities and Connections

Abstract

Despite research on college and major choice, we know little about how students make course-level decisions, particularly for courses contributing to student outcomes like interfaith engagement or intercultural competence. Worldview diversity is an essential but often overlooked component of diversity on college campuses, and fostering conversations about worldview diversity complements and supplements broader efforts to engage across difference. This analysis finds that a number of factors contribute to religion course taking, and that these relationships vary considerably by institution. These discussions provide actionable findings for a range of stakeholders to better utilize courses that engage worldview diversity to pursue the public good.

Authors

• Joshua Patterson, SoundRocket

• Robert Foster, University of Georgia - Athens