The Recent Emergence of Australian Christian Higher Education: An Examination of a New Sector

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Five
  In Roundtable Session: Increasing and Decreasing Religious Commitments in Higher Education (Table 18)

Abstract

Historically, Australian higher education has been statist, uniform, and secular. Only in the last three and half decades have eight different Christian universities and colleges emerged. This article explores the origins of these new institutions and the way that their Christian identities have shaped their higher education practices. Case study analysis reveals Australia’s Christian institutions are observably distinct from their secular counterparts in key areas such as mission, hiring practices, curricular requirements, co-curricular opportunities, and student conduct codes. Within the Christian sector, significant diversity also exists regarding religious symbols, funding, and governance. Yet, comparison to Christian institutions worldwide finds that Australian institutions operationalize their Christian identities similarly to other countries where governments recently opened up higher education to Christian education.

Author

• Perry L. Glanzer, Baylor University
  Presenting Author