P. Jesse Rine | Duquesne University (original) (raw)

Papers by P. Jesse Rine

Spirituality in College Students' Lives: Translating Research into Practice, 2013

In order to maintain its legitimacy within the wider sector of higher education, the Christian co... more In order to maintain its legitimacy within the wider sector of higher education, the Christian college must adjust its practices in light of postmodern cultural shifts. However, this adaptation must occur in a manner consistent with its fundamental faith commitments, lest the Christian college lose its institutional soul. This chapter presents an empirically-based institutional orientation that can position Christian colleges to achieve the delicate balance between adaptation to environmental demands and fidelity to core values, and in the process, teach students how to lead lives of Christian commitment and cultural engagement in the postmodern turn.

The Oxford Handbook of Religion and American Education, 2018

Although they represent a relatively small segment of the private nonprofit postsecondary sector,... more 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. This chapter seeks first to provide an overview of the foundations and permutations of evangelical Christian higher education in the United States, and then to consider a number of key challenges these institutions currently face.

The cartographer’s task is to trace the outlines of a specified region, to create a wider perspec... more The cartographer’s task is to trace the outlines of a specified region, to create a wider perspective unavailable from a single vantage point. The historian’s task is to bring context to the cartographer’s landscape, to situate it in a wider account of its evolution over time and its relationship to similar landscapes. This monograph can be understood as a work of historical cartography. It seeks to map the terrain of Christian higher education in the United States, and when possible, to contextualize this sector by offering historical trend data and peer group comparisons.

Journal of College and Character, 2012

How can evangelical Christian colleges prepare their students to lead lives of Christian faith in... more How can evangelical Christian colleges prepare their students to lead lives of Christian faith in a postmodern world characterized by cultural heterogeneity? Fallibilist Christian spirituality is presented as an orientation that empowers students to be receptive to the insights of diverse perspectives while maintaining their personal faith commitments. Drawing on the author’s previous empirical research on fallibilist Christian spirituality and its institutional predictors, this article provides practical suggestions regarding how faculty and administrators at Christian colleges can create learning environments in which students both grow in their commitment to Christian faith and become more engaged with the pluralism of postmodernity.

Journal of College Student Development, 2012

Using a national dataset containing responses from 14,527 college students at 136 institutions, t... more Using a national dataset containing responses from 14,527 college students at 136 institutions, this study empirically tested a theoretical model for fallibilist Christian spirituality. Results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) indicated an acceptable fit between the specified model and the actual structure of the data, suggesting that a fallibilist epistemology emphasizing provisionality of belief can empower college students to remain committed to their personal faith traditions while at the same time exhibiting openness toward pluralism. Implications for student development theory and student affairs practice are considered.

Christian colleges and universities in the United States hold great potential for cultivating int... more Christian colleges and universities in the United States hold great potential for cultivating interdisciplinary skills and casting a new vision for the intersection of science and religion. However, very little is known about the research and teaching that occurs in science and religion at the member institutions of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU), an influential group within American Christian higher education. This report details the current state of play in science and religion on CCCU campuses by presenting results of sector-level data analysis, content analysis of course catalogs, and qualitative interviews of Christian college faculty and administrators.

Christian Higher Education, 2013

In an effort to better understand the role of denominational identity among its member institutio... more In an effort to better understand the role of denominational identity among its member institutions, the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) commissioned a three phase study of its institutions, faculty, and students. This article provides an overview of the study as a whole, as well as an in depth examination into the responses from the institutional portion of the study. Seventy-nine of the CCCU's member institutions in the United States responded to the online survey, yielding a response rate of 72%. Results suggest that a number of policies and practices currently in place at many church-related colleges serve to maintain denominational identity. In particular, college governance practices, annual appropriations from ecclesiastical bodies, and employment policies were generally found to support the denominational character of the institutions sampled. However, longitudinal trends suggest potential challenges on the horizon, as denominations have provided smaller annual appropriations and fewer students who identify with the sponsoring denomination are enrolling in church-related colleges and universities. In short, study findings indicate that American evangelical Protestant denominations continue to provide a measure of oversight and funding to their affiliated postsecondary institutions, and the policies and practices of these institutions privilege their ecclesiastical patrons in varying degrees. Subsequent articles from this study will examine faculty perspectives and practices as well as the student experience at CCCU institutions.

Christian Higher Education, 2013

This article presents results from Phase II of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities ... more This article presents results from Phase II of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) Denominational Study, a multi-institutional examination of the state of denominational identity at evangelical Christian colleges, their faculty, and the students they serve. This phase of the study involved the administration of an online survey that was completed by 1,557 full-time faculty serving in 37 denominationally-affiliated evangelical Christian colleges. On the whole, faculty expressed a strong sense of affinity toward the sponsoring denominations of their respective institutions, though less than half attended a local congregation in the same denominational tradition. In addition, personal theological traditions were reported to influence faculty classroom practice on a number of dimensions. Faculty also perceived that college leaders and administrators placed a significant amount of importance on the denominational identities of their respective institutions, reporting that denominational identity was emphasized across many facets of institutional life, including campus ethos, curriculum, corporate worship, institutional governance, and public rhetoric. Finally, though respondents valued denominational identity in the faculty search process, a large majority expressed openness toward hiring colleagues from differing denominational traditions.

Christian Higher Education, 2013

As the conclusion to a three-part series assessing the denominational identity of American evange... more 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 a concluding consideration of the wider implications of the results of this three-part series for the future of denominational identity in evangelical Christian higher education.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) expertise is necessary to sustain Americ... more Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) expertise is necessary to sustain American competitiveness in the global economy. Many assume that research universities, especially public institutions, are the backbone of American efforts to prepare undergraduate students in STEM fields and that these institutions are fulfilling this responsibility. This report demonstrates that many small and mid-sized independent colleges are preparing postsecondary students for a career and/or graduate study in STEM fields, and they are doing so in a more efficient way than larger institutions, contrary to public assumptions about the importance of scale.

Religion and Education, 2014

Using a national dataset containing responses from 3,238 college students at 39 member institutio... more Using a national dataset containing responses from 3,238 college students at 39 member institutions of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), this study empirically tested the relationship between a series of institutional factors and the components of fallibilist Christian spirituality they were theorized to cultivate. Results of multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) revealed that personnel, curricular, and cultural factors foster student development of commitment to Christian faith, provisionality of belief, and openness to pluralism. Implications for student development theory, institutional practice, and future research are considered.

Often overlooked in strategies to promote college attainment of underrepresented students are sma... more Often overlooked in strategies to promote college attainment of underrepresented students are small and mid-sized independent colleges and universities. This report demonstrates that students of all academic and social backgrounds attend smaller private colleges. Moreover, these institutions provide educational opportunity to students with varying degrees of academic preparation, not just those who have had access to the best high schools and socioeconomic support structures. First-generation and low-income students receive an excellent education at smaller private colleges, which provide a more personalized, rigorous, and engaged college experience than larger public universities provide—and at a fraction of the cost to society.

Christian Higher Education, 2016

Leaders of evangelical Christian colleges must navigate a challenging environment shaped by publi... more 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.

In recent years, concerns regarding runaway college tuition and student loan debt have served to ... more In recent years, concerns regarding runaway college tuition and student loan debt have served to undermine public confidence in the value of American higher education. Ironically, the very issue that is now causing such alarm—high tuition—has long been a signature feature of the financial model intentionally employed by the vast majority of smaller private colleges in the United States. This white paper provides a primer on the economics of private college finance and the rationale behind tuition discounting. After exploring the practical benefits and unintended consequences of the so-called “high-price/high-aid” model, an alternative approach to smaller private college finance is presented and its virtues are considered. The piece concludes with a series of clarifying questions for private colleges and the prospective students and families they seek to serve.

Christian Higher Education, 2018

Evangelical colleges and universities situated in rural communities are uniquely positioned to br... more Evangelical colleges and universities situated in rural communities are uniquely positioned to bridge the ever-widening cultural, economic, and political divide that threatens American democracy. However, success in this endeavor will require an appreciation for what it means to be a neighbor in this particular context. Thus, this article begins with a brief overview of how the common good has been conceptualized and pursued throughout the history of American higher education, followed by a description of features common to rural contexts. Next, a group of 31 member institutions of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities is identified as rurally located, and their group characteristics are contrasted with their urban counterparts. Attention then turns to the contours of community engagement in the rural context, and the potential for rural evangelical colleges and universities to fulfill the place-based roles of stewarding and anchoring is explored. The article concludes by casting a vision for the common good in which Christian institutions of higher education partner with their surrounding communities to co-create a shared perspective, shared knowledge, and shared places.

Spirituality in College Students' Lives: Translating Research into Practice, 2013

In order to maintain its legitimacy within the wider sector of higher education, the Christian co... more In order to maintain its legitimacy within the wider sector of higher education, the Christian college must adjust its practices in light of postmodern cultural shifts. However, this adaptation must occur in a manner consistent with its fundamental faith commitments, lest the Christian college lose its institutional soul. This chapter presents an empirically-based institutional orientation that can position Christian colleges to achieve the delicate balance between adaptation to environmental demands and fidelity to core values, and in the process, teach students how to lead lives of Christian commitment and cultural engagement in the postmodern turn.

The Oxford Handbook of Religion and American Education, 2018

Although they represent a relatively small segment of the private nonprofit postsecondary sector,... more 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. This chapter seeks first to provide an overview of the foundations and permutations of evangelical Christian higher education in the United States, and then to consider a number of key challenges these institutions currently face.

The cartographer’s task is to trace the outlines of a specified region, to create a wider perspec... more The cartographer’s task is to trace the outlines of a specified region, to create a wider perspective unavailable from a single vantage point. The historian’s task is to bring context to the cartographer’s landscape, to situate it in a wider account of its evolution over time and its relationship to similar landscapes. This monograph can be understood as a work of historical cartography. It seeks to map the terrain of Christian higher education in the United States, and when possible, to contextualize this sector by offering historical trend data and peer group comparisons.

Journal of College and Character, 2012

How can evangelical Christian colleges prepare their students to lead lives of Christian faith in... more How can evangelical Christian colleges prepare their students to lead lives of Christian faith in a postmodern world characterized by cultural heterogeneity? Fallibilist Christian spirituality is presented as an orientation that empowers students to be receptive to the insights of diverse perspectives while maintaining their personal faith commitments. Drawing on the author’s previous empirical research on fallibilist Christian spirituality and its institutional predictors, this article provides practical suggestions regarding how faculty and administrators at Christian colleges can create learning environments in which students both grow in their commitment to Christian faith and become more engaged with the pluralism of postmodernity.

Journal of College Student Development, 2012

Using a national dataset containing responses from 14,527 college students at 136 institutions, t... more Using a national dataset containing responses from 14,527 college students at 136 institutions, this study empirically tested a theoretical model for fallibilist Christian spirituality. Results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) indicated an acceptable fit between the specified model and the actual structure of the data, suggesting that a fallibilist epistemology emphasizing provisionality of belief can empower college students to remain committed to their personal faith traditions while at the same time exhibiting openness toward pluralism. Implications for student development theory and student affairs practice are considered.

Christian colleges and universities in the United States hold great potential for cultivating int... more Christian colleges and universities in the United States hold great potential for cultivating interdisciplinary skills and casting a new vision for the intersection of science and religion. However, very little is known about the research and teaching that occurs in science and religion at the member institutions of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU), an influential group within American Christian higher education. This report details the current state of play in science and religion on CCCU campuses by presenting results of sector-level data analysis, content analysis of course catalogs, and qualitative interviews of Christian college faculty and administrators.

Christian Higher Education, 2013

In an effort to better understand the role of denominational identity among its member institutio... more In an effort to better understand the role of denominational identity among its member institutions, the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) commissioned a three phase study of its institutions, faculty, and students. This article provides an overview of the study as a whole, as well as an in depth examination into the responses from the institutional portion of the study. Seventy-nine of the CCCU's member institutions in the United States responded to the online survey, yielding a response rate of 72%. Results suggest that a number of policies and practices currently in place at many church-related colleges serve to maintain denominational identity. In particular, college governance practices, annual appropriations from ecclesiastical bodies, and employment policies were generally found to support the denominational character of the institutions sampled. However, longitudinal trends suggest potential challenges on the horizon, as denominations have provided smaller annual appropriations and fewer students who identify with the sponsoring denomination are enrolling in church-related colleges and universities. In short, study findings indicate that American evangelical Protestant denominations continue to provide a measure of oversight and funding to their affiliated postsecondary institutions, and the policies and practices of these institutions privilege their ecclesiastical patrons in varying degrees. Subsequent articles from this study will examine faculty perspectives and practices as well as the student experience at CCCU institutions.

Christian Higher Education, 2013

This article presents results from Phase II of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities ... more This article presents results from Phase II of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) Denominational Study, a multi-institutional examination of the state of denominational identity at evangelical Christian colleges, their faculty, and the students they serve. This phase of the study involved the administration of an online survey that was completed by 1,557 full-time faculty serving in 37 denominationally-affiliated evangelical Christian colleges. On the whole, faculty expressed a strong sense of affinity toward the sponsoring denominations of their respective institutions, though less than half attended a local congregation in the same denominational tradition. In addition, personal theological traditions were reported to influence faculty classroom practice on a number of dimensions. Faculty also perceived that college leaders and administrators placed a significant amount of importance on the denominational identities of their respective institutions, reporting that denominational identity was emphasized across many facets of institutional life, including campus ethos, curriculum, corporate worship, institutional governance, and public rhetoric. Finally, though respondents valued denominational identity in the faculty search process, a large majority expressed openness toward hiring colleagues from differing denominational traditions.

Christian Higher Education, 2013

As the conclusion to a three-part series assessing the denominational identity of American evange... more 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 a concluding consideration of the wider implications of the results of this three-part series for the future of denominational identity in evangelical Christian higher education.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) expertise is necessary to sustain Americ... more Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) expertise is necessary to sustain American competitiveness in the global economy. Many assume that research universities, especially public institutions, are the backbone of American efforts to prepare undergraduate students in STEM fields and that these institutions are fulfilling this responsibility. This report demonstrates that many small and mid-sized independent colleges are preparing postsecondary students for a career and/or graduate study in STEM fields, and they are doing so in a more efficient way than larger institutions, contrary to public assumptions about the importance of scale.

Religion and Education, 2014

Using a national dataset containing responses from 3,238 college students at 39 member institutio... more Using a national dataset containing responses from 3,238 college students at 39 member institutions of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), this study empirically tested the relationship between a series of institutional factors and the components of fallibilist Christian spirituality they were theorized to cultivate. Results of multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) revealed that personnel, curricular, and cultural factors foster student development of commitment to Christian faith, provisionality of belief, and openness to pluralism. Implications for student development theory, institutional practice, and future research are considered.

Often overlooked in strategies to promote college attainment of underrepresented students are sma... more Often overlooked in strategies to promote college attainment of underrepresented students are small and mid-sized independent colleges and universities. This report demonstrates that students of all academic and social backgrounds attend smaller private colleges. Moreover, these institutions provide educational opportunity to students with varying degrees of academic preparation, not just those who have had access to the best high schools and socioeconomic support structures. First-generation and low-income students receive an excellent education at smaller private colleges, which provide a more personalized, rigorous, and engaged college experience than larger public universities provide—and at a fraction of the cost to society.

Christian Higher Education, 2016

Leaders of evangelical Christian colleges must navigate a challenging environment shaped by publi... more 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.

In recent years, concerns regarding runaway college tuition and student loan debt have served to ... more In recent years, concerns regarding runaway college tuition and student loan debt have served to undermine public confidence in the value of American higher education. Ironically, the very issue that is now causing such alarm—high tuition—has long been a signature feature of the financial model intentionally employed by the vast majority of smaller private colleges in the United States. This white paper provides a primer on the economics of private college finance and the rationale behind tuition discounting. After exploring the practical benefits and unintended consequences of the so-called “high-price/high-aid” model, an alternative approach to smaller private college finance is presented and its virtues are considered. The piece concludes with a series of clarifying questions for private colleges and the prospective students and families they seek to serve.

Christian Higher Education, 2018

Evangelical colleges and universities situated in rural communities are uniquely positioned to br... more Evangelical colleges and universities situated in rural communities are uniquely positioned to bridge the ever-widening cultural, economic, and political divide that threatens American democracy. However, success in this endeavor will require an appreciation for what it means to be a neighbor in this particular context. Thus, this article begins with a brief overview of how the common good has been conceptualized and pursued throughout the history of American higher education, followed by a description of features common to rural contexts. Next, a group of 31 member institutions of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities is identified as rurally located, and their group characteristics are contrasted with their urban counterparts. Attention then turns to the contours of community engagement in the rural context, and the potential for rural evangelical colleges and universities to fulfill the place-based roles of stewarding and anchoring is explored. The article concludes by casting a vision for the common good in which Christian institutions of higher education partner with their surrounding communities to co-create a shared perspective, shared knowledge, and shared places.