Only Christians and Jews need apply...

[Ms. Toad]

<<Only Jews and Christians will be hired as full-time faculty members at Ashland University under a policy recently approved by university trustees.>>

<snip>

<<They also determined that only Christians can be among the seven or eight administrators who serve in the president's cabinet and that the president must be "a person of Christian faith and life.">>

<snip>

<<The faculty is uneasy about the new policy>>

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1099996374314540.xml

It's gonna be a l-o-n-g four years.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. a sad lack of diversity

when one realizes that Notre Dame doesn't impose such restrictions, it makes me wonder if Ashland is more interested in good education or ideological purity.

[The Jacobin]

2. About Ashland University

About Ashland University

Ashland University is a mid-sized regional teaching university, historically related to the Brethren Church. Our mission is to serve the educational needs of all students -- undergraduate and graduate, traditional and non-traditional, full and part-time -- by providing educational programs of high quality in an environment that is both challenging and supportive.

These educational programs emphasize both the importance of the liberal arts and sciences and the need to provide initial and advanced preparation in selected professional areas -- including business, education, and theology -- which enables our students to lead meaningful and productive lives in the world community.

The educational and social environment is built upon a long-standing commitment to Judeo-Christian values and a tradition that stresses the importance of each individual. In this environment, the members of the Ashland University community continually seek ways to challenge and support each other to develop intellectually, spiritually, socially, culturally and physically.


The Brethren? :wtf: Sounds kooky to me.

[bobbieinok]

3. Moravian Brethren?? if so, denom goes back to the reformation

[wellstone_democrat]

10. This is not unusual---many church schools have such rules

and if you interview for a position you often have to sign conduct rules/contracts. Nothing new about this at all.

[in_cog_ni_to]

4. Another Bob Jones University?

Why not. :eyes: I have to get the hell out of this country before they finish their destruction. :scared:

[bobbieinok]

5. there are many Christian colleges that have such rules..it is their right

if they're upfront about it, prospective students and parents know exactly what they're paying for

[Ms. Toad]

9. Yes, and no...

Although there is more leeway than there is with a racial test, for example, there are still limitations as to how far you can go.

My recollection of this body of law is that has to be a relation between the work being done and the requirement. For example, the governing board of a religious charity can have a religion requirement, as can ministers/pastors. Imposing it on the janitorial staff, for example, is not related to the janitorial work being done and probably cannot be required. (A local faith based charity ran into this problem a few years back)

Similarly, Ashland could probably get away with imposing a religion requirement on their faculty as the educational and moral leaders of the community - but I suspect that it would need to be limited to the particular denomination (and others with the same or very similar doctrines) in order to be related to their religious mission. Limiting it to such a broad range as any Christian (think Quaker v. independent evangelical right wing Christian denomination) or Jews (think reform v. Hassidic), and excluding other religions would probably be unconstitutional discrimination based on religion.

[aquart]

6. I can't wait to see what they ask the Jews.

[TaleWgnDg]

7. hhhmmmmm . . . religious discrimination by a private college . . .

of its hiring, promotions, firing policies and its student admission policies . . . is it IRS tax exempt? does it receive federal funds? student loan/grants? hhhmmmmmmmmmmmm.





_{"I always laugh when people say that George W. Bush is saying this or that to appease the religious right. He is the religious right." - GWBush first cousin John Ellis}

[Bernardo de La Paz]

8. Would that be ethnic Jews or observant Jews? Hassidim? Newage xtians?

Will they have a Board of Inquisition to examine religious purity? Are there any or many Jews there already? Why Jews and not Muslims? All three religions claim allegiance to Abraham and Moses.

Is this even legal? I could see how they might be able to limit faculty to their exact narrow church or sect, but beyond that, I think they would legally have to open it to all people or narrow it exclusively to their narrow sect.

[billyoc]

11. It's a Moonie degree mill

who cares?

[Ms. Toad]

12. I dunno, perhaps

some kid of Moonie parents who was sent there by said parents, who upon encountering a little diversity might wake up and decide s/he liked it.

Or perhaps some of the rest of us who might like that same kid in our ranks rather than in the ranks of the GWB clones - which is a whole lot less likely to happen if s/he continues to be isolated from reality through college years.