Allegheny College: President's Office

The value of a college degree is under scrutiny today, and the public debate inevitably seems to focus on finances. Why is tuition so high? Do college graduates really earn more than less-educated workers? What's the return on investment?

These are vital questions, and higher education has a persuasive case to make. Studies continue to demonstrate an advantage in lifetime earning power for college graduates. Liberal arts colleges such as Allegheny proportionately generate more leaders and professionals than most institutions. And in a fast-changing world economy, a liberal arts education prepares young people to think critically, to communicate clearly and to meet changing career requirements. Economically, a college education remains a wise investment.

But, as this issue of ALLEGHENY chronicles, students yearn for more than economic advantage. In a trend apparent at other colleges and universities, a growing number of students at Allegheny are incorporating religious and spiritual interests into their lives, both formally and informally. They might attend weekly services, participate in ecumenical events, join student religious organizations and participate in service projects. In addition, enrollments in religious studies courses has increased as students examine their faith and also seek to learn more about other traditions and practices.

A rigorous academic climate does not preclude spiritual development in fact, it encourages reflection, the development of values and a search for meaning in one's life. An outstanding college such as Allegheny develops the whole person intellectually and spiritually.

This attention to spiritual concerns, in fact, dates to Allegheny's earliest days. The College's founder and first president, Timothy Alden, was trained as a minister. Later, in 1833, after the College had closed due to financial difficulties, Allegheny reopened with the backing of the United Methodist Church. The church insisted that Allegheny be nonsectarian in its curriculum, although committed to building character according to sound values and ideals.

After more than 160 years, Allegheny remains affiliated with the church, although the church no longer supports the College financially, aside from scholarships for selected United Methodist students. Today, we are ecumenical and nonsectarian in practice and outlook. Still, we are informed and strengthened by our church affiliation in two principal ways.

First, this is apparent in our joint commitment to an atmosphere for free discussion of faith-related topics, a freedom that extends to the classroom. Second, it is reflected in the College's agreement in principle with The Social Principles of the United Methodist Church. As noted elsewhere in this issue by Chaplain John Colatch, the church and the College both view the world as a collection of communities, namely the natural world, and the nurturing, social, economic, political and international communities. Embedded in these areas are issues of justice, freedom, individual rights, ethical issues of scientific knowledge and protection of the environment. In short, the College and the United Methodist Church are both communities that strive for the betterment of the individual and of the society.

A commitment to community is at the heart of the approach adopted by Allegheny's campus ministry, and that is what makes it so successful. It employs a model of religious pluralism in which the traditions and beliefs of each religious group on campus are accepted and the differences are acknowledged. From there, individuals and groups engage in discussions and develop mutual respect, with students learning from each other in impressive ways. And in addition to our historic Judeo-Christian heritage and Islam, Hinduism and other Eastern traditions have a presence on campus as well.

All these traditions help students inform and enrich their lives in important ways. Developing values in young people is part of our mission, and this point was made eloquently in correspondence I received recently from United Methodist Bishop George Bashore, an Allegheny trustee. The bishop observed, "If we are to `learn for a lifetime,' we will need to do far more than give people proficiency in information and knowledge technology. The real learnings have to do with character building and the establishment of values which will enable persons to discover the cutting edges of wisdom and knowledge in our world. Unless we intensify the ability of persons to establish more meaningful relationships, our world will continue to develop a parochialism and a narrowness of view. All the advances in technology, which are very important, will indeed be useless and fraught with danger, however, unless they are framed within a value system."

Making one's way in the world requires both intellectual and spiritual nourishment. An investment in both mind and spirit, as Allegheny provides in extraordinary ways, is among the wisest choices anyone can make.