Society for Values in Higher Education
Encyclopedia
The Society for Values in Higher Education (SVHE) is a US-based non-profit membership organization. Founded in 1922 to promote the teaching of religious studies in American colleges and universities, the society’s members are now broadly interested in issues involving education, including pedagogy, ethics, and social concerns. It has no political or religious agenda. SVHE’s headquarters are at Portland State University
, with members across the United States and in other countries.
(1636), Yale College
(1701), and the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University
) (1747)—were established by Christian churches with the mission of training clergy and lay leaders. By the end of the nineteenth century, however, many American colleges had adopted the model of the German university, focused on science rather than religion, preparing students for a wide variety of professions besides the ministry, and allowing students to choose from a large range of courses. By the early decades of the twentieth century, relatively few institutions offered courses on religion; such courses were even rarer in the rapidly growing state universities.
In 1922 Charles Foster Kent
, a professor of biblical literature at Yale University, started advocating for the teaching of religion in American colleges and universities, arguing that such instruction was essential to prepare men and women for ethical practice in any profession. He founded the National Council of Schools of Religion, which would help train teachers for independent schools of religion at state universities. Renamed the National Council of Religion in Higher Education in 1924, Kent’s organization offered scholarships (later called Kent Fellowships) for graduate study in religion. Recipients of these scholarships became the nucleus of departments of religion and religious studies at universities across the country.
American higher education grew quickly in the decades after World War II, and the teaching of religion grew with it. During those decades the National Council of Religion cooperated with the Hazen Foundation to sponsor a series of Faculty Consultations on Religion that helped create programs and curricula for this instruction. Meanwhile the Danforth Foundation
started offering financial support to graduate students in religion and other fields. In the early 1960s the two fellowship programs merged to create the Society for Religion in Higher Education, which continued to support the preparation of college teachers of religion and advocate for the study of religion as an important part of the humanities.
By the 1970s the context for the Society’s work had changed. Many public universities had created religious studies departments, and scholarly associations like the American Academy of Religion
and the Society of Biblical Literature
had assumed the Society’s role as advocate for those departments. While Kent and his colleagues were interested in religion as a moral and spiritual element in higher education, these departments and associations were more focused on the scholarly study of religion. Meanwhile, the Society began welcoming members with personal and academic interests beyond religious studies. Reflecting this changing context and membership, in 1975 the Society changed its name to the Society for Values in Higher Education.
This new name meant an expanded mandate for the Society’s work, as it carried out a series of research projects concerning practices in American higher education, with particular focus on interdisciplinary and values-conscious teaching.
It carries out this mission through several programs.
.
.
. Membership is now open to others, however, either through nomination by other members or through self-nomination. The Society currently has 500 members.
SVHE has had a long history of members who were well-known scholars in religion and other academic fields. Current and former members include:
Portland State University
Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
, with members across the United States and in other countries.
History
Most of the first colleges in the American colonies—such as Harvard CollegeHarvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
(1636), Yale College
Yale College
Yale College was the official name of Yale University from 1718 to 1887. The name now refers to the undergraduate part of the university. Each undergraduate student is assigned to one of 12 residential colleges.-Residential colleges:...
(1701), and the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
) (1747)—were established by Christian churches with the mission of training clergy and lay leaders. By the end of the nineteenth century, however, many American colleges had adopted the model of the German university, focused on science rather than religion, preparing students for a wide variety of professions besides the ministry, and allowing students to choose from a large range of courses. By the early decades of the twentieth century, relatively few institutions offered courses on religion; such courses were even rarer in the rapidly growing state universities.
In 1922 Charles Foster Kent
Charles Foster Kent
Charles Foster Kent, Ph.D. was an American Old Testament scholar, born at Palmyra, New York, and educated at Yale . He studied at the University of Berlin ....
, a professor of biblical literature at Yale University, started advocating for the teaching of religion in American colleges and universities, arguing that such instruction was essential to prepare men and women for ethical practice in any profession. He founded the National Council of Schools of Religion, which would help train teachers for independent schools of religion at state universities. Renamed the National Council of Religion in Higher Education in 1924, Kent’s organization offered scholarships (later called Kent Fellowships) for graduate study in religion. Recipients of these scholarships became the nucleus of departments of religion and religious studies at universities across the country.
American higher education grew quickly in the decades after World War II, and the teaching of religion grew with it. During those decades the National Council of Religion cooperated with the Hazen Foundation to sponsor a series of Faculty Consultations on Religion that helped create programs and curricula for this instruction. Meanwhile the Danforth Foundation
Danforth Foundation
Danforth Foundation is one of the largest private non-for profit foundations in the St. Louis Metropolitan region. The foundation has 1.5 billion USD in assets as of 2003. Established in 1927 by Ralston Purina founder William H. Danforth and his wife, the Danforth Foundation grants funds...
started offering financial support to graduate students in religion and other fields. In the early 1960s the two fellowship programs merged to create the Society for Religion in Higher Education, which continued to support the preparation of college teachers of religion and advocate for the study of religion as an important part of the humanities.
By the 1970s the context for the Society’s work had changed. Many public universities had created religious studies departments, and scholarly associations like the American Academy of Religion
American Academy of Religion
The American Academy of Religion is the world's largest association of scholars in the field of religious studies and related topics. It is a nonprofit member association,...
and the Society of Biblical Literature
Society of Biblical Literature
The Society of Biblical Literature, founded 1880, is a constituent society of the American Council of Learned Societies , with the stated mission to "Foster Biblical Scholarship"...
had assumed the Society’s role as advocate for those departments. While Kent and his colleagues were interested in religion as a moral and spiritual element in higher education, these departments and associations were more focused on the scholarly study of religion. Meanwhile, the Society began welcoming members with personal and academic interests beyond religious studies. Reflecting this changing context and membership, in 1975 the Society changed its name to the Society for Values in Higher Education.
This new name meant an expanded mandate for the Society’s work, as it carried out a series of research projects concerning practices in American higher education, with particular focus on interdisciplinary and values-conscious teaching.
Current Mission and Work
In 1998 the Society’s board adopted the following mission statement to guide its work:It carries out this mission through several programs.
Projects
The Society continues to carry out research and programmatic projects, generally led by members and supported by foundation grants. Several reflect its historical interest in religion and higher education, including the Wingspread Declaration on Religion and Public Life, which brought together scholars and academic leaders to discuss the place of religion on college and university campuses. A follow-up institute supported model programs that encouraged religious engagement on several campuses. Continuing the Society’s interest in pedagogy, it sponsors a summer workshop for college teachers which encourages faculty to develop ways to include values issues in their classrooms. The Society has also organized several summer conferences for college teachers supported by the National Endowment for the HumanitiesNational Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent federal agency of the United States established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The NEH is located at...
.
Meetings
In the 1920s Kent started annual meetings of the fellowship recipients, where they could share their scholarly work and teaching ideas. These meetings brought together senior fellows—often prominent scholars in religious studies—with graduate students and new professors. They were academically rigorous but informal, with social events alongside scholarly debates, and programs for families. The Society continues this tradition with its annual meeting, held each summer on a college or university campus. Over the years the meetings become an academic and personal community for fellows and their families.Soundings
The Society’s journal is Soundings: An Interdisciplinary Journal (originally called The Christian Scholar). It is an interdisciplinary journal focused primarily on the humanities and social sciences, published quarterly by the Society and the University of TennesseeUniversity of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
.
Membership
In its earlier years the Society’s membership was made up of current and previous recipients of Kent Fellowships, and later recipients of Danforth Fellowships. In the 1970s the Society expanded its membership, inviting recipients of other fellowships, such as the Danforth Graduate Fellowship for Women, the Harbison Awards for Distinguished Teaching, and the Newcombe Fellowship from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship FoundationWoodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation
The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation is a private non-profit foundation based in Princeton, New Jersey. It administers programs that support leadership development and build organizational capacity in education. Its current signature program is the...
. Membership is now open to others, however, either through nomination by other members or through self-nomination. The Society currently has 500 members.
SVHE has had a long history of members who were well-known scholars in religion and other academic fields. Current and former members include:
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