More than a hundred college presidents and chancellors, policymakers, and other higher education leaders gathered Monday at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, to explore the intersection of faith, leadership, and learning.The event, convened by the ACE Commission on Faith-based Colleges and Universities, featured an invitation-only morning program for college and university presidents, followed by a public afternoon session featuring an exclusive screening of BYUtv’s documentary series, “Higher Ed: The Power of Faith-Inspired Learning,” produced by Monument TV.
The afternoon session opened with a welcome from David Hoag, president of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, and introductory remarks from ACE President Ted Mitchell, who spoke about the long history and impact of faith-based institutions.
“Faith-based institutions are the bedrock of higher education. We have not paid adequate attention to that role and that responsibility,” Mitchell said. “I hope that this group, along with other groups and associations, can return to the idea of a search for moral clarity, a search for purpose, and the establishment and embodiment of values into the process of education with our students.”
The keynote address, delivered by Ryan P. Burge, author, social commentator, and associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University, focused on data-driven insights on the shifting religious landscape in America and misconceptions about the role of faith in higher education.
“We have to have a more accurate representation of what the relationship between education and religion looks like in this country, because it is not what people think it is,” Burge told the audience, pointing to recent trends in increased faith affiliation among Gen Z students and their expectations for college life.
One of the highlights of the event was the exclusive screening of the first episode of a new documentary series produced by BYUtv, highlighting leaders and students from faith-based institutions. The next two episodes of “HIGHER ed: The Power of Faith-Inspired Learning,” will be released in August.
Following the screening, a panel of college presidents shared their reactions in a conversation moderated by Elder Clark G. Gilbert, commissioner of the Church Educational System for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The panel featured Rabbi Ari Berman, president and Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva University, Reverend Robert A. Dowd, president of the University of Notre Dame, Michael Lindsay, president of Taylor University, and Candice McQueen, president of Lipscomb University.
ACE President Ted Mitchell welcomes attendees at the Kennedy Center.
The panelists reflected on the documentary’s themes and the shared mission of faith-based colleges to nurture not only minds but also moral purpose.
“We have opportunities to tell our story, thanks to the research profile of our university,” said Dowd. “Taking research seriously, recognizing that we’re called to know the world around us, called to discover, called to discovery, called to ask questions, called to be curious. That’s all grounded in our Catholic mission.”
McQueen reflected on the importance of visibility around faith-based institutions within the sector. “We sometimes show up to say what we’re against, but we don’t show up to say what we’re for and what we’re doing, and we’ve got to change that.”
The ACE Commission on Faith-based Colleges and Universities was created to increase visibility for the important contributions of religious and faith-based colleges and universities and to foster collaboration between religious and nonreligious institutions on topics such as access, affordability, and completion that benefit the whole of higher education. Go to
ACE’s website to learn more.