Faith in Universities
The terms of reference provided by SoN on Faith have been sagacious as it sits with diversity and intersectionality. As suggested by Kwame Anthony Appiah, religion/Faith is not static – it is forever shifting with time and geographical location. My positionality religion/Faith has been an aggregation – baptised as a Coptic Orthodox and grew up in
Saudi Arabia (Islam being at the heart of life there) and once in London, attended Catholic School. Today I am grateful for this exposure earlier on in my life. Hence I remain fascinated by the complexity of Faith and how it can be multilayered at any given time.
The state of Faith and belief at the University has been ‘mea culpa’ as it has been shaken in recent years (Islamophobia, Antisemitism etc.). They have become one of the main battlegrounds where causes are made as part of the broader culture wars about our common identities and values.
Faith and belief societies play essential roles in universities as they build community and support students pastorally and spiritually.
Having a sense of belonging is an essential component for the success and fulfilment of our students whilst at the universities. Sometimes religions and belief issues are based on postulation and tittle-tattle rather than evidence. Encouraging faith and belief–related societies – like Christian Unions, Islamic Societies, and non–religious belief groups like Humanist Societies can restore or even bridge communities. They play an enormous contribution to active university life. There is massive diversity between different societies, from those trying to build and engage in local communities to those engaging in proselytism?? Maybe that is too much.
Arts Students’ Union provides over 40 societies and 17 sports clubs to join across 6 Colleges at UAL. These societies and clubs are important, and I constantly encourage my students to create/join, as such activities do not just build community but also expand friendships. Societies can be binding sites for combating loneliness and supporting students with poor mental health. It provides space to practise, learn about
and develop students’ religion or beliefs. In particular vital for students of minority religions or beliefs who may not have easy access to religious institutions in their local area. Furthermore, these spaces can provide pastoral and spiritual support and guidance that the university staff may have missed or been privy to. These faith societies can be sounding boards for students in trouble.
Looking at the resources at UAL, faith societies seem to be overlooked. Faith societies can provide cohesion and pastoral support for our students. I feel the Arts Students’ Union needs to support such activities for them to flourish, as they have many benefits for the well-being of our students.
Bibliography
www.bbc.co.uk. (n.d.). The Reith Lectures – Kwame Anthony Appiah: Mistaken Identities – Country – BBC Sounds. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b07zz5mf.
issuu.com. (2015). Shades of Noir Case Study – Faith by Shades Of Noir – Issuu. [online] Available at: https://issuu.com/shadesofnoir/docs/shades_of_noir_case_study_-_faith_
[Accessed 9 June. 2023].
Modood, T. and Calhoun, C. (n.d.). Stimulus paper. [online] Available at:
http://www.tariqmodood.com/uploads/1/2/3/9/12392325/6379_lfhe_stimulus_paper_-_m odood_calhoun_32pp.pdf.
Shades Of Noir. (n.d.). Higher Power: Religion, Faith, Spirituality & Belief. [online] Available at:https://shadesofnoir.org.uk/journals/higher-power-religion-faith-spirituality-belief/.
4 responses to “Inclusive Practice Faith”
Hi Freya!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on these resources.
I completely agree with you that having a sense of belonging is an essential component for the success and fulfilment of students while at university. While I try and create an inclusive and engaging environment in my classes that brings everyone together, there are always students that feel disconnected from the rest of the group and somewhat isolated. This can be for a multitude of reasons from religious beliefs, to personalities and interests, to those students living at home rather than student halls and engaging less as a cohort outside of class.
The Arts SU and its 40+ societies sounds like it could be the perfect solution to those students finding community outside of the classroom, however on the campus I teach on (Curtain Road – LCF) there is an issue with the Arts SU’s visibility to students. The issue being that there is pretty much zero SU presence at all, so our students are not aware of anything they are offering or what they can do to get involved. While there is some onus on us as tutors to be clued up about what the student union can offer; and we often refer students to it for their advice and support services surrounding academic issues and accommodation issues, there must be some responsibility on the SU to make themselves visible on all UAL campuses.
The Arts SU offices are based at High Holborn (LCF) and have a bar based at LCC and a café based at CSM. There are SU exhibition spaces at Camberwell (CCW), CSM and High Holborn too. LCF I believe has been at a disadvantage over the years as the college is spread over 6 campuses, so anyone not at High Holborn I believe has had a significantly reduced exposure to the SU. It would be interesting to know the visibility of the Arts SU on your LCF campus, and if it’s similar to mine? Hopefully the new East Bank site at Stratford combining all 6 campuses into one will help build a stronger LCF community and bridge some current gaps. With the SU more visible I will be able to encourage my students to engage more with societies and activities which are important to their identities.
I also just wanted to touch on your comment around proselytism – which I 100% had to google!! I’m unaware of the societies within the SU or what they do, but it does make me uncomfortable to think that there could be activities taking place where students are trying to convert other students religious beliefs. Perhaps this is because I am an atheist and personally wouldn’t want someone trying to convert me to a particular religion. However as I type this I’m realising that the word proselytism can also be linked in the same way to political beliefs, which I think I have less of an issue with (not that I go door to door myself and campaign for a particular political party), and I wonder why that is? I think maybe it’s because the actions of political parties have a direct impact on the government and then a direct impact on myself and the systemic inequities of others – whereas someone’s religious beliefs have no direct impact (or at least it shouldn’t have an impact) on me or anyone else at all.
Sorry this is a very long comment, and almost a blogpost in itself!!! You’ve given me lots to think about Freya!
Hi Freya,
This was a really interesting read, particularly with regards to your positionality and reference to the ‘shifting’ nature of faith and our positionalities. I certainly think that it is a really important point to acknowledge this, that beliefs can change, (in response to James’ comment) both politically and with regards to faith, but this idea of proselytism with regards to Faith also sits uneasy with me. What I am learning personally, through this unit, is that I think it is okay to ask questions of a person to understand what that person believes in order to better understand their positionality, Which I think can apply to both faith and politics. And as James pointed out once again, in relation to religion, someone’s religious beliefs do not impact our lives, until that point we are asked to change them, if that is the case. I think it is important how we can consider raising questions about individual’s religious beliefs, and also how/ and to whom we direct them. I think that asking questions about all of these faith/race/disability topics, all parties should be invited, rather than selecting individuals. To encourage all to respond.
I think your points about the value of the student unions are really valuable with regards to how they can provide added support to students to discuss their religious beliefs and perhaps through sports and other activities to engage, work and communicate with students outside of their immediate peer group who they may not have met with otherwise.
I am interested to know more about the pastoral care you feel you need to offer students in relation to your teaching sessions. How do you view your pastoral responsibilities in relation to religion with your students, if any at all?
How do you discuss/acknowledge faith/religion in your lessons? Is it possible for you to reference different religious practices in your teaching?
Going back to my earlier thoughts, I think it can be difficult to raise discussions of religion, to include examples of all religions in our teaching practices as they are so nuanced and varied. However, I think it is important to leave space for critique of there we do choose and to invite all students to participate in that discussion. Mine is a bit of a general point, however, in relation to your opening paragraph about your changing positionality, I think this is a really useful observation to share with a group of students.
That, in moving through life and through the world, through time and geography, positionalities change, critical perspectives shift and it is important to continue to attempt to untangle those positionalities, to keep asking questions and understanding the perspectives of others. To quote Staci-Leigh Ross, ‘it is (y)our responsibilty to speak to those people and ask the right questions to educate yourself/ourselves’
This is a bit stream of consciousness, but thank you for setting me off on a few tangents!
Joe
Thanks, James, for your comments. I don’t personally agree with any proselytism notion, be it for religion or politics. However, it is crucial for some students to find a ‘tribe’ whilst at the university to avoid possible loneliness and mental health issues.
It is a shame to hear that SU is inactive in your college. Should the students voice their concerns?? I read somewhere Portsmouth University join forces with students and academic and other staff to support students in gaining a sense of belonging. The intention was to help students become and then be students, connect and feel that sense of belonging. Being, Belonging, Becoming. It may be something we (staff and students) at UAL need to look at and review??
Hi Joe,
Thank you for your honest and reflective comments and hypophora. I suppose holding space for discussions without isolating the minority opinion(s) is essential.