July 29, 2011
For Immediate Release
By Joan C. McKinney, news and publications coordinator
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – As part of the mission of Baptist Christian higher education at Campbellsville University, Dr. Michael Carter, president, and the entire university community, have a strong commitment to racial reconciliation and diversity.
In a recent comprehensive report to the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (KCPE), Carter outlined a number of the ongoing initiatives at CU to help promote diversity and racial reconciliation.
Campbellsville University’s minority enrollment, among full-time undergraduate students, reached more than 20 percent during the fall 2010 semester.
And, CU has the largest number of international students among Kentucky’s 20 private non-profit colleges and universities and one of the highest numbers among the peer institutions in the South.
Campbellsville University’s president, board of trustees, faculty, staff, coaches and students have long been supportive of diversity among employees and students.
Carter said a number of initiatives have been put in place, over the past decade, to work with diversity on campus.
In 2008, CU adopted a Diversity Mission Statement which reads: “The diversity mission of Campbellsville University is to foster awareness and understanding of diverse perspectives across all aspects of the institution vital to education, while affirming the dignity, value, and uniqueness of each individual regardless of personal differences.”
In the 21st century, the commitment to diversity strengthens students and the broader community toward diverse citizenship, a pluralistic society and global economy. Campbellsville University embraces diversity as integral to a caring, Christ-centered community of learners.
Campbellsville University has had a long-standing relationship with several African-American and Spanish institutions including Simmons College of Kentucky, General Association of Baptists in Kentucky, the Zion District Bible Institute and the Hispanic Baptist Bible Institute.
CU faculty and staff members work with these organizations serving on their boards as leaders.
Campbellsville University students participate regularly in worldwide mission projects including inner cities of America (e.g., Washington, D.C., Cleveland and Boston among others) and at various points across the globe including Africa, China, Russia, Poland, Mexico, Brazil, and other mission points.
A campus-wide “Dialogue on Race” has been going for over a decade. “Dialogue on Race” is an annual event that focuses on the differences in diversity and encourages dialogue between students, faculty and staff and guests who come to talk at the university.
The President’s Racial Reconciliation Ministry Award is given each year to someone with leadership in the African-American community.
Students at Campbellsville University may take a course on diversity offered by the Carver School of Social Work and Counseling. The course is designed to assist students in successfully managing interpersonal relationships with people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Emphasis is placed on social systems, value orientations and lifestyles of major ethnic groups and minorities in the United States as well as on the effects of prejudice, discrimination, and racism in shaping human behavior.
The role and contributions of African-Americans and other minorities are incorporated into other academic courses to reflect the particular discipline involved.
The university provides scholarship assistance for minority students who desire to pursue a career in Christian ministries. Minority students of the Baptist faith are affirmatively sought in the Baptist student leadership award program.
Campbellsville University has several international partnerships with colleges and universities including ones the University of Fortaleza in Brazil, Beijing Agricultural University and Yanbian University of Science and Technology in China, Kansai Gaidai University and Nagoya Gaidai University in Japan, Chung-Ang University in South Korea, Faculty of Economic and Business Science, Educational Institution of the Society of Jesus in Spain, Tainan University of Technology in Taiwan and Ternopil National Pedagogic University in Ukraine.
A Campbellsville community-based organization, Greater Campbellsville United, was launched to help promote better race and ethnic relations in the local community and region as well as on campus.
Campbellsville University is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). For the past decade, CCCU has placed growing emphasis, among the member schools, on racial harmony and diversity.
Campbellsville University received the national award from CCCU in 2002 for the institution’s work in this area.
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with over 3,000 students offering 63 undergraduate programs, 17 master’s degrees and five postgraduate areas. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.