Moral Reasoning Within Christian University Student Conduct Codes: A Content Analysis.
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| Title: | Moral Reasoning Within Christian University Student Conduct Codes: A Content Analysis. |
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| Authors: | Glanzer, Perry L.1 Perry_Glanzer@baylor.edu, Martin, Jessica L.1, Ellis, Erin1, Fletcher, Meghan1, Ham Mitchell, Pacey1, Jamir, Aren1, Kulesza, Hunter1, Mitchell, Micah1, Roste, Jana1 |
| Source: | Christian Higher Education. Jul-Sep2025, Vol. 24 Issue 4, p311-325. 15p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Christian students, *Content analysis, *Moral education, *Citizenship, Moral reasoning |
| Abstract: | Higher education institutions—as moral communities—have historically sought to guide student behavior via conduct codes, which often include reasoning that justifies or contextualizes the codes. Our research team conducted a content analysis of the conduct codes of 542 Christian colleges and universities in the United States to evaluate their underlying moral reasoning for various policies. We found appeals to legal authority, university authority, Christian identity, Christian reasoning, citizenship, education, morality, and safety as the bases for various policies. The type of reasoning most commonly employed by institutions varied depending on the conduct category being evaluated (e.g., alcohol, drugs, sex, etc.). Oddly, most Christian university conduct codes relied more frequently and thoroughly on appeals to authority than on moral and Christian reasoning. Institutions claiming to form students via distinctly Christian modes of education ought not to miss opportunities to help students not simply act Christianly but also reason Christianly. To this end, our study provides compelling evidence regarding how Christian institutions succeed and fail in providing students with cohesively Christian codes of conduct. We urge Christian educators to consider revisiting their codes of conduct with a fresh Christian moral imagination and offer some simple, practical recommendations to help them do so effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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| Abstract: | Higher education institutions—as moral communities—have historically sought to guide student behavior via conduct codes, which often include reasoning that justifies or contextualizes the codes. Our research team conducted a content analysis of the conduct codes of 542 Christian colleges and universities in the United States to evaluate their underlying moral reasoning for various policies. We found appeals to legal authority, university authority, Christian identity, Christian reasoning, citizenship, education, morality, and safety as the bases for various policies. The type of reasoning most commonly employed by institutions varied depending on the conduct category being evaluated (e.g., alcohol, drugs, sex, etc.). Oddly, most Christian university conduct codes relied more frequently and thoroughly on appeals to authority than on moral and Christian reasoning. Institutions claiming to form students via distinctly Christian modes of education ought not to miss opportunities to help students not simply act Christianly but also reason Christianly. To this end, our study provides compelling evidence regarding how Christian institutions succeed and fail in providing students with cohesively Christian codes of conduct. We urge Christian educators to consider revisiting their codes of conduct with a fresh Christian moral imagination and offer some simple, practical recommendations to help them do so effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 15363759 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/15363759.2024.2445678 |
