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Religious and Spirituality Diversity at a Multi-Campus Suburban University: What Type of Need for Chaplaincy?

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Title: Religious and Spirituality Diversity at a Multi-Campus Suburban University: What Type of Need for Chaplaincy?
Language: English
Authors: Possamai, Adam, Brackenreg, Ellen
Source: Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management. Nov 2009 31(4):355-366.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 12
Publication Date: 2009
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education
Descriptors: Religious Factors, Religion, Spiritual Development, Colleges, Student Surveys, Teacher Surveys, Student Diversity, Diversity (Faculty), Foreign Countries, Student Characteristics, Teacher Characteristics, College Faculty, College Students
Geographic Terms: Australia
DOI: 10.1080/13600800903191989
ISSN: 1360-080X
Abstract: This article explores people's use of and need for religious and/or spiritual facilities, based on the findings from a survey sent to students and staff of a multi-campus suburban university. The results indicate that, in this context, people use facilities more for practising their faith/spirituality by themselves rather than to meet with others of similar beliefs. It also shows that a multi-faith pragmatic approach to religious diversity seems to match with student and staff needs. (Contains 10 tables.)
Abstractor: As Provided
Number of References: 14
Entry Date: 2009
Accession Number: EJ865527
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0044436235;0v101nov.09;2019Feb26.12:37;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0044436235-1">Religious and spirituality diversity at a multi-campus suburban university: what type of need for chaplaincy? </title> <p>This article explores people's use of and need for religious and/or spiritual facilities, based on the findings from a survey sent to students and staff of a multi-campus suburban university. The results indicate that, in this context, people use facilities more for practising their faith/spirituality by themselves rather than to meet with others of similar beliefs. It also shows that a multi-faith pragmatic approach to religious diversity seems to match with student and staff needs.</p> <p>Keywords: chaplaincy; religion; spirituality</p> <hd id="AN0044436235-2">Introduction</hd> <p>As universities are a microcosm of their surrounding society, these institutions have to adapt themselves continuously to a changing environment. To encapsulate the changes that have the most impact on religion in higher education at the beginning of this 21st century, we refer to two quotes that summarise the challenges that are at hand.</p> <p>... [T]he 'separation of church and state' phase that marked many Australian Universities as largely secular institutions is, in real terms, a past issue. Without arguing the case here, the multi-faith nature of Australian society, and the high interest in spirituality among people under 30 provide two cogent reasons for ensuring that spiritual and faith-related issues are kept on the administrative agenda for student and staff support on campus. (Rogers, [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref1">12</reflink>], p. 148)</p> <p>Clearly, higher education does not need 'religion' for its purpose, direction, or for the integration of the campus community, and there has been a clear secularisation of higher education from the era when Christianity had a foundational place in the life of early universities ... However, at the turn of the millennium, religion in universities cannot be relegated as insignificant or unimportant. Universities are being forced to consider the needs and implications of the life-world of a new generation of students from a variety of different religious traditions. Much the same can be said about other large public institutions, such as hospitals that, for a variety of reasons, are becoming more responsive to a variety of religious needs and values. (Gilliat-Ray, [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref2">6</reflink>], p. 144)</p> <p>Universities should not ignore these recent changes in Australian life and, in addition to adapting themselves to a changing world, they should also take into account pressures within the institution that focus on student engagement and retention. In this case, there appears to be a pragmatic belief that a commitment to pastoral care for international and local students is a factor in student resilience (Rogers, [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref3">12</reflink>], p. 167). Furthermore, as Gilliat-Ray ([<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref4">6</reflink>]) points out, 'In a much less public or obvious way, universities have necessarily had to respond to the needs and claims of different religious groups, if only for the purpose of student recruitment (and particularly the lucrative overseas market)' (p. 143).</p> <p>For this article, the University of Western Sydney (UWS) is used as a case study of the needs and practices of religious/spiritual activities in a multi-campus suburban university. On each of its six campuses, it has multi-faith facilities (including 'Prayer & Meditation facilities' and a Muslim prayer room). Information available includes the contact names of people from various Christian faiths and the Islamic and the Jewish faiths. Chaplaincy services are located within Student Support Services, together with services such as counselling, disability services, student welfare and student equity. However, contrary to a sandstone university, such as the University of Sydney (Hutchinson, [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref5">8</reflink>]), UWS does not have residential colleges affiliated with religious denominations in which tutorial assistance and religious instructions are given to students.</p> <p>Gilliat-Ray ([<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref6">6</reflink>]) created a typology of four different types of universities when dealing with religious matters. The 'anti-religious' type makes no provision for religious space and its statutes forbid the teaching of theology. The 'tolerant' type, which is open to religious activity, provides minimum support by way of maintenance of religious spaces. Non-Christian faiths are likely to have to deal with temporary rooms under this model. The 'anti-denominational' type accommodates religious space without this space being the preserve of one faith group alone, and ignores differences between faiths. The 'multi-faith pragmatist' is the more open and pragmatic to religious diversity. As Gilliat-Ray ([<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref7">6</reflink>]) comments:</p> <p>This is a facility used by all religious groups, but with a separate specially designated area for Muslim prayers. The university interprets secular to mean that special <emph>privilege</emph> should not be accorded to particular religious groups, <emph>while also recognising distinctive needs</emph>, notably of Muslims. It promotes its religious spaces as one aspect of student provision and equal opportunity, and goes beyond neutral tolerance of diversity towards a positive recognition of different religious identities. (p. 97)</p> <p>This description fits best with the UWS study under analysis.</p> <p>It can be hypothesised that the students and staff at the UWS would reflect the diverse religious and spiritual beliefs and practices of Sydney's western suburbs. This article explores the extent of religious and/or spiritual faith, or lack thereof, in this institution. Sources of inspiration, the types of belief or non-belief held by UWS students and staff, and the frequency and means by which UWS students and staff need to access their religious and/or spiritual practices on and off the six UWS campuses, are also assessed in this article.</p> <p>Following the claim that issue of chaplaincy in Australia's universities needs further study (Cahill et al., [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref8">3</reflink>]), this article thus aims to examine the level of religious beliefs, practices and commitment, or lack thereof, among students and staff at a 'multi-faith pragmatist' university. As a case study of a multi-campus university on the outskirts of a metropolis, UWS can provide more academic knowledge for universities at large. An understanding of religious diversity would enable universities to service the needs of students and staff more responsibly and effectively. This case study is therefore intended to assist universities to accommodate and provide fair and equitable access for all students and staff to practice their beliefs. This article also seeks to gather information about the range of beliefs and faiths among persons on campus that might further assist Australian universities in their commitment to supporting religious diversity. It also explores academic issues on the notion of spirituality and diversity in a specific university context.</p> <hd id="AN0044436235-3">A quick note on the method</hd> <p>The UWS has six campuses geographically spread in Sydney's western suburbs and is one of the largest in Australia, having more than 35 000 students and almost 2600 staff.</p> <p>A survey was posted online in 2007–08 on a university Internet site. Rather than reaching the whole of the UWS population, two random samples were selected through an electronic system. One sample contained the university email addresses of 2000 students and the other the email addresses of 500 staff. Two emails were sent to these sample groups towards the end of the second semester in 2007 and a last one was sent at the beginning of the first semester of 2008, inviting staff and students (in separate emails) to fill out a questionnaire.</p> <p>In total, 217 people answered this survey, which is an overall response rate of 8.7 per cent. More specifically, 94 students and 100 staff replied to the survey and 23 respondents remained silent on their professional identity within the university. The response rate for staff is strong, with a 20 per cent response rate, whereas that of students is much weaker (4.7 per cent). This sample reflects a randomised selection across religious and atheist groups, across gender, and across generations of people working or studying in a university environment.</p> <hd id="AN0044436235-4">Religious composition</hd> <p>Table 1 reflects the raw data of the religious composition and diversity of the sample. Of the people who answered a question on their religion, 60.4 per cent are Christian, 18.8 per cent are non-Christian and 20.8 per cent have no religion.</p> <p>Table 1. Religious diversity in the sample</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead valign="bottom"><tr><td /><td>Frequency</td><td>Per cent of the sample</td><td>Per cent of the answers</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Baha'i</td><td char=".">3</td><td char=".">1.4</td><td char=".">1.6</td></tr><tr><td>Buddhist</td><td char=".">6</td><td char=".">2.8</td><td char=".">3.2</td></tr><tr><td>Christian</td><td char=".">116</td><td char=".">53.5</td><td char=".">60.4</td></tr><tr><td>Hindu</td><td char=".">2</td><td char=".">0.9</td><td char=".">1.0</td></tr><tr><td>Judaism</td><td char=".">1</td><td char=".">0.5</td><td char=".">0.5</td></tr><tr><td>Muslim</td><td char=".">17</td><td char=".">7.8</td><td char=".">8.9</td></tr><tr><td>Nature religion</td><td char=".">3</td><td char=".">1.4</td><td char=".">1.6</td></tr><tr><td>New Age</td><td char=".">2</td><td char=".">0.9</td><td char=".">1.0</td></tr><tr><td>No religion</td><td char=".">40</td><td char=".">18.5</td><td char=".">20.8</td></tr><tr><td>Spiritual church</td><td char=".">1</td><td char=".">0.4</td><td char=".">0.5</td></tr><tr><td>Zoroastrian</td><td char=".">1</td><td char=".">0.4</td><td char=".">0.5</td></tr><tr><td>Missing</td><td char=".">25</td><td char=".">11.5</td><td /></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>These data have been treated in Table 2 to match recent findings from the 2006 Australian census. This grouping of various religious groups is meant for comparative purposes. Apart from Christianity, Islam and Other Religion, the survey is aligned with the overall religious distribution in Sydney and/or in Australia. The survey clearly under-represents the Christian average (by around 10 per cent) and over-represents the Muslim one (almost twice the Sydney average). One should bear in mind that half of the top 20 councils, in terms of numbers of Muslim residents from the ABS 2006 census, are in the greater western suburbs of Sydney (as recorded by Wise and Ali ([<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref9">14</reflink>])). The percentage of Other Religion, such as the Baha'i and neo-paganism are also over-represented in the survey. Overall, it can be stated that this UWS sample is a reflection of the increasing religious diversity in Australia (Bouma, [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref10">2</reflink>]) but is more post-Christian than average Australia.</p> <p>Table 2. Comparing religious diversity of major religions</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead valign="bottom"><tr><td /><td>Australia</td><td>Sydney</td><td>UWS Survey</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Buddhist</td><td char=".">2.09</td><td char=".">3.69</td><td char=".">2.8</td></tr><tr><td>Christian</td><td char=".">63.23</td><td char=".">63.32</td><td char=".">53.5</td></tr><tr><td>Hindu</td><td char=".">0.74</td><td char=".">1.69</td><td char=".">0.9</td></tr><tr><td>Judaism</td><td char=".">0.44</td><td char=".">0.83</td><td char=".">0.5</td></tr><tr><td>Muslim</td><td char=".">1.7</td><td char=".">3.88</td><td char=".">7.8</td></tr><tr><td>Other religion</td><td char=".">1.19</td><td char=".">1.21</td><td char=".">4.5</td></tr><tr><td>No religion</td><td char=".">18.48</td><td char=".">13.98</td><td char=".">18.5</td></tr><tr><td>Religious affiliation not stated</td><td char=".">11.09</td><td char=".">10.26</td><td char=".">11.5</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>Table 3 attempts to analyse the level of religiosity and spirituality from this sample. It discovers that the large majority of the sample (46.5 per cent) is <emph>both</emph> religious and spiritual. Even if more and more people in Australia claim to be spiritual (Bouma, [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref11">2</reflink>]), people are not necessarily spiritual without being religious. Although more people in the survey claim to be 'spiritual only' (21.2 per cent) than 'religious only' (13.4 per cent), the results of this survey point out the need to understand the 'spirituality' phenomenon on campus (as mentioned in one of the quotes that introduced this article) without forgetting the fact that people still claim to be religious.</p> <p>Table 3. Religion and spirituality</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead valign="bottom"><tr><td /><td>Frequency</td><td /><td>Per cent</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Would you say that you are (only tick one (1) box):</td></tr><tr><td> Religious only?</td><td char=".">29</td><td /><td char=".">13.4</td></tr><tr><td> Spiritual only?</td><td char=".">46</td><td /><td char=".">21.2</td></tr><tr><td> Religious and spiritual?</td><td char=".">101</td><td /><td char=".">46.5</td></tr><tr><td> Neither religious nor spiritual?</td><td char=".">38</td><td /><td char=".">17.5</td></tr><tr><td> Missing</td><td char=".">3</td><td /><td char=".">1.4</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>This is in line with findings from other research in Australia by Hughes et al. ([<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref12">7</reflink>]), which is detailed in Table 4 and shows that across age groups the 'religion and spiritual' category is also stronger than the 'religious only' and the 'spiritual only' categories. Table 4, also shows that the '18 to 29' age group category tends to be less 'religious and spiritual' and 'religious only', but more 'spiritual only' and 'neither' than any other age group. There is also a difference between the UWS and Hughes et al. ([<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref13">7</reflink>]) research results in that the latter research showed stronger signs of being neither religious nor spiritual.</p> <p>Table 4. Being religious and being spiritual by age group (in years) in Australia, 2002</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead valign="bottom"><tr><td /><td>(Percentage in each age group)</td></tr><tr><td /><td>70 plus</td><td>60 to 69</td><td>50 to 59</td><td>40 to 49</td><td>30 to 39</td><td>18 to 29</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>'Religious' and 'spiritual'</td><td char=".">40.5</td><td char=".">50.6</td><td char=".">36.2</td><td char=".">41.3</td><td char=".">34.3</td><td char=".">34.0</td></tr><tr><td>Spiritual only</td><td char=".">2.6</td><td char=".">3.8</td><td char=".">11.4</td><td char=".">9.1</td><td char=".">9.1</td><td char=".">11.5</td></tr><tr><td>Religious only</td><td char=".">19.8</td><td char=".">11.4</td><td char=".">13.4</td><td char=".">8.4</td><td char=".">8.8</td><td char=".">5.3</td></tr><tr><td>Neither</td><td char=".">37.1</td><td char=".">34.2</td><td char=".">39.0</td><td char=".">41.3</td><td char=".">47.9</td><td char=".">49.2</td></tr><tr><td><italic>N</italic></td><td char=".">116</td><td char=".">158</td><td char=".">254</td><td char=".">383</td><td char=".">353</td><td char=".">191</td></tr><tr><td>Source: Hughes et al. (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bibr7">2004</xref>).</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>Coming back to the results of this research, people who claimed to be religious and 'religious and spiritual' were then invited to reply to the question found in Table 5. This question was aimed at finding the level of commitment from people who claimed to be religious. Of all the people who answered this question, 76.8 per cent demonstrate a commitment not only to their faith but their religious group as well. A total of 15.9 per cent show a sign of belief, but do not feel a sense of belonging in their religious group. Nevertheless, they still claim to be religious rather than spiritual only. The sample shows the majority of people are committed to their religion, as those stating that they are religious tend to be religious through commitment rather than through identification.</p> <p>Table 5. Believing with/without belonging</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead valign="bottom"><tr><td /><td>Frequency</td><td>Per cent</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Would you say that:</td><td /><td /></tr><tr><td> You believe in, but do not belong to, that religion?</td><td char=".">24</td><td char=".">15.9</td></tr><tr><td> You belong to, but do not believe in, that religion?</td><td char=".">11</td><td char=".">7.3</td></tr><tr><td> You believe in and belong to that religion?</td><td char=".">116</td><td char=".">76.8</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <hd id="AN0044436235-5">Use of UWS facilities for religious practices in groups</hd> <p>All the respondents who claimed to be religious, spiritual or religious and spiritual were asked to comment on the use of the Chaplaincy facilities at UWS. The set of questions was divided into two streams to detect the activities done in groups (this section) and those done individually (next section). The reason for this distinction in activities was meant to allow data to emerge from religious practices (in groups) in contrast to spiritual practices (done by individuals). This dichotomy is purely heuristic, as some people would be able to claim that they can be spiritual within a group. However, as respondents were given the opportunity to reply to all sets of questions relating to this issue, the results from this survey might be able to lead to some significant findings.</p> <p>Table 6 (in the 'per cent of the answers' column) indicates that 41.7 per cent who claim to be spiritual and/or religious do not gather with other people with similar beliefs on or off campus. About 21.1 per cent of the sample that is spiritual and/or religious are, on the other hand, quite active, as they have meetings more than five times a month.</p> <p>Table 6. Religious attendance on and off campus</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead valign="bottom"><tr><td /><td>Per month, how often do you gather with other people with similar beliefs as you for, for example, a formal or informal service, ritual, Bible/Koran study group or prayer/meditation time?</td><td>How many of these religious services/rituals/study groups with others are attended on any of the UWS campuses per month?</td></tr><tr><td /><td>Frequency</td><td>Per cent of the sample</td><td>Per cent of the answers</td><td>Frequency</td><td>Per cent of the sample</td><td>Per cent of the answers</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>0</td><td char=".">75</td><td char=".">34.6</td><td char=".">41.7</td><td char=".">114</td><td char=".">52.5</td><td char=".">89.1</td></tr><tr><td>1–2</td><td char=".">42</td><td char=".">19.4</td><td char=".">23.3</td><td char=".">7</td><td char=".">3.2</td><td char=".">5.5</td></tr><tr><td>3–5</td><td char=".">25</td><td char=".">11.5</td><td char=".">13.9</td><td char=".">4</td><td char=".">1.8</td><td char=".">3.1</td></tr><tr><td>5 and more</td><td char=".">38</td><td char=".">17.5</td><td char=".">21.1</td><td char=".">3</td><td char=".">1.4</td><td char=".">2.3</td></tr><tr><td>Missing</td><td char=".">37</td><td char=".">17.1</td><td /><td char=".">89</td><td char=".">41</td><td /></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>Recent research in Australia has pointed to the decline in attendance at mainstream churches—from 20 per cent of the population attending at least once a month in 1998 to 18.6 per cent in 2002 (Bellamy & Castle, [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref14">1</reflink>]). For comparative reasons, if we calculate from the whole sample and now include people who are neither spiritual nor religious (in the per cent of the sample column), 48.4 per cent of the sample attends a religious gathering at least once a month. It must be noted that the data from Bellamy and Castle [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref15">1</reflink>] is restricted to Christian church attendance, whereas the sample under study also includes people from other faiths. It would lead to a clear bias if, in contrast to Bellamy and Castle [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref16">1</reflink>], it was claimed that people from the sample (48.4 per cent) are far more active than the general population (18.6 per cent). Nevertheless, it is fair to say that there is a good amount of religious activity in the sample group.</p> <p>The same table indicates the level of religious activity on campus. It shows that only 10.9 per cent of people (in the per cent of the answers column) who gather with others of similar beliefs do so at UWS once or more per month. If we calculate from the whole sample (including those who are neither religious nor spiritual; see the 'per cent of the sample' column), this means that only 6.4 per cent of the sample meets at least once a month for these activities at UWS. This is clearly a large drop from the strong religious activity and commitment of the respondents that seems to occur outside UWS.</p> <p>The UWS is a suburban university to which local students and staff commute to its various campuses. James et al. ([<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref17">9</reflink>]) found that a considerably larger proportion of UWS students travelled to campus by means of their own private transport than the national average. The results from the survey indicate that these students and staff are more likely to meet their religious needs outside of the university in the local community. In addition, UWS has a smaller student population who live on campus (approximately 1000 of the 35 000 students). This issue does not seem to be restricted to the present case study, as this quote explains about the UK environment.</p> <p>The experience of being a student in higher education has changed in recent years. Fear of debt, for example, means that it is increasingly normal for full-time students to be in part-time employment during the course of their studies. One consequence is that fewer students now have much time for extra-curricular sporting, religious, cultural, and even academic activities ... The idea of residence and study going hand in hand has given way to new student lifestyles, with increasing pressure upon students to take up paid employment during their higher education careers. The sense of community within institutions is breaking down as student numbers continue to rise under the pressure of market-driven learning (Gillat-Ray, 2000, pp. 25–26)</p> <p>A recent Australian study confirms this observation by stating that '[t]he overall proportion of full-time commencing students in paid employment has increased from 51.3 per cent to 54.9 per cent over the past five years. In 2004, the average number of hours of paid work in a week for all full-time students was 7.01 (up from 6.46 hours in 1999)' (Krause et al. [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref18">11</reflink>]). The survey data in the report <emph>Australian University Student Finances 2006</emph> by James et al. ([<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref19">9</reflink>]) show that the average work week hours during session appeared slightly greater for UWS students than nationwide. A consistently larger number of UWS full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students in the survey reported working 11 to 20 hours per week; this was as much as 5.2 hours more than the nationwide average. Of these students, those who lived alone in the community appeared to work longer hours per week, on average. Another recent survey undertaken by GA Research ([<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref20">5</reflink>]) indicates that, on average, UWS students spend 7.8 hours per week on campus during session, not attending classes or studying.</p> <p>However, this does not explain the whole situation, as people in the survey appear to be committed and active within their religious group. Again, Gillat-Ray (2000), who studied religion extensively in the UK higher education sector, can be of help:</p> <p>Students of different faiths who attend universities situated in large multi-faith cities are more able to have their worship and other religious needs met by local communities. This of course does not necessarily lessen their legitimate wish to meet with other students who share their faith, but in some cases, it may reduce their demands upon universities themselves. (p. 92)</p> <p>The introduction of this article made reference to students from overseas as perhaps a subgroup of the student population in more need of these facilities. Unfortunately, no information can be extrapolated from the survey about the possible use of these facilities by international students who might live on campus. All that can be stated at this stage without further research is Rogers' ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref21">12</reflink>], p. 168) claims that many international students are used to spirituality being central to their life, rather than peripheral. Religion, it appears, might be one of a number of ways of creating social networks for international students who might face loneliness away from their country of origin (Sawir et al., [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref22">13</reflink>]). Perhaps these social networks are also created outside of this university's campuses in many of the western suburbs of Sydney.</p> <p>If we cross-tabulate the use of university facilities per religious group, bearing in mind that we are dealing with people who meet with others of their religion at least once a month (on or off a UWS campus), we find that no Baha'i, Buddhist, Jew, Hindu, Sikh or people involved in nature religion use the facilities on campus. Three per cent of those who are Christian use it at least once or twice per month, and the remaining 97 per cent do not use it at all. On the other hand, 50 per cent of the Muslims (i.e. eight people out of 16 who answered this question) used facilities one to five times a month. The remaining Muslims do not use these facilities. This is more an observation than a conclusion, as the sample of Muslims is too small to be statistically significant.</p> <p>Overall, the chaplaincy facilities at this university are not widely used or, possibly, not required when it comes to practising faith with others of the same religious beliefs. On the other hand, when scratching below the surface, one can discover that, comparatively speaking, there is a higher proportion of Muslims who use the religious facilities for that purpose.</p> <hd id="AN0044436235-6">Use of UWS facilities for individual religious practices</hd> <p>Only taking into account people who are religious and/or spiritual, the individual activities for these people are more highly rated than group activities, as 79.6 per cent of the sample practice their faith alone at least once a week, and 30.4 per cent of these people (see Table 7; in the 'per cent of the answers' column) practice alone at UWS, as well once or more times per week. If we reintroduce the people who are neither spiritual nor religious into the calculation, it can be established that 23 per cent of the sample practice their faith alone at least once a week at UWS (see the 'per cent of the answers' column). This is much higher than 6.5 per cent of the whole sample who gather with other people of a similar faith at UWS, as explored in the previous section.</p> <p>Table 7. Religious/spiritual practices on and off campus</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead valign="bottom"><tr><td /><td>As part of your religion and/or spirituality, how often do you practice your faith alone (e.g. prayers, meditation, ritual washing) per week?</td><td>How many of these practices do you perform on UWS campuses?</td></tr><tr><td /><td>Frequency</td><td>Per cent of the sample</td><td>Per cent of the answers</td><td>Frequency</td><td>Per cent of the sample</td><td>Per cent of the answers</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>0</td><td char=".">37</td><td char=".">17.1</td><td char=".">20.4</td><td char=".">114</td><td char=".">52.5</td><td char=".">69.5</td></tr><tr><td>1–2</td><td char=".">38</td><td char=".">17.5</td><td char=".">21</td><td char=".">20</td><td char=".">9.2</td><td char=".">12.2</td></tr><tr><td>3–5</td><td char=".">22</td><td char=".">10.1</td><td char=".">12.2</td><td char=".">2</td><td char=".">0.9</td><td char=".">1.2</td></tr><tr><td>Everyday</td><td char=".">57</td><td char=".">26.3</td><td char=".">31.5</td><td char=".">13</td><td char=".">6.0</td><td char=".">7.9</td></tr><tr><td>More than once per day</td><td char=".">27</td><td char=".">12.4</td><td char=".">14.9</td><td char=".">15</td><td char=".">6.9</td><td char=".">9.1</td></tr><tr><td>Missing</td><td char=".">36</td><td char=".">16.6</td><td /><td char=".">53</td><td char=".">24.4</td><td /></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>It is clear from this analysis that the chaplaincy at a university such as UWS needs to meet the religious/spiritual needs of an individual practising by himself/herself moreso than the needs of a group.</p> <p>If we cross-tabulate these findings with religious groups, we find a stark contrast with what has been discovered above. Of all the people who practice their faith alone at least once a week (on or off a UWS campus), all Buddhists (four people), Hindu (one person), Jews (one person) and people involved in nature religion (two people) practice more than once a week at UWS. Seventy-two per cent of Christians do not practice on campus, but the remaining 28 per cent do so at least once per week (8 per cent of them, everyday). Fifty-eight per cent of Muslims (10 out of 17) also practice alone on one of the UWS campuses.</p> <hd id="AN0044436235-7">Differences of practice between staff and students</hd> <p>One might expect a difference in the use of facilities between staff and students. However, after cross-tabulating the results, no significant difference of practice was found. Of all the students who gather with others with similar beliefs at least once a month in or outside of UWS facilities, 87 per cent of them do not do so on a UWS campus. Of all the staff, we found almost the same proportion at 90 per cent.</p> <p>Of all the students who practice their faith alone at least once a week, 70 per cent do not do so at UWS, with the same percentage of staff.</p> <p>It can thus be argued that staff and students from this sample do not demonstrate any difference in terms of using the University's facilities for their religious and/or spiritual work.</p> <hd id="AN0044436235-8">Reasons for using or not using university facilities for one's religious/spiritual work</hd> <p>As seen in Table 8, of all the religious and/or spiritual respondents, 80 per cent of them do not attempt any of these religious/spiritual services and/or practices on campus. Three per cent of them claim that they do not have the time on campus, whereas 7 per cent claim to be able to balance their religious/spiritual needs on and off campus. As people were invited to provide other reasons, two main themes emerged from the qualitative analysis of their answers—no services for specific certain religious groups (two people: one Coptic and one Baha'i) and no adequate structure for people with eclectic spiritual beliefs (three people). The other answers did not suggest any significant themes.</p> <p>Table 8. Reasons for attending/not attending the religious/spiritual facilities at UWS</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead valign="bottom"><tr><td /><td>Frequency</td><td>Per cent</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>In regard to attending religious services/rituals/study groups and/or performing these practices on UWS campuses (tick as many boxes as required), would you say that:</td></tr><tr><td>I do not attend any of these religious/spiritual services and/or practices at UWS.</td><td char=".">144</td><td char=".">80</td></tr><tr><td>I do not have much opportunity/time to do so outside of UWS and thus practice all my religious and/or spiritual activities at UWS.</td><td char=".">6</td><td char=".">3</td></tr><tr><td>It helps me to balance my religious and/or spiritual time, as I perform my religious and/or spiritual practices on and off campus.</td><td char=".">12</td><td char=".">7</td></tr><tr><td>I like to meet and be mutually supported by like-minded people at UWS.</td><td char=".">17</td><td char=".">9</td></tr><tr><td>Other reason</td><td char=".">12</td><td char=".">7</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>In another question, 45.7 per cent of people who are religious and/or spiritual claim that they were content with the facilities provided by UWS for religious services/rituals/study groups. Some of the open-ended reasons given for not being content were grouped under these main themes:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> • Not enough information. Some respondents were of the opinion that they did not receive any information about this on campus and that this information could be available on a Website rather than through 'forcing' pamphlets into people's hands.</item> <p></p> <item> • No need for facilities. As universities must be secular, faith should be practised in one's own time. And as one person pointed out 'I think religion should be a personal matter and not funded by UWS above any other student society'.</item> <p></p> <item> • Finding more time to do these activities.</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0044436235-9">Use of Internet for religious and spiritual practices</hd> <p>The use of the Internet by religious people and groups can be traced back to the 1980s (Campbell, [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref23">4</reflink>]). Since that time, the way religion is discussed and practised on the Web has gone through recurrent transformations. Karaflogka ([<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref24">10</reflink>]) studied the various typologies of religious activities, but has seen her conceptualisations changing over time following changes to the Web itself. These changes are owing to the fact that cyberspace is no longer the preserve of the computer specialist and it now supports an inclusive (at least for those who have access to the hardware) social space. She also distinguishes what she calls religion <emph>on</emph> cyberspace and religion <emph>in</emph> cyberspace.</p> <p>What I call 'religion <emph>on</emph> cyberspace' is the information uploaded by any religion, church, individual or organisation, which also exists and can be reached in the off-line world. In this sense the Internet is used as a tool. 'Religion <emph>in</emph> cyberspace', which I call cyber religion, is a religious, spiritual or metaphysical expression which is created and exists exclusively in cyberspace, where it enjoys a considerable degree of 'virtual reality' (Karaflogka, [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref25">10</reflink>], p. 285).</p> <p>Employing this distinction, it can be argued that when religions started using the Internet, they tended to be religions <emph>on</emph> cyberspace, as they mainly posted information, calendar of events or even sermons. However, with the democratisation of access to the Internet and the use of its full potential, religions <emph>in</emph> cyberspace are emerging and involve the full participation of cybernautes, such as actively taking part in chat rooms and/or performing rituals online. These religions <emph>in</emph> cyberspace are a recent phenomenon and, even if they mainly exist and function online, they can nevertheless mobilise a large part of the population.</p> <p>This survey intended to explore people's use of the Internet for this purpose and analyse the importance of this cyber need on campus.</p> <p>Table 9 shows that of all the people who are spiritual and/or religious, 61.2 per cent do not use the Internet for such a purpose. Of those that do use the Internet, 35.4 per cent of them use the Web for religions <emph>on</emph> cyberspace, whereas only 3.4 per cent do their religion <emph>in</emph> cyberspace. As the percentage is very small, and this new phenomenon restricted to a few, it appears that there is no need to envision a type of multi-faith chaplaincy on campus with a room full of computers in the near future, for people to practice their religion <emph>in</emph> cyberspace.</p> <p>Table 9. The Internet and religion</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead valign="bottom"><tr><td /><td>Frequency</td><td>Per cent</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>No</td><td char=".">109</td><td char=".">61.2</td></tr><tr><td>Yes, I use the Internet to access and/or exchange information on religion/spirituality (e.g. online sermons and chat rooms) but NOT to practice my religion/spirituality (e.g. online meditation).</td><td char=".">63</td><td char=".">35.4</td></tr><tr><td>Yes, I use the Internet to access and/or exchange information on religion/spirituality (e.g. online sermons and chat rooms) AND to practice my religion/spirituality (e.g. online meditation).</td><td char=".">6</td><td char=".">3.4</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>Table 10 explores the use of the Internet for religious purpose, and of all those who use it for religious purposes, only 30 per cent use it for more than one hour a week. The same people who use the Web for a religious purpose answered the question in the same table, and the data do not show any strong signs of people wanting to use the Internet for religious purposes extensively on campus.</p> <p>Table 10. The Internet and religion</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead valign="bottom"><tr><td /><td>Time spent on the Internet for religious/spiritual purpose</td><td>Use of the Internet for religious/spiritual purpose on campus</td></tr><tr><td /><td>Frequency</td><td>Per cent</td><td>Frequency</td><td>Per cent</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Close to 1 hour per week</td><td char=".">49</td><td char=".">70</td><td char=".">40</td><td char=".">76.9</td></tr><tr><td>1 to 3 hours per week</td><td char=".">15</td><td char=".">21.4</td><td char=".">10</td><td char=".">19.2</td></tr><tr><td>4 to 7 hours per week</td><td char=".">5</td><td char=".">7.2</td><td /><td char=".">3.8</td></tr><tr><td>More than 7 hours per week</td><td char=".">1</td><td char=".">1.4</td><td char=".">0</td><td char=".">0</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>From this analysis, it appears that there is currently no strong need to cater for Internet access for religious and spiritual needs at university, regardless of whether it is for a religion <emph>on</emph> cyberspace or a religion <emph>in</emph> cyberspace. With the development of religion and spirituality on the Internet, it would be worth reassessing this issue once every 5–10 years to track for eventual changes.</p> <hd id="AN0044436235-10">Conclusion</hd> <p>Although the staff and students who answered this survey tend to be religiously/spiritually active, they tend to use the facilities of this university for their individual religious/spiritual practices rather than to meet with people with similar beliefs. One can assume that this university accommodates the religious/spiritual needs of people who are on the go between their study, work, friends and family. If they practice their religion with people of similar beliefs, it is often not done on campus.</p> <p>Although the Internet is becoming a more useful tool for people's religious/spiritual work, its use by people who answered this survey is of no strong consequence.</p> <p>This survey reflects the perception of a sample about the multi-faith facilities found in a six-campus suburban university during a stable time. If it had been conducted during a time of crisis, the information on the need to use these facilities might be different. As Rogers ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref26">12</reflink>], p. 140) points out, the various duties and pastoral loads rise rapidly for staff and students in the wake of tragedies in tertiary institutions (e.g. student shooting on campus). The fact that these multi-faith facilities might or might not be put under too much strain in a time of such crisis is different research topic.</p> <p>Overall, after analysing the results from this survey, it appears that the current facilities meet the needs of the staff and student population in this multi-campus suburban university. If something does need to improve, it is not necessarily the change in the types of facilities provided in such a setting, but more a stronger message that the chaplaincy is multi-faith. A Chaplain coordinator, as suggested by Rogers ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref27">12</reflink>]), might be a solution. This person, among other things, would be able to coordinate and publicise all multi-faith events and liaise with external faith bodies. As Rogers ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref28">12</reflink>], p. 177) puts it:</p> <p>In sum, the position is cost-effective, and would help to set in place preventive strategies for dealing with spiritual issues across faith boundaries on campus, and in developing a support team of volunteer chaplains. It would allow for efficient pastoral and community networking with administrative and academic staff, and also student organizations.</p> <ref id="AN0044436235-11"> <title> References </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref14" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> Bellamy, J. and Castle, K.2004. "2001 church attendance estimates". In NCLS Occasional Paper 3, Sydney South: National Church Life Survey.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib2" idref="ref10" type="bt">2</bibl> <bibtext> Bouma, G.2006. Australian soul. Religion and spirituality in the twenty-first century, Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib3" idref="ref8" type="bt">3</bibl> <bibtext> Cahill, D., Bouma, G., Dellal, H. and Leahy, M.2004. Religion, cultural diversity and safeguarding Australia, Canberra: DIMIA with the Australian Multicultural Foundation.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib4" idref="ref23" type="bt">4</bibl> <bibtext> Campbell, H.2005. Making space for religion in internet studies. The Information Society, 21: 309–315.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib5" idref="ref20" type="bt">5</bibl> <bibtext> GA Research. 2008. Student survey undertaken on behalf of the University of Western Sydney, Sydney: GA Research.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib6" idref="ref2" type="bt">6</bibl> <bibtext> Gilliat-Ray, S. 2000. Religion in higher education. The politics of the multi-faith campus, Aldershot, UK: Ashgate.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib7" idref="ref12" type="bt">7</bibl> <bibtext> Hughes, P., Black, A., Bellamy, J. and Kaldor, P.2004. Identity and religion in contemporary Australia. Australian Religion Studies Review, 17(1): 53–58.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib8" idref="ref5" type="bt">8</bibl> <bibtext> Hutchinson, M.1993. Religion and university education in Australia: Debates over the introduction of chaplaincies to Macquarie University. The Journal of Religious History, 17(3): 351–368.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib9" idref="ref17" type="bt">9</bibl> <bibtext> James, R., Bexley, E., Devlin, M. and Marginson, S.2007. Australian University student finances 2006: Final report of a national survey in public universities, Melbourne: CSHE, University of Melbourne.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Karaflogka, A.2002. Religious discourse and cyberspace. Religion, 32: 279–291.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Krause, K.L., Hartley, R., James, R. and McInnis, C.2005. The first year experience in Australian universities: Findings from a decade of national studies, Canberra: Department of Education, Science and Training.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Rogers, B.2004. A timely initiative: Placing and funding chaplain coordinators in Australian tertiary institutions. Journal of the Tertiary Campus Ministry Association, 2: 138–183.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Sawir, E., Marginson, S., Deumert, A., Nyland, C. and Ramia, G.2008. Loneliness and International students: An Australian study. Journal of Studies in International Education, 12(2): 148–180.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Wise, A. and Ali, J.2008. Muslim–Australians & Local Government: Grassroots strategies to improve relations between Muslim and non-Muslim Australians, Sydney: Centre for Research on Social Inclusion, Macquarie University.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By Adam Possamai and Ellen Brackenreg</p> <p>Reported by Author; Author</p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib12" firstref="ref1"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl2" bibid="bib14" firstref="ref9"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl3" bibid="bib11" firstref="ref18"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl4" bibid="bib13" firstref="ref22"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl5" bibid="bib10" firstref="ref24"></nolink>
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  Data: This article explores people's use of and need for religious and/or spiritual facilities, based on the findings from a survey sent to students and staff of a multi-campus suburban university. The results indicate that, in this context, people use facilities more for practising their faith/spirituality by themselves rather than to meet with others of similar beliefs. It also shows that a multi-faith pragmatic approach to religious diversity seems to match with student and staff needs. (Contains 10 tables.)
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