ACCESS TO GEOLOGIC EDUCATION IN SECTARIAN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

Continued acrimony over such subjects as organic evolution and climate change may be exacerbated by the absence of geological information (for example, basic data on earth and life history) for a significant portion of the college-educated U.S. population. This study examined curricula of sectarian and non-sectarian colleges and universities with respect to the availability of upper division undergraduate courses in geology/earth science. Differences in the availability of geology major studies between public universities and certain populations of sectarian colleges (e.g., “Christian Colleges”) are marked and highly statistically significant. It can be argued, however, that the pattern is an artifact of the smaller size and resource bases of sectarian colleges. Accordingly, I investigated possible associations between geology presence/absence data and resource measures (size, endowment, faculty doctorates, etc.) in data sets for Lutheran church-related colleges. Hypotheses of association between geology and college resources cannot be corroborated; patterns suggestive of association between geology and founding churches and synods remain. While debates over the veracity of evolution are far in the past among faculties and administrators in such universities, anecdotal evidence suggests that institutional histories and inertia cast long shadows. Studies of this type may remind sectarian institutions of their obligations to contribute to an educated citizenry.