ERIC Number: EJ771460
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007-Jul-6
Pages: 1
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0009-5982
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Pennies for Heaven
Bartlett, Thomas
Chronicle of Higher Education, v53 n44 pA29 Jul 2007
In 1991 three Christian students sued the University of Virginia after they were denied funds for their evangelical newspaper. The students said the case was about free speech; the university argued it was about separation of church and state. The U.S. Supreme Court found in favor of the students, a landmark ruling that guaranteed equal treatment for campus religious groups. More than a decade later, some public universities still have policies that appear to run counter to the spirit and letter of "Rosenberger v. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia" and a review of more than a dozen student handbooks across the country reveals results both confusing and contradictory. Some policies explicitly welcome religious groups to apply for student-activity funds and inveigh against any "viewpoint discrimination"; others prohibit religious groups from receiving any money; still others are so vague that it's unclear who is and is not eligible for support. That, unsurprisingly, has led to more lawsuits. At the heart of such disputes is whether religious groups and nonreligious groups should receive the same treatment.
Descriptors: Religious Cultural Groups, State Church Separation, Court Litigation, Christianity, Student Organizations, Freedom of Speech, Public Colleges, Financial Support
Chronicle of Higher Education. 1255 23rd Street NW Suite 700, Washington, DC 20037. Tel: 800-728-2803; e-mail: circulation@chronicle.com; Web site: http://chronicle.com/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Virginia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A