1515. Responsibilities to Institutions--The Division of Higher Education shall establish policy and practice providing for consultation with and support of United Methodist educational institutions, campus ministry units, and annual conference boards of higher education and campus ministry in matters of institutional study and evaluation, promotion, interpretation, management, program, and finance.
1. The division shall, in cooperation with the University Senate:
a) Study trends in higher education, the needs of the Church, and public and private educational opportunities and requirements and make recommendations to the educational institutions, and to state commissions or other bodies or publics concerned with higher education.
b) Recommend and approve plans for institutional cooperation, consolidation, or merger between or among United Methodist-related colleges and/or between them and institutions of other denominations which ensure that the interests of The United Methodist Church are adequately protected.
c) Investigate the objectives, academic programs, educational standards, personnel policies, plant and equipment, business and management practices, financial program, public relations, student personnel services, student development programs, religious life, and church relations of any educational institution claiming or adjudged to be related to The United Methodist Church.
d) Evaluate and classify institutions in order to authenticate relatedness to the Church and determine eligibility for Church financial support.
2. The division shall, in regard to campus ministry, Wesley Foundations, and ecumenical campus ministry groups, provide a structure within the division in order to:
a) Assist in development of plans for the systematic evaluation of these units in cooperation with their regularly constituted boards of directors or trustees and with conference, area, or regional committees or commissions on Christian higher education and campus ministry or appropriate ecumenical agencies.
b) Study the trends in programming and funding in campus ministry; review reports from conference agencies and local units; and, interpret these findings to the constituency as appropriate.
c) Affirm its commitment to an ecumenical approach to campus ministry; encourage local, campus, state, and regional units of that ministry to work toward ecumenical programming and structures where appropriate to provide counsel and support to conference boards and agencies in reviewing, evaluating and strengthening existing and proposed local and regional ecumenical covenants for campus ministry; and to ensure that ecumenical covenants and procedures for these units are on file with the annual conference boards of higher education and campus ministry.
d) Recognize and cooperate with agencies with whom relationships may serve to further the objectives of the division.
e) Provide for representation and participation, as deemed necessary, with other national ecumenical campus ministry agencies.
f) Provide services to meet specific denominational needs.
g) Relate college and university students of The United Methodist Church to a national United Methodist student organization and such ecumenical student organizations as may be appropriate.
3. The division shall, as it seeks to interpret higher education:
a) Promote the Church's mission in higher education, including the special missions and educational ministries to ethnic groups, persons with handicapping conditions, and other peoples disadvantaged by world conditions.
b) Promote Christian instruction and provide opportunity for Christian service.
c) Encourage educational institutions and campus ministry units to inculcate human and humane values consistent with the gospel and the public good.
d) Foster the development of Christian community within the life of educational institutions and campus ministry units.
e) Make use of the existing Church organization and publications for interpreting the mission of higher education.
f) Participate in the Crusade Scholarship program.
g) Design and organize the promotion of United Methodist Student Day to recognize United Methodist students in higher education.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
1992 Book of Discipline: ¶ 1515
1996 United Methodist General Conference