InterVarsity's StudentSoul.org

Update: November 16, 2006. See updates section below.

Does a student group on campus have the right to set qualifications for its leaders? More specifically, does a Christian student group have the right to require its leaders to be Christian?

Apparently not, according to the University of Wisconsin-Superior student government. Recognition of the InterVarsity chapter there has been under question for two years. The initial reason given last year was that appropriate paperwork hadn’t been filed properly on the part of the chapter, but that was countered successfully when a student produced an email from a UW-S administrator praising the excellent way the paperwork had been submitted. Last year the InterVarsity chapter was able to meet on campus, but didn’t receive any funding from the student government. This coming year they may not be able to meet on campus at all. The student government still has not voted to recognize the InterVarsity chapter, and so the group is in limbo as this 2006-2007 school year begins. The reason given now for non-recognition is that the chapter requires its student officers to affirm the Doctrinal Basis of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. The student government maintains that the requirement violates the university’s non-discrimination policy.

Does InterVarsity discriminate? In a similar story involving the Knights of Columbus at UW-Madison, University officials cited a policy that prohibits recognized groups from discriminating on the basis of religion or sexual orientation.

Christian Leadership?

InterVarsity is committed to genuine dialogue about spiritual and religious issues on the University campus. More than 25% of the students and faculty participating in InterVarsity groups do not identify themselves as Christians and are welcome in InterVarsity. Only the leadership is required to subscribe to basic and historic tenets of the Christian faith. “Although our campus activities are open to all, we fulfill our mission through Christian student leaders,” said InterVarsity president Alec Hill. “To be required to open our leadership positions to those who do not subscribe to our mission—to not discriminate on the basis of religion—would cut to the very core of who we are.”

The leaders of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship chapter at UW-S are hopeful that officials will find an accommodation for the group so that it can continue to be a registered student organization on the Superior campus.

Updates Section (latest on top) back to start

Update: November 16, 2006. The UW-Superior chapter has been retored to recognized status. See the full story here.

Update: October 27, 2006. InterVarsity President Alec Hill sends a message describing the current situation and asking for continued prayer.

Update: October 16, 2006. InterVarsity President Alec Hill sends a message encouraging persistence and humility without rancor.

Students continue to meet despite disaffiliation (InterVarsity news item).

Update: October 3, 2006. At 2. p.m., October 3, a news conference was held announcing action taken againts UW-Superior. (Audio recording of news conference.) Gordon Govier, InterVarsity media coordinator, posted a news item earlier in the day about yesterday’s lawsuit: InterVarsity Files Suit Against the University of Wisconsin

Update: October 2, 2006. The Cabinet leadership of InterVarsity decided to go ahead with a lawsuit against the University of Wisconsin – Superior.

In a letter to InterVarsity staff, President Alec Hill wrote, “Even though we have a strong case, (both locally and with recent court decisions), the University of Wisconsin system appears unwilling to budge. I am concerned that if this situation goes unchallenged and our chapter at UW-Superior is not reinstated, the same problem may happen with other public universities. While we certainly hold no malice toward the university or its officials, we cannot ignore this unjust action. Reluctantly, the Cabinet has come to the conclusion that we have only one alternative left. On Monday, October 2nd, InterVarsity filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court to reinstate our student chapter and officially recognize it. This was a path I had hoped to avoid, but it is imperative that we protect our student work.” (Full text of letter.)

Other resources: Access Resources: University of Wisconsin – Superior

Update: September 27, 2006. InterVarsity at UW-Superior is now joined by several other organizations being attacked by the UW system. Here is a recent blog titled And So the Purge Begins by Alliance Defense Fund Senior Legal Counsel David French.

What do you think?

Should a student organization be allowed to require that its leaders are sympathetic to its purposes? How would you approach your administration if this decision were handed down on your own campus?

Read more on the debate and let us know what you think in the comments section below:

• Update: Students continue to meet despite disaffiliation (InterVarsity news item).
• “Campus Christian group left hanging,” news story from the Duluth News Tribune. (Link removed, now archived for purchase only on the newspaper’s site.)
• InterVarsity national website news story. (Includes links to other cases.)
• InterVarsity Regional Director Rick Mattson says the Christian voice belongs on campus. He says InterVarsity is open to people of all faiths, but leaders have to be Christian. “We want to have the ability to elect our own leaders who hold our own values, just like any other organization does. To me anyway, that’s what true diversity on campus is. You have this multiplicity of organizations, voices, groups.” Read more.

Copyright 2006 by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA.