Christian Engineering Education Conference
CEEC-2004
Salt Lake City, Utah
June 23-25, 2004
Integrating Christian Faith with Academic Administration
Otto J. Helweg
College of Engineering and Architecture
North Dakota State University
Not only in the “public square” but especially in secular colleges
and universities, evangelical Christians have tended to surrender leadership to
those promoting the prevailing cultural norms. The general rule is that the higher
one ascends in any administration, the greater coverage and influence he or she
may exert. Consequently, Christian faculty who have talents in administration
and leadership should prayerfully consider an academic career in which they aspire
to positions of chair, dean, vice president, and even president. This paper first
defines some of the administrative posts available, evaluates why a Christian
professor might seek them, and how one might go about climbing the administrative
ladder. In doing this the paper suggests some of the opportunities that await
Christian administrators, especially in secular institutions of higher education
but also some of the pitfalls and challenges, with an emphasis on one’s
Christian commitment.