Posted on Oct 23, 2006
Union College's new religious studies major will be a resource for students who ultimately want to embark on a career in business, President Stephen Ainlay says.
Far from being an insular and esoteric pursuit, the Schenectady college says the new major will be a dynamic course of study that complements Union's emphasis on entrepreneurism across all its programs.
“What we have been learning in talking to people about entrepreneurism, is a lot of people are doing global work,” Ainlay said. “They need to understand the religious factors in international communities.”
Union College has renewed a search that proved fruitless last year for an endowed chair, to be called the John and Jane Wold Professor of Religious Studies, to elevate Union's current minor in religious studies to a major. The college has had a minor in religious studies for 15 years, but only about three students a year have been declared minors in recent years.
While the college offers other religious courses, it owes it to its students to bring in a distinguished scholar who can improve the curriculum and inspire students to learn more about religious cultures, diversity and tolerance, the first-year Union president said.
“We want to make sure that students are equipped to deal with the 21st century realities of the world,” he said. “To send them out without being able to understand where people are coming from is not doing them any good at all.”
Religion factored into Union's founding and its very name. Unlike most other colleges in the era it was formed, in 1795, Union was not aligned with one religion. Instead, students from several Protestant faiths came together to form one of the first nondenominational colleges in the United States. The “Union” name reflected that religious harmony, and the patriotic fervor then ablaze in the brand-new nation.
Perfect timing
Ainlay said the timing is perfect to devote more attention and resources to religious studies at Union. He said at no time since the late 1800s has interest in religion been so intense in the United States.
Ainlay, himself a sociologist specializing in the Mennonite sect, attributed that interest to two factors: the increasing importance of religion in American life and politics and the threat the United States faces from Islamic fundamentalism.
“It couldn't possibly be more timely,” said Therese McCarty, interim vice president of academic affairs at Union. “Every time we pick up a newspaper, we see that religion pays a very critical role in the world. Understanding the role that religion plays in people's lives is really critical to a liberal education. This is a direction we are really happy to go in.”
The money for the new emphasis is coming out of a $20 million gift that John Wold, a former congressman from Wyoming, and his wife gave to Union in 2003. Wold is a 1938 Union graduate who made a fortune through mineral and oil discoveries. Wold's father, Peter Wold, was chairman of Union's physics department from 1919 to 1945.
In addition to helping fund the hiring of a scholar to enhance religious studies offerings, additional Wold money will be available to bring another prominent person in religious studies to the Union campus each year. That person might teach classes if they are from an academic background, but they will also be expected to give seminars, speeches and take part in other events on religious tolerance and diversity.
In keeping with that idea, the Wolds helped sponsor an appearance at Union on Oct. 10 by Ingrid Mattson, the first woman to ever head the Islamic Society of North America. Her message: Radical Muslims are in a small minority and that most Muslims treasure family and community.
A 'terrific complement'
Union has an open mind about who should occupy the endowed professorship, McCarty said. The particular denomination of the scholar is “irrelevant,” she said. The person could be an anthropologist or a sociologist of religion, a historian of religion or another kind of religious scholar.
“The ideal person is someone who has a vision and the ability to build this program,” McCarty said. “The person has to be an excellent teacher, a well-regarded scholar and somebody who has some administrative experience in program-building. We certainly would not want somebody who sits in their offices.”
Union did not find the right candidate last year, causing the college to resume the search this fall.
“It is taking us a while to understand how we need to frame the position,” McCarty said. “We had a little bit of a learning curve in understanding this.”
Union wants the new endowed professor to be on campus starting in the fall of 2007 and hopes to start offering the religious studies major in 2009.
Ainlay said enterprising students aiming at a career in business should recognize the potential benefits of courses that teach them about the religions of India, China, the Middle East and other parts of the world where American companies are increasingly doing business.
“We are finding that a lot of economic studies students are interested in Spanish,” Ainlay said. “In much the same way, a major or a minor in religious studies could be a terrific complement to something like economic studies.”
In discussing the program with a local business executive recently, Ainlay said the executive immediately grasped the potential value of a business-savvy student who could also be a kind of “cultural interpreter” to a company.
“The executive said, 'If I had someone who understood Indian religions, it would be a huge advantage to me and my staff,' ” Ainlay said.
Kim Perone, spokeswoman for the SI Group, said her company understands the value of cultural sensitivity in the foreign countries it operates in. The former Schenectady International operates in 14 countries.
“Understanding culture, including religion, is a key part of success in global business,” she said. “We all know the adage, 'When in Rome…', yet we don't always act that way in business. The world is getting smaller and for us, working in other countries is essential. Our customers are global.”
Read More
