Higher and Further Education (HEFE)

The Board supports the work of Chaplains in our Higher and Further education institutions, including Bournemouth University, Bournemouth & Poole College and Weymouth College.

With 44% of 17-30 year olds now participating in higher education, we recognise that chaplains in higher education are key agents of God’s mission as they work with and within their institutions alongside people of all faiths and none, and we want to encourage them in their work. The Church of England must continue to provide a comprehensive system of chaplaincy if we are further to develop the relationships which exist, for the mutual benefit of the Church, between the higher education sector and the wider world.

As stated in The Future of Higher Education: Response to the White Paper, 24th April 2003, p2

"In Christian terms, education is understood to be part of the gospel - good news for all - which is first and foremost for individuals and for all who are able to benefit from it. Its purpose is the search for truth, and Christians believe they are called to serve, using the knowledge they gain and the talents they develop in the service of others. The churches continue to be involved in the education, training and employment of people who may not be highly paid, but nonetheless contribute critically to the overall health of the nation."

In his Oxford University Commemoration Day Sermon at the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford on 20th June 2004, the Archbishop of Canterbury called on universities to revert to their tradition of learning.

"The reasonable society is ... one in which we know how to talk with each other, how to negotiate, to challenge, to argue coherently about what is good for human beings as such. The challenge to any institution of higher learning these days is to draw out these public dimensions of the intellectual life... (the) Church might properly say: 'If there is any commitment in the university to the nourishing of public discourse and public service, it has to have a serious place for the discussion of the shape of a just common human life - which involves, unavoidably, the religious question of what it is that human beings are 'involved' with over and above their material or personal or professional or national identities."

The results of a series of nationwide consultations on chaplaincy in Higher Education and Further Education found that "chaplaincy is at the cutting edge of mission, discerning the presence of God in daily life and finding a new language in which to explore key issues with non-churchgoers of all ages"

The main conclusions included: "the Church, in all its dioceses, must be clear about the priority of education chaplaincy in its mission to the nation"; and "Chaplaincy, rather than being seen as a specialism on the margins, is a fundamental part of the normal ministry of the Church."

As the Bishop of Portsmouth wrote during the debate of the Higher Education Bill (Church Times, 13th February 2004):

Chaplaincy is a ministry that helps institutions; staff and students face life and all its difficult questions. It should seize the opportunity to reach out to 18-to-30-year-olds at a very formative time in their lives, people whom the Church otherwise finds it very hard to reach.

Salisbury Diocese has a thriving partnership with the Chaplaincy team at Bournemouth University. The team celebrates diversity and welcomes people of all faiths and none. As an expression of this diversity, the team currently comprises Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu and Sikh representatives, all of whom are committed to -

• Friendship and Support
  The Open Area is a place to relax and have refreshments; a place where International Students come and meet one another; a place for quiet and meditation.
  
• Faith and Spirituality
  We offer seminars, workshops and discussion groups; there are library and video resources; we support inter-faith dialogues; an Islamic Prayer Room is in regular use by staff and students.
  
• Peace and Justice
  We engage in debates about ethics; there are opportunities for social action; we participate in a Global Perspectives Network; we help facilitate links with local, National and International charities; we offer opportunities for community involvement.
  

For further information on Religion and Belief at Bournemouth University, contact Revd Dr David Hart, the University Chaplain on 01202-965383 or at dhart@bournemouth.ac.uk