Religious-Based Dorms at Public Universities Catch Fire

There are many clues that life at the newest residence hall on the campus of Troy University is not centered on parties and beer.
In the lobby, students with Bibles gather to offer Christian testimony. On a dorm-room door, a chalkboard holds a passage from Psalms.

And in the 2,300-square-foot Catholic-run ministry center, evenings are given over to clergy-led discussions on the meaning of God and a few good-natured rounds of "Stump the Priest."

Citing reports from students who say they are hungry for more faith-based options on campus and national surveys that show a strong interest in spirituality among college freshman, officials at Troy, Alabama's third-largest public university, this semester opened the Newman Center residence hall, a roomy 376-bed dormitory that caters to students who want a residential experience infused with religion.

Kosher dorms, Christian fraternity houses and specialized housing based on values have become part of modern college life. But the dorm on this campus of 7,000 students is among a new wave of religious-themed housing that constitutional scholars and others say is pushing the boundaries of how much a public university can back religion.

Officials said the dorm met a growing demand and did not conflict with the Constitution.

"It is not about proselytizing, but about bringing a values-based opportunity to this campus," said Troy's chancellor, Jack Hawkins Jr. "The parents are the most excited. I've had calls to get me to intervene to get their son or daughter in there."

Others are less convinced.

"This is too cozy," said Annie Laurie Gaylor, a founder and president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. "We are very concerned about this idea of religious-based dorms. This is very insidious."   UCN