Second, the relationship of Christianity and learning is much more than just starting out a class with prayer. There's the appreciation for different learning styles that Susan has mentioned, and a respect for students as human beings. Most importantly, a Christian perspective will be encountered in the SPU classroom and in the lives of professors. If we don't do that, we've lost our distinctive as a Christian university. We are not here to teach students what to think, but how to think.
Education is a conversation in which students are partners with faculty.
We need them as much as they need us in order to have a productive and enriching dialogue. I want parents to know that they can trust the learning relationship between faculty and students. I hope that what they gain is not knowledge to go up the corporate ladder, but knowledge for service. I hope there will be a consistency between character and conduct in their lives. And I hope that they will continue to be learners, asking the important questions about life.