Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME
Overall Climate Score:
| Region: New England | |
| Locale: Town | |
| Student Population (FTE): 1,000 - 4,999 | |
| Institution Type: Private Nonsectarian | |
| Institution Website: https://www.bowdoin.edu/ |
CLIMATE DOMAINS
On this page, you will find an assessment of a campus’ efforts to create a welcoming environment for students of different religious, secular, and spiritual identities. Based on how each campus representative responded to the INSPIRES Index, we assigned one to five stars to reflect overall welcome, as well as accomplishments in seven specific domains. Under each domain, you will find a list of factors that were considered when assigning stars.
These scores are based on information reported at the time of the survey. For most up-to-date campus information, visit the institution’s website or contact a campus representative.
| Bowdoin College | All Private Nonsectarian Institutions | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | |||
| Religious Accommodations | |||
| Institutional Behaviors | |||
| Efforts to Reduce Negative Engagement | |||
| Extra-Curricular Engagement | |||
| Space for Support and Expression | |||
| Structural Diversity | |||
| Academic Engagement |
INSTITUTION SCORE CARD
Religious Accommodations
Dietary Religious Accommodations
- All dining halls include options for religious dietary restrictions such as halal, kosher, and vegetarian.
- Some (but not all) dining halls include options for religious dietary restrictions such as halal, kosher, and vegetarian.
- All dining hall hours of service accommodate religious students' access to food around fasting times.
- Some (but not all) dining hall hours of service accommodate religious students' access to food around fasting times.
- All residence halls include kitchens so students may prepare their own food according to religious dietary restrictions.
- Some (but not all) residence halls include kitchens so students may prepare their own food according to religious dietary restrictions.
- Exemption from required meal plan participation is offered for students who have religious dietary or fasting restrictions.
- Resources are available to students about where to grocery shop for religious dietary needs near campus (e.g., which nearby restaurants serve halal food).
- Transportation is available for students to access religious dietary grocery shopping.
Academic Religious Accommodations
To receive academic accommodations, students are required to:
- Approach faculty directly to request religious accommodations.
- Attest to the sincerity of their faith or belief before being granted an accommodation.
- Submit an accommodation request to a dedicated committee of people with diverse spiritual, religious, and secular identities to arrange for accommodations requests.
- Faculty are required to accommodate students' needs regarding observing religious holidays.
- Faculty are encouraged to accommodate students' needs regarding observing religious holidays.
- Faculty are required to include information about religious accommodations in their syllabi.
- Faculty are encouraged to include information about religious accommodations in their syllabi.
- The religious academic accommodations policy explicitly outlines an appeals process for when an accommodation is denied.
- The religious academic accommodations policy is required by state law.
- The religious academic accommodations policy goes beyond state law requirements (if applicable).
Institutional Behaviors
Religious, Secular, Spiritual, and Interfaith Diversity Councils and Committees
- This institution has established an interfaith council or committee that includes:
- Faculty
- Students
- Staff
- Community Members
- Affiliated student organization staff
- Administrators
- This institution has established a religious, secular, and spiritual diversity council or committee that includes:
- Faculty
- Students
- Staff
- Community Members
- Affiliated student organization staff
- Administrators
Religious, Secular, Spiritual, and Interfaith Diversity Assessment Efforts
- Religious, secular, and spiritual diversity are included in campus climate assessments.
- Data on student religious, secular, and spiritual diversity are gathered through:
- Admissions & Enrollment office.
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion office.
- Institutional Research/Assessment office.
- Multicultural Affairs office.
- Religious Life office.
- Student Life/Student Affairs office.
- Assessment data are used to inform decision making.
- Assessment data are posted or openly publicized.
Attention to Religious, Secular, and Spiritual Diversity in Institutional Statements, Goals, and Policies
Religious, secular, and spiritual diversity are included in the institution’s:
- Mission statement.
- Diversity statement.
- Antidiscrimination policy.
- Formal strategic plans.
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
Human resources (HR) policies for faculty and staff address:
- Religious diversity and nondiscrimination.
- Accommodations for religious practices (e.g., holidays, mourning, dietary restrictions).
Human resources (HR) policies for student employees address:
- Religious diversity and nondiscrimination.
- Accommodations for religious practices (e.g., holidays, mourning, dietary restrictions).
- Communications from senior leadership (e.g., president, provost, dean) in the past academic year have addressed the importance of engaging spiritual, religious, and secular diversity.
Religious, Secular, and Spiritual Diversity Training
Religious, secular, and spiritual diversity training is required for:
- Students
- Faculty
- Professional staff
- Student staff (e.g., resident advisors, peer tutors, orientation leaders)
Religious, secular, and spiritual diversity training is available (but not required) for:
- Students
- Faculty
- Professional staff
- Student staff
Training on how to support students with different religious, secular, and spiritual identities is provided to:
- Academic advisors
- Health center staff
- Mental health/wellness counselors
- Residence life staff
- Career counselors
- Counselors in mental health services are trained to provide support for students experiencing spiritual, religious, or existential struggles.
Faculty are trained to:
- Allow students to discuss their religious, secular, or spiritual views if the opportunity presents itself during class time.
- Allow students to discuss their religious, secular, or spiritual views if the opportunity presents itself outside of class time (e.g., office hours).
- Include topics related to religious, secular, or spiritual identities in their courses when appropriate to prompt discussion.
Efforts to Reduce Negative Engagement
Efforts to Reduce Religious Pressure and Coercion on Campus
Faculty are required to:
- Sign a statement of faith as a condition of employment at the institution.
- Learn about, engage with, and/or respond to the religious mission of the institution.
Staff are required to:
- Sign a statement of faith as a condition of employment at the institution.
- Learn about, engage with, and/or respond to the religious mission of the institution.
Student are required to:
- Sign a statement of faith as part of their application for admission.
- Provide a faith-based essay as part of their application for admission.
- Sign a statement of faith before matriculating (after admission).
- There are policies guiding religious proselytization on this campus by non-campus-affiliated individuals or groups.
- There are policies guiding religious proselytization on this campus by campus-affiliated individuals or groups.
Proactive Efforts to Reduce Bias and Insensitivity and Promote Productive Interworldview Engagement
- The institution has a dedicated bias response team or group.
- The bias response group is trained to address issues of religious, secular, and spiritual identity bias.
- The institution has a specific form for reporting bias incidents based on religious, secular, or spiritual identity.
- The institution tracks bias incidents by location (e.g., residences, academic environments, co-curricular environments, off-campus spaces).
- The institution notifies students about bias incidents as soon as they occur.
Within the last academic year:
- At least one incident involving bias or insensitivity toward a student on the basis of their religious, secular, and spiritual identity was reported.
- At least one student reported an incident of religious insensitivity in the classroom.
- At least one religiously-motivated hate crime occurred on campus.
- At least one student on campus formally reported a negative (e.g., silencing, guarded or cautious, tense, hostile, hurtful, and/or unresolved) interaction based on religious, secular, and spiritual identity differences.
- At least one incident was reported in which religious, secular, and spiritual beliefs were used to justify identity-based discrimination.
Extra-Curricular Engagement
Extra/Co-Curricular Interfaith Engagement
Religious, secular, and spiritual diversity is included in student orientation:
- Printed material
- Communications
- Social media
- On-campus programs
This campus has:
- Meditation/prayer spaces available for interfaith purposes (e.g., designated space for intentional use by multiple religious, secular, and spiritual groups for their specific purposes).
- Spaces for multifaith/interfaith purposes (e.g., venues for discussions, panels, vigils).
- Interfaith-themed residence halls or living and learning communities.
- Interfaith engagement opportunities offered to all students through a specific department or office.
- Departments or offices that regularly offer interfaith programming even though it is not their primary function (e.g., residence life, international office).
- Active student groups are organized around interfaith initiatives.
- Interfaith engagement opportunities at required student events (e.g., orientation, first-year common reading).
- Interfaith community service opportunities.
- Interfaith retreat opportunities.
- Leadership development opportunities specific to interfaith efforts on campus.
- Standing partnerships between members of campus or departments with local spiritual, religious, secular groups in the local community.
- Within the last academic year, students organized public forums or events (protests, dialogue programs) to voice concerns from minoritized spiritual, religious, or secular groups.
These public forums and events were organized by:
- Students on behalf of those with minoritized spiritual, religious, and secular identity groups.
- Students identifying with minoritized spiritual, religious, and secular identity groups.
- Campus staff/leadership.
This institution sponsors programs, events, or celebrations that:
- Aim at enhancing student appreciation for spiritual, religious, and secular diversity.
- Offer opportunities for collaborations across spiritual, religious, and secular identities.
- Address topics of religious conflict with civility.
- Offer opportunities for dialogue across issues of deep disagreement related to spiritual, religious, and secular beliefs.
Spaces for Support and Expression
Space for Religious, Secular, and Spiritual Expression
Meditation/prayer spaces are available:
- To students of all religious, secular, and spiritual identities (including faiths beyond Christianity).
- Within high-traffic areas (e.g., union, student life center, activities center).
- In at least some residence halls.
Students have access to prayer spaces:
- As needed.
- By request or within certain hours.
- Ritual washing stations are available on campus.
- Transportation for accessing religious, secular, and spiritual spaces in the community is available on campus.
- Spaces for multifaith/interfaith purposes (e.g., venues for discussions, panels, vigils) are available on campus.
Space for Religious, Secular, and Spiritual Support
- Outside of counseling or mental health services, support for students experiencing religious, spiritual, or existential struggles is provided.
This institution sponsors programs, events, or celebrations that:
- Support the needs of students who do not identify as Christian.
- Support the needs of non-religious students (e.g., Atheist, Agnostic).
This campus has:
- A spiritual life office or department (i.e., office staffed by campus employees and available to students of all spiritual, religious, and secular identities).
- Full-time religious or spiritual life staff employed by the institution.
- Part-time religious or spiritual life staff employed by the institution.
- Part-time religious or spiritual life student staff employed by the institution.
- Religious or spiritual life staff employed by their respective organizations (e.g., InterVarsity, Hillel, local churches).
- Work-study opportunities in interfaith, religious, or spiritual programming.
- Some religious students select housing on the basis of available facilities such as washing stations, prayer rooms, kitchens, or single-gender floors.
Active student groups are organized around:
- Spiritual practices.
- Religious traditions.
- Secular thought.
Structural Diversity
Structural Diversity
This institution sponsors programs, events, or celebrations that:
- Feature the contributions of people from different religious, secular, and spiritual identities.
- Feature guest speakers from different religious, secular, and spiritual identities.
Paid full-time staff members (e.g., chaplains, coordinators, directors) of the following identities are available to students:
- Atheism
- Bahai'i
- Buddhism
- Catholicism
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Evangelical Christianity
- Hinduism
- Indigenous religions
- Islam
- Judaism
- Mainline Protestantism
Paid part-time staff members (e.g., chaplains, coordinators, directors) of the following identities are available to students:
- Atheism
- Bahai'i
- Buddhism
- Catholicism
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Evangelical Christianity
- Hinduism
- Indigenous religions
- Islam
- Judaism
- Mainline Protestantism
- Campus grounds and/or buildings display religious symbols (statues, crosses). These symbols:
- Include imagery from multiple religions.
- Represent the current religious affiliation of the campus (if any).
- Represent the historical religious affiliation of the campus (if any).
The following traditions are currently represented among active student organizations:
- Atheism
- Bahai'i
- Buddhism
- Catholicism
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Evangelical Christianity
- Hinduism
- Indigenous religions
- Islam
- Judaism
- Mainline Protestantism
Academic Engagement
Academic Interfaith Engagement
Courses are required in:
- Theology/religious studies.
- Focused on interfaith topics.
- Specifically designed to enhance knowledge of different religious traditions (e.g., world religions).
Courses are offered (but not required) in:
- Theology/religious studies.
- Focused on interfaith topics.
- Specifically designed to enhance knowledge of different religious traditions (e.g., world religions).
- Spiritual, religious, and secular diversity are represented in the core curriculum.
- Interfaith cooperation is addressed in the core curriculum.
Choice of majors/minors include:
- Interfaith studies major.
- Interfaith studies minor.
- Religious studies/theology major.
- Religious studies/theology minor.
Faculty are encouraged to:
- Allow students to discuss their religious, secular, and spiritual views if the opportunity presents itself during class time.
- Allow students to discuss their spiritual, religious, or secular views if the opportunity presents itself outside of class time (e.g., office hours).
- Include topics related to spiritual, religious, and secular identities in their courses when appropriate to prompt discussion.
Religious, Secular, and Spiritual Identities Climate Scores
In addition to the climate domains, we calculated climate scores for students with specific religious, secular, and spiritual identities. This chart compares this institution’s scores to the average scores for similar institutions across each of the following RSS identities.
These scores are percentages of all the possible points based on tallying and weighting the practices, policies, and opportunities using empirical evidence from IDEALS. Different religious, secular, and spiritual identities have specific needs that contribute to the experience of a welcoming campus climate. The scores above take into account the empirical evidence to demonstrate how welcoming the Index predicts different religious, secular, and spiritual worldviews perceive your campus. The information presented on this page is not intended to replace the continuous assessment of your campus climate but to initiate conversations about the specific needs of different populations on your campus and to benchmark your campus against your institutional type average.