This story in the Deseret News indicates two new LDS-themed colleges are planned. The reason?
“We can create the right environment for them, where they don’t have atheists and antagonistic teachers and classes and subjects antagonistic to testimony,” Ivie said.
I reckon a quote like that is certain to get the Bloggernacle all fired up. Here’s my take:
As the Church grows, there is more demand for being able to study on the BYU campuses. But the BYU campuses are full. Southern Virginia University, a private LDS-themed school, is growing and succeeding. The bottom line: supply for an LDS-themed education is less than the demand. That means that somebody will come along and provide more supply, which is what is happening.
As to whether people should go to LDS-themed universities rather than to schools with atheists and antagonistic teachers, well, I guess it depends on the student. Some students’ testimonies will thrive in a diverse environment, others’ will wilt. Some parents and students want to consider LDS themes when looking at colleges — others are looking for something different.
At the end of the day, choice is a good thing, so I find the proliferation of LDS themed colleges encouraging. Bloggernaclites with an interest in education should be happy about this — more colleges mean more potential places to get jobs.