5 Professors Quit Religious School

Departing professor David C. Noe said he was criticized for writing that non-Christian teachings can have value. (Tracy A. Woodward - The Washington Post)

This summer, Farris will step aside as president to become chancellor. In his new role, he said, he intends to focus on increasing the student body to 1,500, and he wants to create new majors and a law school.

At a groundbreaking ceremony earlier this month, the students gathered on the lawn to celebrate the construction of a 106,000-square-foot student center, which will double the combined square footage of the campus's six existing buildings.

Throughout the ceremony, some professors were notably absent.

In addition to Noe and Root, the other departing professors are J. Kevin Culberson, assistant professor of history and literature, who co-wrote the controversial article with Noe; M. Todd Bates, assistant professor of rhetoric; and Robert Stacey, associate professor of government and a former department chairman. Stacey was terminated days after he announced his intention to leave, for discussing the matter with students.

Two of the professors have been at Patrick Henry since it opened. Only one had another job lined up when he announced his decision.

Balancing a broad liberal arts curriculum with a deeply religious world view is a challenge at many religious schools, said James Burtchaell, author of "The Dying of the Light: The Disengagement of Colleges and Universities From Their Christian Churches." Over the years, scores of religious schools have become secularized.

For schools that maintain a strong religious line at the real or perceived expense of academic freedom, he said, it could be more difficult to attract talented faculty and students or to earn accreditation by mainstream associations, which Patrick Henry intends to do.

David Shaw, a 2005 graduate who lives near Chicago, said he worries that the school is becoming more fundamentalist. He appreciates his alma mater as a place where his "horizons were very much expanded," he said.

"I came in a smart high school student. I left a more thoughtful person," he said. "I thought I knew what was right and that college would fill in the details. . . . But at college, I realized I not only didn't know the answers but I wasn't even asking the right questions."

Jeremiah Lorrig, a senior from Colorado Springs, said he thinks there is "tons of room for debate" about political and religious issues on campus. He said the professors' decision to leave has caused a deep emotional response among students -- with as many as 10 deciding to transfer (a number not confirmed by the school) and others eager to see the professors gone so the campus can be unified.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, Graham Walker, Patrick Henry's incoming president, addressed the student body. A former associate professor at Catholic University who will take office in July, Walker said he is dedicated to supporting an environment where students can "revel in intellectual liberty."

He also announced the hiring of a new academic dean, who would be committed to the college's classical liberal arts curriculum, Walker has said. Gene Edward Veith writes a column about faith and culture for World Magazine and is the former dean of arts and sciences at Concordia University Wisconsin.

Walker reminded the students, "He who unites us is greater than that which divides us."