- Mailing Address
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1600 Campus Court
Abilene, Texas 79699 - Phone
- (325) 674-2000
- Email address
- info@admissions.acu.edu
- Website
- https://www.acu.edu/
- School Information
- "Abilene Christian University is a diverse, welcoming, academically rigorous community redefining what it means to be a Christian university in the 21st century. "Founded in 1906, we’re a private, non-profit university affiliated with Churches of Christ and committed to transformative, energized learning. Supported by a faculty of Christian scholars, we prepare undergraduate and graduate students for service and leadership throughout the world. "Our faith-based education goes beyond academics. ACU’s residential campus offers students a safe place to grow intellectually and spiritually — and to learn to live independently. Division I athletics, intramural sports, 100+ student organizations, and countless service and worship opportunities contribute to our vibrant student life. ACU Online offers graduate and doctoral degrees geared toward working professionals." (Source: https://www.acu.edu/about.html)
- General Information
- Abilene Christian University has taken steps to teach diversity awareness to its employees and faculty, as well as exploring options on how to implement it into its operations. The university has required faculty and staff to undergo diversity awareness training. No mandatory Critical Race Training sessions are yet required of students. However, see developments below:
Actions Taken
- Faculty/Staff Requirements
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Faculty and staff will undergo diversity awareness training.
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The school announced, "Senior leadership will complete in-depth, strategic diversity training." The contents of the training are not yet known.
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One of the objectives of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion's 2022-2027 Strategic Plan is to "Ensure all faculty, staff and administrators complete diversity training."
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- Resources
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The university has an Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, which is responsible for "Training for faculty, staff, and administration," "Speaker Series," "Collaboration with Office of Multicultural Affairs, Carl Spain Center on Racial Studies and Spiritual Action, Student Life, ACU Dallas, spiritual formation and academic departments."
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The university's Carl Spain Center on Race Studies and Spiritual Action hosted author Jemar Tisby for two events, "White Supremacy and the Evangelical Church: Untangling Race, Politics and Religion in America" and "Surviving as a Person of Color at a Predominantly White Institution."
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The university hosted "uncomfortable conversations on race," where a speaker "challenged Christians, especially White American Christians, to look beyond their own experiences and understand the history of what perpetuates racial injustice."
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As part of the Carl Spain Center on Race Studies and Spiritual Action's Spiritual Think Tanks, the center hosted an event called "Thinking About Critical Race Theory Together." It is unclear whether the event outlined alternative perspectives to critical race theory.
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The school said, "The Spain Center conducted a virtual Racial Unity Leadership Summit and a virtual Conference on White Supremacy in October 2020."
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In February 2022, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion outlined its "Kingdom Diversity Paradigm" which "articulates and promotes an approach to differences that transcends the binary paradigm, the assimilation paradigm ('we’re all the same'), and the differentiation paradigm ('we celebrate differences') in a way that adequately moves the needle."
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The mission of Abilene's Office of Multicultural Affairs is to "support the overall success and persistence of ethnic and historically underrepresented students."
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