FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WILEY UNIVERSITY RECEIVES $30,000 ADVANCING RELIGIOUS PLURALISM GRANT
MARSHALL, TEXAS - Wiley University has received a $30,000 Advancing Religious Pluralism Grant from Interfaith America to further interfaith cooperation and learning on the historic campus.
Wiley is the only HBCU (Historically Black College and University) to receive the award. Other institutions included: Tufts University, Augsburg University, Baylor University, St. Francis College, Utah State University, Washington University, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
“The interest in this grant was quite high, and we read through many applications with thoughtful proposals,” said Dr. Todd Green, Director of Campus Partnerships for Interfaith America. “Wiley’s application was among the most compelling.”
The funds will be used in several ways toward religious and spiritual life. To embed interfaith education and attention to religious diversity into the general education course (GEEP 1001, also known as Chapel), the grant will fund guest chapel speakers - outside of the Christian perspective - who will help to widen the community’s interaction with other faith traditions. Additionally, the award will establish an Interfaith Emissaries program, which will allow student leaders to marshal their peers in the work of interfaith and religious dialogue. Lastly, the grant will be used to expand the interfaith Alternative Spring Break program, highlighting religious identity, diversity, and educational rigor.
The grant was written under the mantra of the Julius S. Scott, Sr. Chapel, “Spirituality, Service and Scholarship,” by the Advancing Religious Pluralism team. The group includes: Rev. Dr. Cecil Andrew Duffie, Dean of Chapel; Dr. JoAnn Scales, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Strategic Retention, and Ms. Erinne Weber, Executive Director of Strategic Retention & Student Success
“The Advancing Religious Pluralism Grant is in line with ‘The Bold and Audacious Vision’ I have set for our institution, a generous set of beliefs about our future and what we can become when we embrace innovation, faith, and works,” said Wiley University President and CEO Herman J. Felton Jr., Ph.D., J.D. “I believe our entire community of faculty, staff, students, and administrators will benefit from the objectives of this initiative.”
For more information about Wiley University, visit www.wileyc.edu or contact Assistant Vice President of Public Relations and Marketing Marlee Archer at communications@wileyc.edu.
About Wiley University
Wiley University, founded in 1873 and formerly known as Wiley College, is a premier liberal institution, affiliated with the United Methodist Church, with an intentional focus on social good and leadership.
