More common among Southern colleges and universities, some campus residence halls are beginning to acquire a significantly spiritual theme. Religious freedom (and freedom-from-religion) advocates are beginning to take notice.
The Newman Student Housing Fund, a private Catholic development company, has spearheaded an initiative to inspire religious-themed dormitories on campuses of both public and private colleges and universities. The company is run by the same ministry that operates hundreds of Newman Centers, which are Catholic ministry centers, on non-Catholic campuses.
The fund helped to open three residence halls this year by assisting with financing and construction. Two were at public universities (Troy University, Troy, AL; Texas A&M University, Kingsville, TX) and one was at a private secular institution (Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL). The fund plans to open a dorm or two each year over the next ten years, looking to the South specifically due to its large churchgoing population.
The New York Times reports that national surveys show a strong interest in spirituality among college freshmen, and many students say they desire more faith-based options on campus. However, interest groups such as the Freedom From Religion Foundation argue that a faith-based residence hall at a public university creates a space that favors religious students in violation of the Constitution.
