Should Chapel Credits be Required?
Reported By: Evania Garlinghouse
Photo Courtesy: George Fox Website
George Fox University (GFU) requires every student who has not reached senior status to get 15 chapel credits each semester. This year, GFU made a new policy requiring ten of those 15 credits to be earned by attending an in-person chapel service. If a student does not get the required amount of chapel credits, they are required to pay 20 dollars per each credit missed. This has turned into a fairly controversial policy, and can be problematic for students who are juggling going to school full-time and have a job. It can also be difficult for students who are commuting to campus from home. Additionally, some students don’t identify as Christians, and would prefer not attend chapel services.
I've spoken to some students who, in the midst of going to class, getting their homework done, and working part-time jobs, just don't have time to go to chapel. Sometimes, they have work or classes during the times that chapel is offered.
Vespers, an alternative to the Tuesday and Thursday services at 10:50 a.m., only happens once a month. While the Spiritual Life office (SpiL) offers alternative events to earn in-person chapel credits, the times during which they are held are still problematic for students because they happen early in the morning or later in the evening.
The Tuesday and Thursday chapels also conflict with some student’s classes. The fact that most chapel opportunities are only offered at these times now is also an issue because there are not viable alternatives for students with busy schedules.
As a student who used to commute to school, I had a really hard time going to in-person chapels. I also had a job that I had to drive to, and I didn't spend a lot of time in Newberg. Getting the required amount of chapel credits can be especially difficult for commuters, who are not merely a ten minute walk away from Bauman Auditorium. For some people, it’s hard enough to get to school with everything else going on, let alone go to chapel.
Perhaps the most controversial element of this policy is the fact that not every student who goes to GFU is a Christian. By requiring Chapel attendance, are we in some way forcing religious practices onto students? People who don't practice Christianity may feel uncomfortable and out-of-place in chapel services. Then, if they don't attend, they are penalized. If the school is accepting of every student, why are students required to participate in religious practices regardless of their affiliations? It seems a bit counterintuitive.
If a student is not able or willing to attend any of the chapels, this results in a total of a $300 fine. For students who are often already in a lot of debt, this is nothing to sneeze at. There are also no exceptions to this policy for commuters or anyone else.
The requirement that all students who aren't seniors need to get 15 Chapel Credits per year is fairly controversial. It can be especially difficult for commuters, who may live far away from campus. It can also be difficult for students who work while attending school full time to meet these requirements. Additionally, it begs the question whether it is ethical to ask students who are not Christians to go and listen to Chapel when it is not contingent with their personal beliefs, and to penalize them if they do not.