Higher Power in Higher Education: How a South Carolina Technical College Compares Spiritually with Liberal Arts Learners

While increasing numbers of college students nationwide share tenets that embody spirituality, the problem is that not all types of institutions of higher learning recognize such tenets as integral to their mission or curricula. Two-year technical college graduates tend to enter (and often reenter) into socio-economic mainstream ahead of fouryear liberal arts graduates; however, researchers agree institutions that foster both cognitive and affective learning environments will prepare graduates better for diversity and rapid change the future holds. This study compared spiritual beliefs of students at one technical college with students attending two liberal arts universities in South Carolina. The premise focused on identifying similarities in spirituality and religion among students in dissimilar campus environments, and if students expected their college to provide venues for spiritual enrichment