Advocacy

CCCU seeks to provide a unified voice for faith-based institutions of higher learning on policy matters that affect its constituency and to equip members to engage in effective advocacy on the state and local level. The advocacy agenda as of 2019 included concerns about religious liberty, institutional autonomy, student financial aid, immigration, environmental stewardship, and government regulation affecting higher education.^[11]

Services

CCCU provides programs and services for presidents and administrators, trustees, faculty, and students of member institutions. These include many professional development opportunities, such as annual gatherings for its college and university presidents, and annual conferences for member Chief Institutional Development Officers; Communication, Marketing and Media Officers; Chief Enrollment Officers; Chief Financial Officers; Campus Ministry Directions, and other leadership development programs. Other member services include webinars, grant-making opportunities for scholarship and research, discipline specific forums, networking communities, a tuition waver exchange program, and an online career center.^[12] Members also receive access to the Council's biannual magazine called CCCU ADVANCE, as well as regular news updates, website resources on scholarship, and information related to Christian higher education policy and issues. In 2019 the Council launched an online consortium to allow participating schools to share online courses.^[13]

CCCU GlobalEd

The CCCU administers a number of student off-campus study programs around the world through CCCU GlobalEd (formerly known as BestSemester). Its first off-campus program, the American Studies Program, was established in Washington, D.C. in the 1970s. It added a contemporary music program in Nashville and a film studies program in Los Angeles, as well as international study abroad programs in Australia, Latin America, the Middle East, Northern Ireland, Oxford, England, and Uganda. Over 14,500 students and growing have benefitted from these academically rigorous, Christ-centered, experiential education programs for almost 50 years. The Australian and Latin American programs ceased operation in 2020. The Nashville, Los Angeles, Uganda, and Northern Ireland programs have all been acquired by CCCU member institutions. A program in Russia (Russian Studies Program) operated from 1994 to 2010. A program in China (China Studies Program) operated from 2000 to 2016 . A program in India (India Studies Program) operated from 2011 to 2015.

Withdrawals from membership

In 2015, Union University^[16] and Oklahoma Wesleyan University^[17] withdrew from membership in the CCCU because of a policy change by two member institutions to hire same-sex couples. A potential split within the CCCU was avoided with the announcement on September 21, 2015 that both Goshen College and Eastern Mennonite University, the two colleges that changed their policies to hire same-sex couples, had withdrawn from the council. The council issued a statement affirming the traditional Christian view of marriage as between a man and a woman.^[18] A task force was appointed to examine the rationale for the existing associational categories plus address how to remain rooted in traditional Christianity, leading to the announcement of a new membership policy in 2016.^[19] Bluffton University also withdrew its membership in the council in December 2015 when it announced a policy change to allow hiring gay and lesbian employees.^[20]

On November 3, 2015, The Master's College announced their withdrawal from the CCCU due to the college's "concerns about the direction of the CCCU" on issues such as Creation and Evolution and same-sex marriage, stating that "the vast majority of [CCCU] member schools do not accept the Genesis account of creation or the inerrancy of Scripture".^[21] Cedarville University and Shorter University also withdrew from the council over concerns that the council's rejection of same-sex marriage was not swift or complete enough.^[22]

Associate member institutions

Associate members must meet all the same criteria as governing members except institutional type and accreditation. Thus, institutions that do not offer a comprehensive undergraduate program (including Bible colleges or seminaries) can be associate members.

Collaborative partner institutions

Collaborative partners must meet the first four criteria set for governing members (Christian mission, institutional type and accreditation, cooperation and participation, and institutional integrity), but may depart from last two: employment policies and Christian distinctions and advocacy. Institutions that do not require all of their faculty to be professing Christians and/or do not agree with all elements of the CCCU's advocacy agenda, but nevertheless wish to take part in the council's programs and partnerships, may be collaborative partners.^[15]

International affiliates

The CCCU has more than 30 colleges and universities in countries outside the U.S. and Canada.