Most students come to college prepared to make decisions about earthly matters like their majors and future careers. Fewer, however, expect to be confronted with choices concerning their spiritual existence.
Spirituality becomes an increasingly important aspect of many students' lives as they progress through college, according to a study done by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles. The study surveyed 112,000 students from over 200 colleges in 2004 and then followed up with 15,000 of the same students last spring.
The spring 2007 findings concluded that 50.4 percent of college juniors surveyed considered finding spirituality either "very important or essential" to their lives, as opposed to just 41.8 percent of the freshmen surveyed in 2004.
Defining spirituality is an especially pertinent question for college students because these four years represent the first time that choices about spirituality are purely individual, according to Tufts University Chaplain David O'Leary.
"In college, students can find a way to make their own spiritual path. They are not just accepting their parents' beliefs," O'Leary said.
The college environment is particularly conducive to finding an individual path because students are forming their own identity. "Students have to ask the question, 'Who am I?'" O'Leary said.
Another aspect of college that encourages the search for spirituality is the openness of the college campus. "In college, you can explore different things with no judgment," O'Leary said.
At Tufts, students can look to the Catholic Ministry, Hillel, the Protestant Ministry, the Muslim Ministry or the Ministry of the Office of the University Chaplain to explore their spiritual questions.
These organizations follow the same rules as all other Tufts groups and are consequently open to all students, all the time. Though there may be some restrictions on their level of participation, there is no exclusion of outsiders to the respective religious groups.
In this way, the college environment provides an opportunity to explore religion without requiring serious commitment or previous knowledge.
"Off campus, it would be more difficult to leave [a ministry],"O'Leary said. While a religious organization outside of Tufts might continually pursue participation from anyone who expresses interest, students are not under such constraints within the university.
"No one will be harassing [those who choose to leave a ministry] or tracking them down," he said.
Some students, however, come to college already aware of their spiritual path. Each student who self-identifies as interested in a particular ministry prior to matriculation receives an invitation to participate in an on-campus event when they arrive at Tufts.
Senior and President of the Catholic Community at Tufts Ryan Coughlin has maintained his Catholic upbringing at Tufts.
"I'm also interested in music and sports, but I think religion is a cool thing to do, too," Coughlin said.
Yet even the student who arrives at college with established spiritual beliefs can benefit from the college atmosphere. Beyond his involvement with the Catholic community, Coughlin has been able to expand his knowledge of other religions.
"Tufts being so international allowed me to open my eyes to other spiritualities. My spirituality has matured to something more all-encompassing," Coughlin said.
O'Leary explained that this broadening of a singular spiritual path is an important part of the Tufts experience.
"The same path is always there, but there is now an opportunity for it to expand," he said.
But while the college atmosphere facilitates an open discussion of religion, not all Tufts students enroll with spirituality in mind. According to the Tufts admissions Web site, nearly 30 percent of the Class of 2011 indicated no religious presence.
And while many discover faith or spirituality during their time in college, others remain non religious.
"I just find that there are other things to do with my time," sophomore Kimberly Oparil said.
At Tufts, the dialogue between faiths is particularly active due to Pathways, an initiative funded by the academic affairs office of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
With an ExCollege class, lectures, dinners and retreats, the program aims to encourage discussion between students and faculty of all walks of spirituality.
O'Leary emphasized that this dialogue is important in order to improve the spiritual world beyond the college campus.
"The dialogue started here will continue after college," he said. "It is important for students to see that many religions are in fact interested in the same things."
