Two private Baptist colleges in Arkansas are requiring faculty to sign written statements addressing faith and gender as a condition of continued employment, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported Oct. 24.
What the schools are requiring
Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia will require faculty to affirm a policy that says they will live “with integrity in congruence with one's birth sex, including use of pronouns,” the newspaper reported. The requirement applies to faculty who wish to keep their jobs past this school year.
Williams Baptist University in Walnut Ridge also is asking faculty to sign statements on matters of faith and gender, the report said. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette said the measures at both institutions involve written affirmations that employees must sign.
Background and timing
The Democrat-Gazette story, which incorporated Associated Press material, said the new requirements were announced in October and are tied to employment status beginning after the current academic year. Both institutions are affiliated with Baptist organizations and have previously maintained statements of faith governing faculty expectations.
- Institutions: Ouachita Baptist University, Arkadelphia; Williams Baptist University, Walnut Ridge.
- Action required: Faculty must sign written statements addressing faith and gender; Ouachita's policy includes a pronoun and birth-sex provision.
- Effective: Requirement applied to retaining employment beyond this school year, according to the report.
The Democrat-Gazette account provided the details cited here. The universities' policies and personnel decisions are matters of institutional governance at private colleges and were reported as actions announced in late October.
