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Chaplains in Higher Education

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The Church of England supports chaplains in universities and colleges of higher education across the country, including Church Colleges and Universities. The sector's ministry is overseen by the National Adviser for Higher Education/Chaplaincy at Church House, Westminster under the auspices of the Board of Education.

The National Adviser advises dioceses, universities and colleges and their chaplains; coordinates conferences, induction and some training for HE chaplains (with ecumenical cooperation, through the Churches' Higher Education Liaison Group (CHELG); acts as consultant to chaplains and ecumenical chaplaincy teams; and advises enquirers considering ministry in this sector of education. In general, organized events are open to chaplains in Scotland, Wales and Ireland as well as ecumenical partners and diocesan staff. The National Adviser and the Board of Education's Higher Education Panel are available to advise the government and Church at all levels when required.

The role of the chaplain includes ministry to staff and students, and to institutions as a whole, thier leaders and structures. Chaplains are also a point of contact for people of other faiths. The university student experience has changed dramatically in recent years, and the Higher Education Act 2004 has emphasized both increased access for students from non-traditional backgrounds and also increased fees for many students, to be paid back after graduation. A key focus for chaplaincy is the promotion of a new understanding of the Church's ministry in the higher education sector. This is a challenging ministry in the context of mission, in the face of continuing change and increasing student numbers, with all the pressures on people, finance and structures that these bring. It requires wisdom and understanding and is certainly not restricted to recent curates.

In July 2007 the Board of Education published Aiming Higher: the Church of England's Higher Education Strategy (GS Misc 870, 2007).  You can access a copy of the strategy here. This is to be read alongside its recent report to the General Synod Aiming Higher: Higher Education and the Church's Mission (GS 1567, 2005). Both of these and the earlier report Pillars of the Church: supporting chaplaincy in further and higher education (GS Misc 667, 2002)  are available from www.chpublishing.co.uk.