Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3812-5559

Date Available

8-14-2025

Year of Publication

2025

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College

Education

Department/School/Program

Educational Policy Studies and Eval

Faculty

Jane Jensen

Faculty

Eric Weber

Abstract

This qualitative research study investigated the experiences of college students enrolled at evangelical institutions that are affiliated with the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) and require students to follow an extensive code of conduct. These codes extend beyond academic expectations and mandate behavior in all aspects of daily life. Students who fail to comply are subject to a range of punishments as severe as expulsion. Sixteen traditional-aged undergraduate students from across the U.S. participated in semi-structured interviews that were analyzed using thematic analysis. Students described varied personal convictions regarding the rules; some earnestly strove to obey their campus rules, and others pretended to follow the rules while privately disregarding them. The data demonstrated that the codes of conduct created pressure for students causing them to enter a state of hypervigilance. This was intensified by continuous surveillance of students on these campuses. Further analysis showed that student experience differed across identity, particularly for LGBTQ* students who were subject to particularly intrusive rules as an embodiment of mainstream evangelical culture (Coley, 2018). The findings of this study increase understanding of the lived experience for the more than 525,000 students currently enrolled at more than 170 CCCU institutions globally.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2025.381

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