The American Council on Education (ACE) has steadily expanded its efforts to spotlight underrepresented corners of higher education, and one of its newest initiatives—the ACE Commission on Faith-Based Colleges and Universities—is taking that mission further.
Formed in 2024, the commission aims to increase visibility for religious-affiliated institutions while creating stronger connections with their secular counterparts on issues that cut across the higher education landscape, such as access, affordability, and student success.
Co-chaired by Shirley V. Hoogstra, JD, president of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, and Clark G. Gilbert, DBA, commissioner of the Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the commission brings together presidents from Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and historically Black colleges and universities. ACE President Ted Mitchell, PhD, said the initiative reflects both the long-standing role of faith-based schools and the challenges they face today.
“Faith-based institutions are the bedrock of higher education. We have not paid adequate attention to that role and that responsibility,” Mitchell told attendees at the commission’s Washington, D.C., convening this summer. “I hope that this group, along with other groups and associations, can return to the idea of a search for moral clarity, a search for purpose, and the establishment and embodiment of values into the process of education with our students.”
A Platform for Collaboration
The commission was born from a recognition that faith-based colleges are not only numerous, but also deeply influential. Institutions such as the University of Notre Dame, Yeshiva University, Pepperdine University, and Brigham Young University are members of the inaugural executive committee, joined by leaders from schools including Dillard University, George Fox University, and Oakwood University.
For Mitchell and others, the goal is not to silo faith-based education but to situate it firmly within the wider policy and research conversations in higher education. Commission members have emphasized that the moral and intellectual traditions of these schools can contribute fresh perspectives on enduring problems like college affordability, completion rates, and access.
Gilbert, in outlining the vision of the commission, stressed how many students still seek a college experience where their spiritual lives are recognized alongside their academic pursuits.
“A faith-based mission on campus can unite people with diverse backgrounds and drive accessibility in education,” he said. “This is happening all across America, where young adults are looking for somewhere that will value and recognize their faith. And they don’t often feel that in other institutions.”
Hoogstra echoed the importance of acknowledging the roles these schools play.
“In today’s higher education climate, it is vital to celebrate and advance the different contributions that various sectors of higher education represent,” she said. “Religious universities offer a unique contribution to the world and we are grateful for the broad involvement and support of the institutions represented on this inaugural committee and ACE’s leadership.
A Washington Convening
The commission held one of its most visible gatherings on June 9, 2025, when more than 100 college presidents, policymakers, and higher education leaders met at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The day included closed-door sessions for presidents and an afternoon public program featuring speeches, panel discussions, and the premiere of a documentary series.
Ryan P. Burge, PhD, associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University and a leading researcher on religion and politics, delivered the keynote. He challenged assumptions about declining religious affiliation among young people, pointing instead to evidence that Gen Z students may be more likely than expected to bring faith into their educational expectations.
“We have to have a more accurate representation of what the relationship between education and religion looks like in this country, because it is not what people think it is,” Burge said.
The afternoon’s centerpiece was the screening of “HIGHER ed: The Power of Faith-Inspired Learning,” a new documentary produced by BYUtv. The film highlights stories of students and leaders from faith-based institutions and examines the role of belief in shaping education.
Following the screening, Gilbert moderated a panel that included Rabbi Ari Berman, president of Yeshiva University; Reverend Robert A. Dowd, CSC, PhD, president of the University of Notre Dame; Michael Lindsay, president of Taylor University; and Candice McQueen, PhD, president of Lipscomb University.
Dowd, who took office at Notre Dame in 2024, underscored the way his institution’s Catholic identity guides its research.
“We have opportunities to tell our story, thanks to the research profile of our university,” he said. “Taking research seriously, recognizing that we’re called to know the world around us, called to discover, called to discovery, called to ask questions, called to be curious. That’s all grounded in our Catholic mission.”
McQueen emphasized visibility as a critical challenge.
“We sometimes show up to say what we’re against, but we don’t show up to say what we’re for and what we’re doing, and we’ve got to change that,” she said.
Looking Ahead
As the commission continues its work, members plan to host additional convenings, publish research, and advocate for policies that strengthen both religious and secular institutions. Leaders hope the commission will create a more unified voice in national discussions about higher education’s future while ensuring that faith-based schools—many of which serve significant numbers of first-generation and low-income students—are recognized for their contributions.
The initiative arrives at a time when higher education faces heightened scrutiny over costs, enrollment pressures, and questions about value. By positioning faith-based institutions as partners rather than outliers, the ACE Commission is aiming to influence the sector’s responses to those challenges.
Whether this new body can translate its convenings into lasting influence remains to be seen. But its creation has already signaled that religious identity, once treated as marginal to the national higher education conversation, is increasingly being recognized as central to it.
