Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University derecognized InterVarsity’s Graduate Christian Fellowship chapter as well as several other campus Christian organizations for non-compliance with the University’s nondiscrimination policy. InterVarsity believes Vanderbilt’s nondiscrimination policy infringes on our religious rights by restricting our ability to use scriptural principles to determine the leadership and the character of our organization.
- InterVarsity@Vanderbilt blog
- Vanderbilt’s statement, September 27, 2011
- InterVarsity Campus Staff Member Tish Harrison Warren's response, October 2, 2011
- InterVarsity’s Statement of Doctrine and Beliefs
- Vanderbilt Chancellor’s message on nondiscrimination, January 20, 2012
- Open letter to Chancellor Zeppos from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, January 27, 2012
- Vanderbilt Town Hall Meeting announcement for Tuesday, January 31, 2012
- Student-written plea for return to religious freedom at Vanderbilt, January 29, 2012
- Campus newspaper summary article, January 30, 2012
- Campus newspaper Town Hall Meeting report, February 1, 2012
- Nashville City Paper news coverage, February 1, 2012
- Vanderbilt News Service Town Hall Meeting report, February 1, 2012
- Watch the Town Hall Meeting on You Tube, February 1, 2012
- Letter to Chancellor Zeppos from United Methodist Bishop Ben Chamness, February 2, 2012
- Robert Shibley, Senior Vice President of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, analyzes Vanderbilt's Town Hall meeting, February 6, 2012
- Opinion column written by James Emery White, Vanderbilt and InterVarsity alumnus, February 13, 2012
- Baptist Press raises questions about Vanderbilt's nondiscrimination policy, February 18, 2012
- Vanderbilt issues statement on All Comers Policy to the Christian Post, February 21, 2012
- Christian clubs told to "Stop whining" - Christian Post, February 22, 2012
- "Rev. Gomes and Religious Freedom" - Opinion column by Campus Staff Member Tish Harrison Warren in Inside Vandy, March 1, 2012
- Vanderbilt's Right to Despise Christianity - Witherspoon Institute, March 14, 2012
- Chuck Colson Campus Crackdown commentary - Breakpoint, March 15, 2012
- Catholic Student Group to Leave Vanderbilt over Bias Policy - Tennessean, March 28, 2012
- Eleven organizations refuse to comply with Vanderbilt's policy - Inside Vandy, April 9, 2012
- Christian groups differ on compliance with Vanderbilt policy - USAToday, April 27, 2012
- Tennessee lawmakers target Vanderbilt's policy - April 30, 2012
- Governor says he will veto Vanderbilt legislation - Tennessean, May 3, 2012
- Vanderbilt critics point to Harvard - Tennessean, May 3, 2012
- Baptist Collegiate Ministry declines registered status - Baptist Press, May 7, 2012
- Vanderbilt Baptists reverse course - World on Campus, May 8, 2012
- Members of Congress target Vanderbilt's policy - May 7, 2012
- Students shine light despite Vanderbilt's policy - CBN News, May 8, 2012
- The Religious battle of Vanderbilt - Wall Street Journal, May 10, 2012
- Vanderbilt should voluntarily end 'All Comers' Policy: Haslam TNReport.com, May 11, 2012
- Video interview - TNReport.com, May 10, 2012
- Tennessee governor vetoes bill challenging Vanderbilt's policy - Christian Post, May 23, 2012
- Mixed Views on Vanderbilt Veto - Christianity Today, July 17, 2012
- Vanderbilt hires a chaplain - The Tennessean, August 9, 2012
- Vanderbilt Squeeze - World on Campus, August 10, 2012
- Exiled from Vanderbilt: How Colleges Are Driving Religious Groups Off Campus (Video) - FIRE, August 20, 2012
- Severed Ties: Vanderbilt's CounterIntuitive Reform - Inside Vandy - August 22, 2012
- A New Semester - InterVarsity at Vanderbilt blog post - August 27, 2012
- Tennessee legislation targets Vanderbilt
- Attorney General's opinion on "All Comers Bill" - Nashville Tennessean; January 16, 2013
- WBIR TV; February 25, 2013
- WSMV TV; March 5, 2013
- WKRN TV; March 5, 2013
- WTVF TV; March 5, 2013
- WZTV Fox27; March 5, 2013
- USA Today/The Tennessean; March 5, 2013
- AP via Houston Chronicle; March 5, 2013
- WPLN public radio; March 5, 2013
- Gov. Haslam reacts to latest legislation; WPLN public radio; March 6, 2013
- Commentary from David Fowler, Family Action Council of TN; March 10, 2013
- State bill threatening VUPD ruled "constitutionally suspect" - Vanderbilt News Service; March 13, 2013
- Attorney General says Police Powers bill is unconstitutional - Nashville Tennessean; March 14, 2013
- Nondiscrimination bill passes Tennessee House - AP; March 18, 2013
- Sponsor drops bill to eliminate Vanderbilt police - AP; March 27, 2013
- Bill targeting Vanderbilt police on hold - Vanderbilt News; March 27, 2013
- College nondiscrimination ban headed to Haslam - AP; March 28, 2013
- Governor Haslam signs nondiscrimination legisation - AP; April 23, 2013
- Letter - Misunderstood Motives - InsideVandy.com; March 25, 2013
- Letter - Vanderbilt Loses a Donor - The Tennessean; May 12, 2013
- Vanderbilt policy gets wrath of FIRE at summer conference - InsideVandy.com; August 8, 2013
- Religious groups take a stand on Vanderbilt's leadership policies - Nashville Tennessean; August 19, 2013
- The Wrong Kind of Christian - Tish Harrison Warren in Christianity Today; August 22, 2014
- David Brooks laments over Vanderbilt and other examples of intolerance on campus - New York Times; January 8, 2015
- Vanderbilt's amazing lack of consistency - Family Action Council of Tennessee blog; January 22, 2015
- What Vanderbilt says, What Vanderbilt does - George Yancy/Patheos blog; January 25, 2015
The Christian Legal Society also has a web page of information and links on the Vanderbilt situation.
After the January 31, 2012 Town Hall Meeting, InterVarsity released the following statement:
InterVarsity is disappointed that Vanderbilt’s administration has not been responsive to the concerns expressed by its students. We remain hopeful that a position change is still possible that will allow InterVarsity’s Graduate Christian Fellowship and other Christian organizations to require their leaders to be practicing Christians. Any organization must have leadership that believes in its goals and purposes in order to remain active and relevant. We believe authentic expressions of Christian faith should be a part of the forum of ideas on the campus of Vanderbilt or any other university.
Please pray for the Vanderbilt administration and Trustees, that they will decide to revise the nondiscrimination policy so that it does not discriminate against campus religious groups.
UPDATE, SEPTEMBER 2014 by InterVarsity Regional Director John Criswell:
The de-recognition was hard at first for the chapter, but the students adapted well. They meet at the Black Campus Center just off campus. When I spoke there this past February, the chapter president told me the change had forced them to reconsider their outreach approaches. Rather than rely on tabling, advertising, or formal association with Vanderbilt as they used to do, they had to work within their network of relationships to reach other students. This was the ideal vehicle to do so because relationships are the context in which the Gospel becomes tangible. They have about 47 core participants and grew by 4% last year (with 4 conversions).