Students who claim "none" as their religious preference are a steadily growing minority in U.S. institutes of higher education. This PowerPoint is a presentation I did that evaluated the research on the college experience of this minority

1. By Ryan Cluff
CCHE 688

2. Did you know that almost 20% of the US
public and 33% of adults under 30 have no
religious affiliation?
SOURCE: Pew Research Religion & Public Life Project. “Nones” on the Rise. (October 9, 2012).
Retrieved from http://www.pewforum.org/2012/10/09/nones-on-the-rise/, on Nov. 11, 2013.

3. People who mark "none" to questions regarding
religious affiliation are on the rise
SOURCE: Pew Research Religion & Public Life Project. “Nones” on the Rise. (October 9, 2012).
Retrieved from http://www.pewforum.org/2012/10/09/nones-on-the-rise/, on Nov. 11, 2013
Religious
affiliation
None

4.  Most of these people still consider
themselves spiritual and believe in God. Only
6% of the population identifies as atheist or
agnostic.
 SOURCE: Pew Research Religion & Public Life Project. “Nones” on the Rise. (October 9, 2012). Retrieved
from http://www.pewforum.org/2012/10/09/nones-on-the-rise/, on Nov. 11, 2013

5. SOURCE: Gross, Neil, Simmons, Solon. (Feb 6,
2007). How Religious are America’s College and
University Professors? Retrieved from
http://religion.ssrc.org/reforum/Gross_Simmons.
pdf, on Nov 11, 2013.
 Professors teaching in
religiously affiliated
institutions are far
more likely to believe
in God.
 In a recent study of
college professors 23%
self-identify as atheist
or agnostic

6.  "36.6 percent of respondents with
appointments in elite doctoral schools are
either atheists or agnostics, as compared to
15.2 percent of respondents teaching in
community colleges, 22.7 percent of those
teaching at BA granting institutions, and 23.5
percent of those teaching in non-elite
doctoral granting universities.”
 SOURCE: Gross, Neil, Simmons, Solon. (Feb 6, 2007). How Religious are America’s College and
University Professors? Retrieved from http://religion.ssrc.org/reforum/Gross_Simmons.pdf, on
Nov 11, 2013.

7. SOURCE: CRAGUN, RYAN T., KOSMIN, BARRY,
KEYSAR, ARIELA , HAMMER, JOSEPH H., NIELSEN,
MICHAEL. On the Receiving End: Discrimination
toward the Non-Religious in the United States.
Journal of Contemporary Religion, Vol. 27, No. 1,
January 2012, 105–127
 Nonreligious people
are more likely to
experience
discrimination at home
or socially then at
school or work.
 23-39% vs13-27%
 Self-identifying as
atheist or agnostic vs
just not having a
religious affiliation
significantly increases
reported discrimination
in school or college.
Over 40% of atheist
and agnostic people
report discrimination

8.  Nonreligious students perceive discrimination
socially and at work or school.
 Secular faculty perceive discrimination socially and
at work.
 Even though the number of people who identify
themselves as nonreligious are growing they are
still a small minority.
 SOURCE: CRAGUN, RYAN T., KOSMIN, BARRY, KEYSAR, ARIELA , HAMMER, JOSEPH H., NIELSEN,
MICHAEL. On the Receiving End: Discrimination toward the Non-Religious in the United States.
Journal of Contemporary Religion, Vol. 27, No. 1, January 2012, 105–127

9.  Teachers and institutions should be aware of
this growing demographic.
 More research should be undertaken to
determine policies and procedures to avoid
discrimination
 Even though college faculty are nonreligious
at a higher rate than the general public they
are also still a minority.


10.  CRAGUN, RYAN T., KOSMIN, BARRY, KEYSAR, ARIELA , HAMMER, JOSEPH H.,
NIELSEN, MICHAEL. On the Receiving End: Discrimination toward the Non-
Religious in the United States. Journal of Contemporary Religion, Vol. 27, No.
1, January 2012, 105–127
 Gross, Neil, Simmons, Solon. (Feb 6, 2007). How Religious are America’s
College and University Professors? Retrieved from
http://religion.ssrc.org/reforum/Gross_Simmons.pdf, on Nov 11, 2013.
 Pew Research Religion & Public Life Project. “Nones” on the Rise. (October 9,
2012). Retrieved from http://www.pewforum.org/2012/10/09/nones-on-
the-rise/, on Nov. 11, 2013.