NC State is distancing itself from the Chaplains’ Cooperative Ministry, or CCM, the interfaith organization designed to promote religious plurality on campus, effective Jan. 1.
In 1972, CCM and NC State entered into a partnership that began as a way for religious leaders to communicate with each other and find effective ways to help students with their spiritual needs. As a part of this partnership, the ministry was allowed to operate out of an office in Talley Student Union, a privilege not given to any other religious organizations. The partnership also allowed CCM to receive benefits such as access to NC State buildings and easier access to parking passes.
The university granted CCM these benefits on the condition that the organization live up to its purpose — a condition that, according to the ministry’s leader, even CCM members have felt they had come up short on.
Ann Pearce, the most recent leader of the Chaplains’ Cooperative Ministry until Jan. 1, said she had mixed emotions about the changes coming to the organization. She has held a position with the group since 1992 and will no longer be as involved after the changes go into effect. She said she would be sad to see CCM disbanded but felt that the university’s point was valid.
“Even within the ministry, some groups were no longer as active in the discussion as they had been in the past,” Pearce said. “Most members understood the decision.”
This change does not affect the ability of the group to work with students. However, the university feels that the ministry has not been fulfilling its obligation to represent non-Christian faiths, and as a result, the university is changing the relationship between CCM and NC State.
Mike Giancola, associate vice provost of Student Leadership & Engagement, said the change came as a result of CCM failing to live up to its standards of diversity.
“The university made the decision to change its relationship with the Chaplains’ Cooperative Ministry in large part because the ministry did not represent the diverse traditions of religions here at State,” Giancola said.
All but one of the member groups of CCM is non-Christian, the NCSU Hillel, a Jewish student organization. Giancola said that may have been a factor that made other groups less receptive to attempt to join the ministry. Giancola said that there may have been several factors at play that kept other religious groups from joining CCM.
“Over the years, some of the groups in CCM were receptive to having other members join, but there were barriers that may have prevented them from doing so,” Giancola said.
According to Giancola, another barrier that may have deterred other groups is the membership dues that the ministry required.
Giancola is supportive of the work that the group does on campus, but stands with the university’s decision to no longer provide the same benefits that CCM used to receive.
“The work that these groups do is critically important,” Giancola said. “And this change does not affect the ability of these groups to work with students.”
Pearce said she did not feel this was an attempt on the part of the university to distance itself from religion entirely and said she was grateful for the time she spent with CCM.
“I was totally enriched by the experience,” Pearce said.
