Rest assured, all you Baptists in Kentucky, that your denomination will enforce its doctrines upon its colleges:

Kentucky Baptists reassured by Campbellsville

Kentucky Baptist and Campbellsville University leaders issued a joint statement seeking to quell a recent controversy over the teaching of theology and evolution there. The skirmish had begun when bloggers associated with Southern Baptist Theological Seminary questioned why a conservative professor’s contract was not extended and complained that conservative views on the Bible and creationism didn’t have a place at the school, which receives funding from the convention and has its trustees approved by it.

The joint statement said:

“After a candid and transparent meeting between Kentucky Baptist leaders and representatives from Campbellsville University, we have received the assurance that those who believe the literal truthfulness of every word of the Bible are welcomed as students and as faculty members of the university. While, as a liberal arts university, a diverse faculty and curriculum are typical in higher education, CU affirms its desire to prioritize the integration of faith and learning. [….]”

The webmaster for the Kentucky Baptist Convention site also added this in the comments field:

“As the statement above outlines, we were assured that those who believe in the literal truthfulness of every word of the Bible are welcomed as both students and faculty. CU also reasserted its desire to remain a Kentucky Baptist institution and operate in accordance with the Covenant Agreement, and both parties are committed to strengthening our partnership. […] Campbellsville affirmed, however, that every member of their existing faculty professes to be a Christian and affirms God created the world.”

[…]

The earlier story (which I think I linked here some time ago):

The Kentucky affiliate of the Southern Baptist Convention is looking into complaints that one of its affiliated colleges, Campbellsville University, declined to extend the contract of a theology professor and that some of its professors teach evolution.

A task force of the Kentucky Baptist Convention — which approves Campbellsville trustee nominations and provides more than $1 million in annual funding to the school — and university representatives plan meetings in the coming weeks.

The plans come in the wake of accounts on conservative Baptist blogs that the university refused to renew the contract of Jarvis Williams, an associate professor of New Testament and Greek, beyond the coming year and told him not to apply for tenure.

Baptist conservatives — including some with connections to Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville — are citing unnamed sources to allege that Williams was being sidelined because of his theology, which includes a belief that the Bible is without error in history, science or doctrine.

[…]

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is the domain of Mullah Albert Mohler, who is quite particular to a literal creationism, and is doing his best to ensure doctrinal purity throughout his domain.

Sure, you might say, that these are private schools an ought to be allowed to teach what they will.

Well, yes, I’m not arguing that the government ought to force these schools to not teach YEC. Yet it remains true that in our society these fundamentalist colleges really are turning out people intentionally shaped to ignorant and to stay that way, by enforcing the idea that asking the wrong question is just, well, wrong.

BTW, I’d be surprised if some of these students did not get government funding/backing to help them through school.