Higher education in the United States includes a wide range of institutions offering undergraduate and graduate degrees.  The large public institutions may be more visible, but the small independent  colleges and universities play a significant and often under-appreciated role.  Faith-based institutions are flat-out misunderstood by many.  In an article published in the Mennonite Brethren Church’s denominational magazine, “The Christian Leader,” I wrote about the transformative nature of faith-based institutions.  Although drawing on my experience at Fresno Pacific University and knowledge of the other Mennonite institutions, the same argument could also be made for many other faith-based institutions. You can find the article through the following link:  http://www.usmb.org/departments/Christian-Leader/article/Why-our-Mennonite-colleges-matter.html