WHAT ACADEMIC FREEDOM?
The NYT has an interesting piece on Southern Baptist colleges cutting their ties with the increasingly conservative denomination over the issue of academic freedom. Furman University, my alma mater, is mentioned as one of the rebels.
The state conventions do not own the colleges, but in most cases they approve trustees and provide annual subsidies. Their power over the boards has often been at the center of contention, with the stakes often involving academic direction.
This was the situation at Furman. The Board was appointed by the SC Baptists even though they were only providing about 5% of the operating budget. Furman is now entirely secular (as it basically was 20 years ago during my time there.)