It will also look at how "dynamic equivalence" can be built into provision for the faiths, considering the history, heritage and location of the institution as well as the constituency of the student body and what provision they really need.
While space is still at a premium for universities and colleges seeking to offer facilities to a range of faith communities, 95 per cent of chaplaincies report some provision for prayer spaces at their institution.
While this is important, the report suggests that people with religious beliefs are more likely to feel that their identity is respected and affirmed through having their needs met in relation to a variety of issues including prayer space, accommodation, catering arrangements, opportunities to celebrate religious festivals and flexibility in the academic timetable.
Advice on possibilities for increasing the number of salaried religious professionals working in chaplaincies from all the faith communities, and resources to help chaplaincies manage the implications of the large number of volunteers helping to run their services.
The survey found that 78 per cent of all chaplaincy staff are Christian, while 19 per cent of chaplaincy staff come from the Baha'i, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh faiths.
With 95 per cent of all salaried staff having a Christian role in their chaplaincy team, the report raises the issue of how other faith groups can explore opportunities for resourcing chaplaincy provision, perhaps through collaborative joint bids.
"Universities have always been at the cutting edge of ministry," comments the Rt Rev Kenneth Stevenson, Bishop of Portsmouth and Chair of the Church of England's Board of Education.
"That work becomes even more important at a time when around four in ten of our 18 to 30 year olds are experiencing higher education.
"The relationships students forge and the strategies they learn as they encounter diversity and difference are going to help form the attitudes they will take with them into the rest of their lives."
Bishop Stevenson said the report was a "significant contribution" to a debate that he hoped would "lead to a sustained focus on the value of chaplaincies, and a continued willingness on the part of all those in the sector to resource it accordingly in a range of ways".
"The Board of Education will consider the contents of the report in detail, and how the Church can respond to the issues it raises," he added.
The Church of England Board of Education offers Chaplaincy for All: Faiths in Higher Education Chaplaincy into the ongoing discussion about the development of chaplaincy in higher education. Through the report's publication, it expressed its commitment to engage with chaplains, faith communities, higher education institutions and sector agencies to improve provision.
The report, funded by the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund, is being sent to vice-chancellors, principals and chaplaincies across the country. Copies can be freely downloaded at: www.cofe.anglican.org/info/education/hefe/
