A Proposal to the Lilly Endowment
The VOICES Project -
Vocation: Interiority, Community,
and Engaged Service
Saint Louis University is
honored to apply for an implementation grant in the Lilly Endowment’s Theological Exploration of Vocation
program. The challenge presented
through the Lilly Endowment’s invitation—to create and sustain an environment
that encourages students to think about their lives and choices in terms of
vocation or personal calling--is central to the University’s mission of
creating men and women for others. As a
Jesuit institution, the University is steeped in a tradition that urges
individuals to listen to the voice of God speaking within their hearts. The VOICES Project proposed by Saint Louis
University is designed to develop and enhance the University’s outreach to
students in their explorations of vocation, leadership, and faith
commitment. Thus, the VOICES Project
has two primary goals:
1)
Create supportive
communities through which students are better equipped to discern and develop
their vocations and leadership qualities in light of their faith commitments
and spirituality.
2)
Develop faculty and
staff expertise through retreats and fellowship opportunities regarding
vocation, leadership, and faith commitment in order to better assist students
with their explorations of vocations.
Toward an Understanding of
Vocation
Vocation is ordinarily
defined as an action of God, a calling to a special way of life. The term can
also be applied to the notion of career, business, or profession and--far more
broadly and basically--to a range of meanings rooted in the Latin words vox
(voice) and voco, vocare, vocatus (I call, name, am called, named). Thus Virgil could “invoke” and call upon God for poetic
inspiration. An “advocate” might speak
on behalf of another; a group might be called together in “convocation”; human
possibilities might be called forth or “evoked” by God and the world.
Christian Spirituality of
Vocation
The Christian vocation is
modeled after the mission of Jesus himself. His initial ministry begins in the
gospel of Luke with his reading from the prophet Isaiah. Jesus’ mission, like Isaiah’s, is based on
his being called (the Latin Vulgate for Isaiah “The Lord has called me from my
womb” is Dominus ab utero vocavit me Is. 49,v.1).
The
spirit of the Lord has been given to me
and
has anointed me
He
has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,
to
proclaim liberty to captives
and
to the blind new sight
to
set the downtrodden free,
to
proclaim the Lord’s year of favor. Luke
4, 18-19 (Isaiah, 61, 1-2)
From that moment in the
fourth chapter of Luke, teaching and healing service to others marks the
mission of Jesus. The chapter ends in
his solitude, deepening his awareness of “what I was sent to do.” The beginning of the very next chapter
features his calling of a community.
The essence of his own mission, of his vocation, therefore embraces his
own interior life, his life in community, and his service to others.
It is this triadic
relationship marking the mission of Jesus that Saint Louis University takes as
a foundation for the VOICES Project.
The vocation of the religiously committed leader must be a dynamic
interplay and cross-fertilization of three dimensions of personal life: an interior life of solitude, a relational life in community, and a life of solidarity in service to the world.
Leadership formation must
embrace all three dimensions of personal life.
First, there should be a fostering of the habits and practice of
solitude, prayer, interior presence to God, and to the deepest self. This cannot be achieved, however, in
isolation from one’s essential relatedness to others, especially in the more
intimate relationships of community, friendship, and familial covenant. Just as a life of solitude should not be
separated from one’s relationships with others, so also, the interior and
inter-personal worlds should not be separated from the larger culture and from
the world; from one’s connectedness to every mother’s child made in the image and
likeness of God. Christ himself made
the bold connection of man’s relationship to him through relationship to the
“least” of his brothers and sisters.
The mission of the Catholic,
Jesuit university in its own vocation to leadership, must include this
tri-fold emphasis. Faculty and staff
are called to enhance and strengthen personal vocations and offer this vision
of vocational leadership to students.
The university community is sent to reach out to the entire church, and
the world, in a mission of justice, healing, and service.
The Universality of
Vocation
While a Catholic university
is informed at heart and origin by the Christian vocation, it is a calling made
in the world and sent into a world shared by men and women of many faiths. Saint Louis University is a community
comprised not only of Christians, but of Muslims and Jews, Hindus and
Buddhists, other believers, and some without faith in God. This diversity is in no way threatened by
the central mission of a Catholic and Jesuit university. Rooted in the fundamental belief that Jesus
as the Word of God made Flesh was true God and true human, Saint Louis
University must be marked not only by its openness to God, but by an openness
to what is most deeply human. Thus,
through a commitment to this triadic notion of leadership formation, it is
possible to help those who are sincerely open to the profound truths of their
own humanity, the abiding goods of human relationship, and the impulse to
service of others—to help them meet the very face of God and their own
spirituality, in their own ways.
The Jesuit Dimension to
Vocation
The Society of Jesus
(Jesuits), which sponsors Saint Louis University, emerged from the spirituality
of Saint Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556). (See Appendix A for an overview of the intellectual, ethical and
religious foundations of the University.)
The Jesuit tradition, as its name suggests, is profoundly Christocentric;
at the same time, because of its incarnation spirituality, it is also deeply
humanistic. Both of these realities are
expressed in the vocational themes of Jesuits at prayer, in community, and in
service to others.
There are two foundational
documents of the Society of Jesus, The Constitutions and the Spiritual
Exercises of Ignatius Loyola. The
Constitutions are marked by a constant recognition that the “law of
charity” is tested out and realized in personal relationships and service. Personal relationship with God in prayerful
solitude is both challenged and expressed in community and labor for
others. Engagements in fellowship and
service similarly inform and strengthen each other, as they are conduits back
to prayer. All three arenas of life inter-penetrate
and inform each other; and in that very connectedness, vocation emerges,
encountering of Christ occurs. The term that Ignatius gave this phenomenon was
“contemplation in action.”
The Spiritual Exercises, a pattern of prayer that every Jesuit undertakes for
eight days each year (and for thirty days twice over one’s lifetime) is the
second germinal source of Ignatian spirituality. It is primarily a series of meditations on the life, call, death,
and resurrection of Jesus. Its goal is
to help a person become disposed to the highest degree of spiritual freedom in
responding to the will of God by answering the “call of Christ” and “finding
God in all things.” These spiritual
exercises have been given to a great variety of Christian men and women, even
bishops and elders of churches other than the Roman Catholic Church. Most recently, the spiritual dynamic of
finding one’s call through solitude, relationship, and service has been adapted
for non-Christian retreats as well.
The unique dimensions of the
Jesuit tradition in spirituality and education, the commitment to the fostering
of leaders who are called by the same spirit that moved Jesus to proclaim the
Good News, and the universally human desire for an understanding of one’s own
spirituality motivate the VOICES Project.
Ignatius of Loyola, a contemplative in action who believed in “the
multiplier effect,” thought that Christian leaders should identify and train
leaders who might have the greatest long-range effect for the glory of God and
for service to others. A university whose
continuing vigor depends upon such a vision can be strategic in effecting such
a mission, not only in the formation of ordained ministers, but of all those
who are called to lead.
The rich, Catholic, Jesuit
heritage of Saint Louis University (founded in 1818) is not only a heritage of
Jesuit priests and brothers but also a legacy of laity. Saint Louis University was the first
Catholic university in the nation to reorganize its Board of Trustees (under
Fr. Paul Reinert in 1967) with a membership composed mostly of lay people, not
all of them Catholic. Faculty and staff
are primarily lay people, with a rich diversity of backgrounds and
beliefs. This diversity of community is
a powerful element in the University’s success; it serves to strengthen the
University’s central mission of creating men and women for others.
Further, Saint Louis
University has a strong, symbiotic relationship with its surrounding urban
community. The Carnegie Commission
defined that relationship as not only “in the city” but “of the city.” This relationship has manifested itself in
many different ways, including service, research, and learning opportunities
for students and faculty in the surrounding communities and neighborhoods. For example, the School of Public Health has
been recognized by the Carter Center for its efforts in faith-based community
service. The U.S. Department of
Education awarded the University a $1.5 million grant for interdisciplinary
service outreach in the local community.
The College of Public Service offers degree programs for religiously affiliated
educational leaders, and the University’s College of Philosophy and Letters
enrolls seminarians from the Archdiocese of St. Louis, as well as several other
dioceses across the metropolitan area. Many local community leaders and
citizens have come to see the University as a source for leadership,
information, resources, and services.
The VOICES Project will build on these existing strong relationships and
provide opportunities for students and others to reflect on their own personal
gifts and talents through service engagement in the community.
The curriculum at Saint Louis
University provides a strong academic foundation for meeting the goals of this
program. The University has an
extensive core curriculum that requires at least two courses in philosophy,
with ethics at its heart, and at least two theology courses in the Judeo
Christian tradition (with alternatives for students who are Hindu and
Muslim). In addition, most
undergraduate students are required to take a third course in either philosophy
or theology. The University offers
courses in spirituality, including Jesuit (Ignatian) spirituality and history,
as well as a number of other courses throughout the curriculum that integrate
faith and spirituality.
For example, the Professionalism
Seminar, a team-taught, interdisciplinary seminar in professional and social
ethics, enrolls master’s level students from health administration, social
work, public health, public policy, allied health, business, and law. This course examines the role of the church
in public life and social ministry; the historical, political, and social roots
of community issues; theories of justice and principles of community
engagement; various local, national, and international community health and
community development initiatives; and considers professions as vocations to
love and justice.
Saint Louis University also
has a School of Philosophy and Letters that is exclusively devoted to the
formation of ordained ministers in the Catholic Church. Further, the University works closely with
the Aquinas Institute (housed at the University), which is devoted to the
formation of Dominican priests, brothers, sisters, lay leaders, and members of
other Christian communities.
The University’s Jesuit,
Ignatian tradition is also reflected in its commitment to service. Saint Louis University offers a variety of
service and philanthropic opportunities for students through its Center for
Leadership and Community Service, the Service Leadership Program, the Micah
House Program, the clinics at the Schools of Law and Medicine, and various
outreach opportunities through Campus Ministry. (See Appendix B for a description of the activities of the Center
for Leadership and Community Service.)
In the past seven months, in
response to the Lilly Endowment’s invitation and with the support of the
Planning Grant, Saint Louis University has identified many efforts and projects
that confirm its mission to strengthen the interior, relational, and public
lives of students, faculty, and staff. The VOICES Project will allow for further expansion of these
efforts and will also include opportunities for University community members to
explore ministerial and/or ordained vocation as a living option. The VOICES Project presents an integrated
programmatic model, grounded in the three dimensions of personal life, which
will foster the vocation of members of the Saint Louis University community,
deepen the University’s own vocation, and strengthen its fidelity to its
central mission of creating men and women for others.
The VOICES Project will
identify, educate, and nurture a new generation of leaders who will, as a
result, bring their faith and value commitments to both their personal and
professional lives. By creating
supportive communities that foster the development of the three dimensions of
personal life for students, faculty, and staff, a culture will be enhanced and
sustained in which students are better equipped to discern their vocations and
understand how their faith commitments can strengthen leadership qualities in
their personal, community, and professional lives.
The VOICES Project aims to
create and sustain supportive University communities with an understanding and
appreciation for the role of vocation and leadership, especially in terms of
faith commitment, through a set of integrated programs and activities that
will:
1.)
provide opportunities
for students, faculty, and staff to foster habits of solitude, prayer, and
interior presence to God and their deepest selves;
2.)
sponsor activities and
events that will foster the development of communities of students, faculty,
and staff with an understanding and commitment to a response to God’s call;
3.)
provide opportunities
for students, faculty, and staff to carry their commitments outward to the
communities in which they live and work, as well as to the larger world; and,
4.)
reach out to talented
young people with leadership capacities and provide them with opportunities to
explore ministry, either lay or ordained, as all or part of their life’s work.
The VOICES Project is
designed as an interdisciplinary program and is organized so that program
activities and initiatives are developed and implemented with appropriate
University expertise within existing University structures. Because of its involvement and development of
key University staff and faculty, this program design will serve to
institutionalize the program within the University after Lilly Endowment
funding has ended. Departments and
offices involved in the VOICES Project include: Campus Ministry, Student Development, Center for Liturgy, Career
Services, Academic Advising, Center for Teaching Excellence, Office of
Institutional Study, and the Provost’s Office.
A large number of faculty from across disciplines at the University will
also be represented in the Project. The
Project will be integrated, coordinated, and administered by a Project
Director, Associate Director, and an Administrative Coordinator, with direction
from a Leadership Team, and the guidance of an Advisory Committee.
The following sections
present detail on proposed programmatic elements along the lines of the three
dimensions described above: interior
life, life in community, and life in service to others.
A primary objective for the
VOICES Project is a commitment to reach out to students where they are
emotionally, spiritually, and socially.
As part of the Lilly planning grant, program planners researched
students’ perspectives on vocation, religion, and spirituality. (See Appendix C for a detailed description
of planning grant research results.)
The results of this research indicated that students primarily
understand vocation in terms of career or profession. For this reason, the Division of Student Development took the
leadership role in the development of this pilot project, with the support and
advice of Campus Ministry.
Saint Louis University’s
Campus Ministry offers extensive opportunities for students to reflect on who
they are, who God is, how they are known and loved by God, and how they respond
to that love. (See Appendix D for a
description of programs and services provided by Campus Ministry.) While these
programs by their very nature foster one’s interior life and thus contain an
explicit commitment to the theological exploration of vocation, the support
provided by the Lilly planning grant presented an opportunity to develop a
different sort of program to systematically address the concept of vocation.
The program planners realized
that the success of this initiative was dependent upon a clear understanding of
student perceptions regarding vocation.
A retreat structure was developed with this information as its
foundation. Student Development
directed Career Services (a department within Student Development) to
participate in the planning process.
The planners designed the retreat to help students reflect on their
personal lives, their choice of majors and careers, and their roles as leaders
from the perspective of a call from God to be of service to others. Retreat planners selected the theme “Are You
Listening?” and modules were based on topics that invited and encouraged
students to discover the ways in which to listen to God. (Retreat materials are
included as Appendix E.)
The retreat was specially
tailored to an entire organization of students–the Oriflamme leaders. Oriflamme is an organization of
undergraduate student leaders who also serve as student advisors during new
student orientation. All members of
Oriflamme were invited to engage in the experiential off-campus overnight
retreat. One hundred twenty students
participated in this retreat. Student
evaluations of the retreat were overwhelmingly positive—almost all participants
reported that they had learned a great deal about themselves, their vocations,
and how faith commitments can be incorporated in leadership activities. Criticisms centered primarily on program
structure; i.e. not enough breaks; wished they could have spent more time with
their friends, etc. These program
structure issues are easily addressed for the next set of retreats.
The VOICES Project will build
on the success of this retreat experience and will offer such a retreat
annually to organizations and groups of students with leadership roles in
various capacities at the University, including student government, academics,
athletics, and service. The Project
will involve at least 130 students in each annual retreat. In addition to the overnight retreat,
Student Development will sponsor “reunion luncheons” each semester for previous
retreat attendees to strengthen these student leaders’ sense of community. Funds requested from the Lilly Endowment
will be used to defray the costs of retreat facilitators, support for liturgy,
lodging, food, reunion lunches, supplies, and materials.
Campus Ministry sponsors two
weekend retreats each year to provide faculty and staff an opportunity for
prayer, reflection, and camaraderie with colleagues. The VOICES Project will enhance the regular Campus Ministry
retreat schedule by focusing one retreat every other year (for approximately 20
faculty and staff) explicitly on the notion of vocation. This retreat will provide an opportunity for
faculty and staff to explore how their sense of personal calling informs their
personal and professional lives as teachers, researchers, or
administrators. By encouraging faculty
and staff to consider personal calling in their own lives, they will be better
equipped to carry the strategies for exploration of vocation outward to
University students. This retreat will
be funded as part of the normal operation of Campus Ministry.
During the implementation of
the Lilly planning grant, several luncheon programs were held for faculty and
staff, focused on the theme of vocation.
The response to these events was overwhelming—faculty and staff
attendance surpassed even the planners’ highest expectations. As a result of the great success of these
programs, the VOICES Project will institute a series of luncheons focusing on
vocation, leadership, and faith commitment.
There will be two “vocation” luncheon events held each year, one per
semester.
Funds requested from the
Lilly Endowment will cover the cost of these luncheon programs, including
facilitators, food, and materials. An
additional campus minister hired with Lilly Endowment funding will also help
develop, implement, and facilitate these activities.
As noted earlier, research
conducted as part of the planning grant process demonstrated that students
primarily understand vocation in terms of career or profession. Career Services and Academic Advising play
key roles in assisting students as they explore possible majors and
careers. Thus, the VOICES Project will
enhance current Career Services and Academic Advising programs and processes.
Once each year over the life
of the Project, a workshop on the theme of vocation and leadership will be
offered to staff of Career Services and Academic Advising. These workshops will develop a critical mass
of key staff members educated about and committed to helping students discern
their vocations. The objective of this
program component is to prepare academic advisors and career counselors to
assist students in placing decisions about majors and careers in the context of
vocation, and in easing the path to advanced study or careers in church or
other religious leadership positions for those students who are
interested. Funds requested from the
Lilly Endowment will be used for facilitators, travel costs, refreshments, and
materials.
A second approach to
enhancement will focus on the one-credit hour course currently offered each
semester (6-sections) entitled “Career Decision Making” which is coordinated by
Career Services. This course,
originally developed with funds received in the 1970s from the Lilly Endowment,
is designed to assist students with decisions about majors and careers. Its focus is on helping students identify
their values, personality type, and career interests, as well as on
strengthening their decision-making skills.
Under the VOICES Project, this course will be enhanced by integrating an
explicit treatment of vocation or personal calling. Faculty currently teaching the course will meet to develop new
course materials and identify guest speakers, as well as explore other
enhancements in light of the concept of vocation. Saint Louis University will cover the cost of this enhancement as
a commitment to the VOICES Project.
The VOICES Project will also
enhance the numerous job fairs hosted by Career Services throughout the
academic year, with information concerning ordained ministerial vocations. These Job Expos and Career Fairs help
students identify and secure future employment and internship opportunities,
and provide employers an opportunity to market their companies and meet with
students. Presenters and information on
ordained ministerial vocations will be included in future job fairs. In addition to using Jesuit priests and
brothers, Dominican men and women, sisters in religious congregations, and
ordained ministers, future job fairs will include rabbis, pastors of
congregations, and Islamic leaders as presenters. These individuals can provide information regarding education,
seminary training, and graduate programs throughout the country.
In addition, because many
students will explore information concerning vocation on the internet, the
Career Services website will be enhanced to include links to theological
schools and religious orders. The cost
for staff time for both the job fair and website enhancements will be covered
by Saint Louis University as a commitment to the VOICES Project.
In the spring of 2000, John Kavanaugh, S.J. was approached by a number of Philosophy doctoral students with the request for a forum to help students integrate their academic profession of philosophy with their lives of faith. With the co-leadership of Eleonore Stump, Ph.D, all graduate students in the Philosophy department (and their spouses) were invited to partake in evenings of a shared meal, song and prayer, and discussion of matters of philosophy and faith. Every other Friday throughout the past academic year, at least 20 individuals attended the three-hour sessions. Faculty members contributed dinners for three of the meetings; all other dinners were “pot luck,” with participants contributing meals and drink. This group came to call themselves the “Alexandria Society.” Donald Stump, Ph.D. and Harold Bush, Ph.D., faculty members in the department of English, also followed with the establishment of an Alexandria Society for graduate students in their department.
To strengthen the faith, interior life, and community experience of these future leaders and teachers, the VOICES Project will provide financial support to expand the number of Alexandria Societies across academic disciplines. Sarah Legett, M.D., a faculty member in the department of Pediatrics, has already committed to establishing a similar group for medical residents. The goal of this initiative is to have at least six new Alexandria Societies operating by Year Three of the VOICES Project. The “pot luck" dinners will continue, the cost being covered by those participating, but funds requested from the Lilly Endowment will be used to provide two dinners per year for each group and a stipend for faculty for extra time in planning and leading the sessions.
One of the most effective events offered in the implementation of the planning grant involved an opportunity for students to hear respected faculty members in a variety of disciplines give short presentations on their own vocations. This event included presentations by the following faculty members:
Gary Behrman – Social Service
James Fisher, Ph.D. – Business (Marketing)
Sarah Legett, M.D. – Medicine (Pediatrics)
Peter Salsich, J.D. – Law
Darina Sargeant – Allied Health (Physical Therapy)
Joanne Schneider, Ph.D. – Nursing
Alexa Serfis, Ph.D. – Arts & Sciences (Chemistry)
Rebecca Willits, Ph.D. – Parks College (Biomedical Engineering)
The experience was profoundly moving for all in attendance. The combination of personal witness and the sharing of one’s life-journey in faith modeled the possibility of a regular series in which leaders from faculty and alumni would be called upon to share their narratives with students.
The VOICES Project will institute a regular program in which professionals (faculty or alumni) in a variety of disciplines would share their life-journeys in faith with students within those disciplines. Numerous faculty members from across the University have already committed to participating in such a program.
These luncheon meetings will foster both the interior and community lives of students studying within each profession, and will also contribute to the development of communities within the disciplines. Funds are requested from the Lilly Endowment to sponsor six such programs throughout each year. Funds would be used to cover the costs of stipends for presenters, refreshments, supplies, and materials.
In an effort to provide
occasions for community building, fellowship, and mutual support for faculty
and staff (thereby enhancing faculty and staff support for student needs in
this area), the VOICES Project will offer three lecture series in which
nationally known leaders from a variety of disciplines articulate their own
sense of vocation in the context of their professional and academic lives.
The lecture series will be
organized around three themes:
a. The Faith of a Professional (e.g., of a scholar, a teacher, a researcher, a
librarian) A previous series
implemented by Father John Kavanaugh, S.J., and presented at Washington
University in Saint Louis included: the faith of a lawyer, of a corporate
executive, of a neurologist, of a psychiatrist, of a philosopher, of a
composer. Saint Louis University’s
“Ethics Across the Curriculum Program” will sponsor a model of such a program
in October 2001 when it will host a visit by Dr. Maureen Murphy-Greenwood,
M.D., an alumna who will share her life journey and faith in her presentation:
“Spirituality and Call of a Physician.”
b. The Moral Vision of an Academic (e.g., of a
biologist, of a biostatistician, of a physicist, of an artist) This series will provide an opportunity for
presentation and discussion of some of the great moral issues facing academics
in their roles as teachers, researchers, or community leaders, especially in
light of their faith commitments.
Possible topics may include stem cell research, environmental
degradation, and cloning.
c. Conversations & Cases in Justice This
series would involve discussions of issues
of human dignity, distributive justice, and traditional university challenges,
such as plagiarism, academics and athletics, and fair recompense for workers. Topics that may be covered include: “Moral Challenges within the University,”
“Moral Challenges to the University from the Local Community,” and “Moral
Challenges to the University on Global Issues of Justice.” Saint Louis University’s “Ethics Across the
Curriculum Program” will sponsor a model for this program in Fall 2001 with a
presentation on the ethical challenge of consumerism (by an ethician), which
will include responses from professors in advertising and business.
Under the VOICES Project, one
meeting in each of these series each semester will be held, for a total of six
sessions over the academic year.
Speakers from within and outside the University will be invited. This lecture series will be designed primarily
for University faculty and staff, although graduate and professional students
would also be invited. Funds are
requested from the Lilly Endowment to cover the cost of stipends for
presenters, travel expenses, refreshments, materials, and supplies.
Currently, Campus Ministry funds two internships to
provide students with hands-on ministerial experience. The students work alongside campus ministers
planning prayer services, retreats, liturgies, and social justice
programs. Of the twelve students who
have completed these internships, all have gone on to some type of full-time or
volunteer ministry. Current interns
also intend to continue ministry as volunteers.
Under the VOICES Project, the
existing internship program will be expanded through the addition of twelve
congregation internships each year throughout the life of the grant. These interns will work in local parishes
and congregations, as well as a local synagogue. They will be mentored by the appropriate member of the
congregational staff. The internship
program for each parish or congregation will be worked out separately, taking
into consideration the needs and abilities of each community, and the gifts,
talents, and interests of the individual interns (e.g. scripture study,
worship, youth ministry, elderly outreach, parish nurse, religious
education). The interns will be
competitively selected from among graduate, professional, and undergraduate
students (either juniors or seniors or exceptional sophomores). At least three of the twelve internships
will be reserved for graduate and/or professional students.
Interns will be expected to
contribute approximately fifteen hours per week to the parishes or
congregations to which they are assigned.
They will meet regularly with mentors in their disciplines, with each
other, and with Campus Ministry staff in order to share their experiences and
reflections. The interns will also be
expected to develop a core project throughout the year that will be presented
at an annual colloquium in the spring.
Students will receive a monthly stipend as well as an opportunity to
make an individually tailored silent retreat.
Campus Ministry will provide an initial, intensive training program,
perform regular site visits, provide guidance and mentoring throughout the
year, and provide access to computer equipment, ministerial supplies, and other
materials. In addition, Campus Ministry
will continue to build a community of leaders by sponsoring a luncheon each
semester over the course of the VOICES Project for current and former interns
to share their experiences and to offer opportunities for mentoring.
The internship initiative is
a valuable opportunity to engage students in the life of a parish or
congregation and to build a community of leaders within the University. The University is fortunate to be surrounded
by vibrant churches and congregations, including St. Francis Xavier Church
(located on the University’s campus), recently named among America’s
outstanding parishes in the Parish/Congregation Study (funded by the Lilly
Endowment, and directed by Paul Wilkes at the University of North
Carolina). St. Francis Xavier Church
and other local churches, including a local synagogue have expressed their
commitment to participate in the VOICES Project internship program. (See the
letters of support included as Appendix F.)
Funds requested from the
Lilly Endowment will cover the salary and fringe benefits of an additional
campus minister to coordinate the internship program. (This individual will also be responsible for assisting in the
development of faculty and staff vocational retreats.) Funds are also requested for student
stipends, health insurance (for graduate and professional students), materials
and supplies, costs associated with the annual colloquium and biennial reunion
lunches, and the cost of the silent retreat for each participating intern.
The VOICES Project will enhance the University’s partnership with the Center for Liturgy, which is housed on Saint Louis University’s campus. John Foley, S.J., Director of the Center for Liturgy, is a nationally recognized composer and lecturer, and was recently appointed “Distinguished Liturgical Theologian” in the Department of Theological Studies. Fr. Foley was a participant in the planning grant process and is a strong advocate for a better understanding and appreciation for the role of liturgy in the process of vocation discernment. (See Appendix G: “Mission and Calling in the Catholic University Mass--Promoting the Student’s Mission in the World.”)
The centerpiece of this partnership with the Center for Liturgy is an apprentice program for undergraduate students. The Center for Liturgy will sponsor eight students who, with Center guidance, will be placed in parishes to assist with and learn from the liturgy and liturgical leaders. Center staff will coordinate placement with parishes, provide regular mentoring and feedback sessions, and resources for understanding the readings and liturgical seasons.
The Center for Liturgy will also coordinate an annual liturgy workshop, weekly practice and discussion sessions, and evening prayer meetings for apprentices. Center staff will work with apprentices to develop weekly reflections on the gospel readings for the student spirituality section of the Center for Liturgy’s web site. In addition, apprentices will write a weekly column covering the upcoming Sunday Mass to be published in The University News, Saint Louis University’s student newspaper. (See letter of support from The University News editor in Appendix I.) This column will relate the liturgical season and readings to daily student life in student-friendly language. Funds requested from the Lilly Endowment will cover a portion of the salary of Fr. Foley’s assistant in the Center for Liturgy, student stipends, and supplies and materials. Fr. Foley has committed resources and his time as a match to the VOICES Project.
Expectations for faculty
achievement within a university are generally defined in terms of three
areas: teaching, research, and
service. In reality, all three of these
activities are service driven. Teaching
is service to students, and research is service to both students and the larger
world. Part of Saint Louis University’s
mission, then, is to encourage and develop excellent teachers, curriculum,
researchers, and research. In accord
with this, one of the strategic directions that provide the foundation for the
University’s current strategic planning process is “expanding research
integrated with teaching, learning and service.” The VOICES Project reflects that guiding statement and presents
an opportunity to explore curriculum and research questions regarding vocation
and leadership.
The VOICES Project will
encourage research and the development of curricular and programmatic
initiatives in the area of vocation or personal call through a competitive
grant program. This program will
support faculty who wish to explore the notion of vocation and/or leadership,
especially in light of faith commitment.
Projects may be classified as research activities, service projects, or
course and curriculum developments that incorporate the notion of vocation as
it relates to a particular discipline.
Alternatively, a grant might be used to write an article on the theme of
vocation. Faculty proposals selected
will receive grant awards of up to $3,000.
In addition, an annual half-day conference will be held for awardees to
share their projects with other members of the University community.
Further, a volume will be
published that highlights the best of this work. In 2000, the University’s Ethics Across the Curriculum Program
published the proceedings of a Spring Conference, “What’s Ethics Got to Do With
It?" It was well received by
alumni, incoming students and faculty, as well as other universities. To give some sustained testimony to the
University’s deeper exploration of vocation in the VOICES Project, a similar
book will be published with the theme of “Vocation in the University.” Optimally, this volume will include essays
and articles of two kinds: the personal vocational testimony of men and women
who have risen to leadership at Saint Louis University, and scholarly analyses
of the nature and meaning of vocation in contemporary life, including reports
on successful projects in curricular development.
The mission of the VOICES Project is to identify,
educate, and nurture a new generation of religiously committed leaders for the
Church and society. In order to
accomplish this mission, the VOICES Project has two primary goals:
1)
Create supportive
communities through which students are better equipped to discern and develop
their vocations and leadership qualities in light of their faith commitments
and spirituality.
2)
Develop faculty and
staff expertise and fellowship opportunities regarding vocation, leadership,
and faith commitment in order to better assist students with their explorations
of vocation.
The Project aims to nurture future leaders by creating
supportive communities that foster the development of the three dimensions of
personal life: an interior life of solitude, a relational life in community,
and a life of solidarity in service to the world. These communities will be created through the activities outlined
in the Program Design section.
Expected outcomes regarding institutional culture and
student, faculty, and staff attitudes for the VOICES Project are as follows:
Expected quantitative outcomes are as follows:
An Evaluation and Research
Team will be led by Assistant Provost and Director of the University’s Office
of Institutional Study, Dr. Julie Weismann.
Other members of the Team will include the Project Director, Edward
O’Brien, S.J., the Associate Director, and Dr. Ron Rebore of the Leadership
Team. The Evaluation and Research Team
will be assisted by three graduate assistants and undergraduate work study
students. The Team’s efforts are
threefold:
1.)
Formative and summative
evaluation regarding the extent to which the VOICES Project addresses and
achieves its programmatic goals and objectives;
2.)
Consideration and
evaluation of the success of the project as it relates to the mission and goals
of the University (particularly with regard to student learning outcomes) and
also involving formative and summative evaluation; and
3.)
Broader research
analyses of the Project’s conceptual framework, theory, and model.
In addition, at the
mid-point, and then again near the end of the Lilly Endowment’s funding for the
VOICES Project, an outside reviewer will be invited to examine the Project’s
goals, implementation, and various indicators of success in achieving
outcomes. The reviews will provide an
opportunity to enhance organizational learnings from the experiences of the
operation and internal research and evaluation of the Project. The reviewer, a nationally recognized expert
in the Project’s content, will provide a third-party critique and perspective
on the Project. Part of the reviewer’s
responsibilities will be to conduct two retreats with the Leadership Team and
Advisory Board to reflect on the Project and assess the needs for changes. The retreat near the end of the Project’s
funding support from the Lilly Endowment will also focus on transition to
institutionalization of the Project’s initiatives and activities.
The Evaluation and Research
Team will establish timelines and benchmarks based on expected outcomes listed
above, and other criteria that will be identified during program
implementation. The team will also
monitor the implementation and completion of all activities; participation; and
other quantifiable outcomes, including courses and service projects developed,
lectures and workshops presented. The
team will use the Lilly planning grant evaluation and research model and the
data gathered in these efforts as a foundation for the Project’s evaluation and
research.
The success of programmatic
elements will be reviewed annually using research methodologies most
appropriate for the activity under review.
For example, qualitative methods such as focus groups will be utilized
as assessment tools for the vocation retreat for student leaders, retreats for
faculty and staff, the Alexandria Society, and the Center for Liturgy
apprentices, in order to determine the extent to which participants were
affected by these experiences, (e.g., the extent to which their perceptions and
attitudes have changed). Whenever
possible, these focus groups will be designed as embedded activities within
follow-up sessions. Quantitative
methods such as questionnaires will be utilized for the various speaker series,
workshops, and staff development initiatives.
Questionnaires administered at the conclusion of these activities will
assess participants’ satisfaction with speakers as well as the extent to which
participants attained the information presented. In addition, these events will be assessed via follow-up
questionnaires to determine the long-term impact of the activity.
Each year, data collected
will be compiled into a year-end report to be reviewed by the Leadership Team
and Advisory Committee in order to develop strategies and make program
adjustments and enhancements as needed.
In addition, building on the
research conducted as part of the planning grant, questionnaires, focus groups,
and interviews with a sampling of students, faculty, and staff over the life of
the grant will be conducted. The
purpose of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of the perceptions,
attitudes, and opinions of the participants with regard to the issues of faith,
learning, and vocation. Attitudinal
changes and alterations in perceptions throughout the period will be monitored.
Data will also be collected
and analyzed in terms of the missions and goals of the University as a whole,
particularly with regard to student learning outcomes. As a Catholic, Jesuit institution, Saint
Louis University educates its students to develop the intellectual, ethical,
and spiritual foundations for a successful personal and professional life
expressed in service to others. The
student outcomes identified as spiritual abilities are particularly relevant
and will be considered in light of the VOICES project:
In University outcome
assessments, it is expected that the graduate will have developed:
A recognition of the spiritual self
A capacity for understanding and compassion
An appreciation of religious experience
The Evaluation and Research
Team will conduct activities that integrate the evaluation of the achievement
of these student learning outcomes/goals with the research activities related
to the assessment of outcomes/goals of the VOICES Project itself.
As mentioned earlier, the
VOICES Project is an opportunity to promote additional research in the area of
vocation, leadership, and faith commitment.
The Project also presents an opportunity to engage students actively
(both undergraduate and graduate) in these research efforts. It is important to continue to test the
conceptual framework that grounds this program and provides the Project model
for VOICES. Dr. Ron Rebore, a primary
participant in the Lilly planning grant research and evaluation, will be
responsible for addressing this aspect of the evaluation and research
component. He will collaborate with the
Office of Institutional Study to facilitate data collection. Rebore will work with at least one of the
graduate assistants assigned to the Evaluation and Research team, and will also
collaborate with faculty interested in these theoretical questions. It is hoped that at least two dissertations
or masters theses will result from graduate students’ work on this project, and
it is expected that Dr. Rebore and other faculty involved will publish several
articles from the research associated with the VOICES Project.
VOICES Project leadership
consists of a Project Director, an Associate Director, an Administrative
Coordinator, a Leadership Team, and an Advisory Committee.
Edward O’Brien, S.J., Vice
President for University Mission and Ministry, will serve as the Project
Director for Saint Louis University’s VOICES Project. In this role, Fr. O’Brien will promote effective communication
among faculty, staff, and students involved in the various elements of the VOICES
Project; provide oversight for the Project’s activities and day-to-day
operations; chair the Leadership Team and the Advisory Committee; and serve on
the Evaluation and Research Team. Fr.
O’Brien will also supervise the work of the Associate Director and will ensure
that resource management and strategy development are consistent with Project
goals and objectives as well as the goals of Saint Louis University.
Fr. O’Brien has a strong
background in mission, ministry, and outreach in the community. In addition to his current position as Vice
President for Mission and Ministry, he also serves on the University’s Board of
Trustees, and as the Minister for the Jesuit community at Jesuit Hall. Fr. O’Brien has a broad base of experience
and expertise to bring to bear for the VOICES Project. He has years of experience as a pastor at a
parish church, has been a high school teacher, has designed and led spiritual
retreats for students and teachers, and has served in various leadership
capacities within the Jesuit community.
This experience, coupled with his knowledge of the University and his
administrative position, will ensure that the VOICES Project is developed and
administered successfully, with institutionalization of the Project’s
activities as a primary objective.
One of the first actions of
the Project Director and the Leadership Team will be to conduct a search for a
Associate Director. This position will
administer day-to-day operation of the VOICES Project; coordinate major
programmatic elements with responsible persons in the relevant departments and
programs; oversee Project communication and resources, including a newsletter,
web site, and list serve; maintain records of all events and activities
(including budget and accounting information); assist in program evaluation;
prepare required financial and organizational reports to the Lilly Endowment
and appropriate University offices; serve as a member of the Leadership Team
and Advisory Committee; and supervise the Administrative Coordinator. The Associate Director will report to the
Project Director. Minimum
qualifications for this position include a Masters degree in a related field,
supplemented with two years of related experience, preferably in a University
environment. Experience in grant
administration is highly desirable.
The Project Director and Associate Director will hire an Administrative Coordinator to provide support to program staff; assist with fiscal, technical, and administrative matters; monitor Project budget; maintain program records and files; and produce regular financial reports. Minimum qualifications for this position will include a baccalaureate degree, supplemented with two years of related experience, preferably in a university environment. Experience in grant administration is highly desirable.
The Leadership Team consists
of key University personnel with primary responsibility for specific
programmatic elements. The Team will
direct and guide the VOICES Project, provide a periodic review of the goals of
the program, respond to Evaluation and Research Team findings, and advise on
how program objectives should be prioritized.
The Team will meet monthly and will also participate in an annual
one-day retreat. Following is a listing
of the Leadership Team; short biographical sketches for individuals on the Team
who are responsible for heading up the various Project initiatives can be found
in Appendix H.
|
Team
Member |
University
Title & Department |
Programmatic
Element |
|
Edward O’Brien, SJ |
Project Director VP, Mission and Ministry |
Overall Program |
|
TBD |
Associate Director |
Overall Program |
|
Kathleen A. Day |
Director, Career Services |
Staff Development for
Career Services |
|
Michael J. Doody SJ |
Director, Campus Ministry |
Campus Ministry
Congregation Internships |
|
Mary J. Flick |
Assistant VP, Mission and
Ministry |
Retreats for Faculty and
Staff |
|
John B. Foley, SJ |
Professor, Director, Center
for Liturgy |
Center for Liturgy
Apprentices |
|
Patricia Hagen, Ph.D. |
Assistant Provost |
Overall Program |
|
Ellen Harshman, Ph.D., J.D. |
Associate Provost;
Director, Center for Teaching Excellence; and Associate Professor, Management |
Faculty Development
Initiatives & Speaker Series for Faculty, Staff, and Graduate Students |
|
Kathy W. Humphrey |
Vice President, Student
Development |
Vocation Retreat for
Student Leaders & Speaker Series for Students |
|
John F. Kavanaugh, SJ Eleanore Stump, Ph.D. |
Professor, Philosophy;
Director, Ethics Across the Curriculum Program Professor, Philosophy |
Alexandria Society |
|
J.J. Mueller, S.J. |
Associate Professor and
Department Chair, Theological Studies |
Curriculum and Research
Initiatives |
|
Ronald Rebore, Ph.D. |
Professor, Leadership and
Higher Education |
Evaluation and Research
Team |
|
John Severson Jr., Ph.D. |
Dean, Academic Services
Center |
Staff Development for
Academic Advisors |
|
Virginia Viehmann |
Director, Corporate and
Foundation Relations |
Overall Program/Liaison to
Lilly Endowment |
|
Julie Weismann, Ph.D. |
Assistant Provost and
Director, Office of Institutional Study |
Evaluation and Research
Team |
The Advisory Committee
consists of members of the University community whose efforts and activities
are particularly related to the goals of the program. The role of the Advisory Committee is to provide ideas and
counsel to the Program Director, Associate Director, and Leadership Team; to
assist in planning; and to enhance communication and contacts between the
VOICES Project and its constituents.
Members will also serve as liaisons to the Project and their respective
departments, colleges, or schools. The
Advisory Committee will meet at least twice a year. More frequent meetings will be held as needed. In addition to the general responsibilities
noted above, members of the Advisory Committee may be asked to serve on an
evaluation committee for grant awards and to assist the Evaluation and Research
Team. Advisory Committee membership
will remain fairly constant, with appointments made by the Leadership Committee
on an as needed basis.
|
Advisory
Committee Members |
|||
|
John |
Eckert |
Undergraduate student |
Student Government
Association |
|
Erin |
Bakanas |
Assistant Professor |
Internal Medicine/General |
|
Julie |
Birkenmaier |
Assistant Professor |
School of Social Service |
|
Kaylea |
Boutwell |
Student |
School of Medicine |
|
John |
Buerck |
Assistant Professor |
School for Professional
Studies |
|
David |
Burger |
Student |
School of Medicine |
|
Dorothy |
Cooke |
Associate Professor |
School of Nursing |
|
Denis E. |
Daly SJ |
Assistant Vice President |
Mission & Ministry |
|
Mary R. |
Domahidy |
Chairperson |
Public Policy Studies |
|
Michael J. |
Doody SJ |
Director |
Campus Ministry |
|
Joe |
Weixlmann |
Dean |
College of Arts &
Sciences |
|
Susan Toft |
Everson |
Assistant Professor |
Leadership and Higher
Education |
|
Jim |
Fisher |
Director |
Center for Business Ethics |
|
Mary |
Flick |
Assistant Vice President |
Mission & Ministry |
|
Roger |
Goldman |
Professor |
School of Law |
|
Margaret |
Herning |
Associate Professor |
Physical Therapy |
|
Sharon M. |
Homan |
Professor |
School of Public Health |
|
Kathy W. |
Humphrey |
Vice President |
Student Development |
|
Terry |
Inman |
Student |
MBA Program |
|
Sandra H. |
Johnson |
Provost |
Provost Office |
|
Dee |
Kauffman |
Coordinator |
Career Services |
|
John F. |
Kavanaugh SJ |
Professor |
Philosophy |
|
Jeanne |
Kretzmann |
Graduate Student |
Leadership & Higher
Education |
|
Stephen |
Lamkin |
Assistant Director |
Student Educational
Services Center |
|
Sarah M. |
Legett |
Assistant Professor |
Pediatrics |
|
Michael |
Maher SJ |
Associate Professor |
History |
|
Erin |
Markley |
Graduate Student |
Graduate Student
Association |
|
Hisako |
Matsuo |
Assistant Professor |
Research Methodology |
|
Thomas |
McGinnis |
Assistant Director |
Academic Services Center |
|
J.J. |
Mueller SJ |
Chairperson |
Theological Studies |
|
Stephanie |
Rankin |
Undergraduate Student |
Pre Med |
|
Diane |
Stagg |
Program Coordinator |
Parks College |
|
Donald |
Stump |
Associate Professor |
English |
|
Eleonore |
Stump |
Professor |
Philosophy |
|
Virginia |
Viehmann |
Director |
Corporate & Foundation
Relations |
|
Theodore |
Vitali, C.P. |
Chairperson |
Philosophy Department |
|
Donna J. |
Werner |
Program Coordinator |
Ethics Across the
Curriculum |
Saint Louis University is
uniquely positioned to implement the VOICES Project. The support of administration at the highest levels, as well as
that of students, faculty, and staff has been extensive throughout the entire
planning process. The core mission of
the University--preparing men and women for others—speaks to the very heart of
the Lilly Endowment’s objectives for its Program. The experience and expertise of the various departments and
individuals involved in the implementation of this Project will help to ensure
its success. Student Development,
Campus Ministry, Mission and Ministry, Career Services, Academic Advising, the
Office of Institutional Study, the Provost’s Office, Philosophy, Theological
Studies, the Center for Liturgy, as well as faculty and administrative representatives
from departments throughout the University provide a strong network within
which the VOICES Project will be implemented.
The location and prestige of
the University offer a unique set of resources for students’ community
engagement experiences within the VOICES Project. Support for the proposed Project has been universally positive in
every contact with church or congregation leadership in the area. Enthusiasm for the congregation and liturgy
internships is especially high.
As indicated in the Program
Design section, the VOICES Project will draw upon existing expertise within the
University for development of several initiatives, and will bring in nationally
known individuals for other programmatic elements, such as the Lecture Series. The Advisory Committee design for the
Project also provides numerous opportunities for participation of individuals
from across the University, including students, faculty, administrators, and
staff.
Finally, the committed
Leadership Team and Advisory Committee developed for the VOICES Project
provides an impressive set of resources in itself. Fr. O’Brien is a kind and able leader whose vision will inspire
all those associated with the Project’s implementation. Every key individual listed in the Project
Leadership section of this proposal brings a wealth of experience in their
respective areas, and all will work together well as team members with the good
of the Project at heart.
The initial impetus for the Lilly planning grant came from Saint Louis University’s President, Lawrence Biondi, S.J., and Provost Sandra Johnson, J.D., LL.M. Faculty and staff responded enthusiastically to the Lilly planning grant initiatives from the outset. This support and enthusiasm was reflected in participation at the various events and activities hosted as part of the planning grant process. Forty faculty and staff members quickly volunteered to join the Advisory Committee for the project. (See Appendix J for the listing of Advisory Committee members and details of the various planning grant activities.) The first informational meeting attracted approximately 50 faculty, staff, and graduate students representing 25 departments and schools.
This enthusiasm continued
throughout the planning grant process.
Faculty and staff not only attended events in strong numbers, they
actively participated in the activities throughout the planning grant
process. Faculty offered their support
during the research phase by administering surveys in their classes, and over
330 faculty and staff completed an on-line survey as part of the planning grant
process. Faculty and staff also
volunteered to participate on a panel during the “Faith, Learning, and
Vocation” conference to share their vocations with others. A large number of faculty, staff, and
students from across the University contacted the project director to discuss
programmatic content throughout the spring of 2001. (The listing included in Appendix I identifies faculty, staff,
and students who sought out the project director to discuss this project.)
In addition to events and
activities formally associated with the Lilly project, two additional campus
events highlight the University’s commitment to the goals of this project. On February 26, 2001, approximately 65
faculty, staff, and students attended a presentation by Howard Gray, S.J.,
Director of the Center for Ignatian Spirituality at Boston College, entitled
“Soul Education: An Ignatian Priority.”
In addition, each semester, University Mission and Ministry sponsors a
reunion luncheon for participants of its 1998 conference “Our Journey to
Tomorrow: A Commitment to the Jesuit Spirit.”
The theme of the luncheon sponsored during spring 2001 was “More than
Just a Job: The Vocation of Those Who Work in Jesuit Education.” On March 28, 2001, this topic attracted 93
faculty and staff members, the largest number of participants ever to attend a
reunion luncheon. The afternoon consisted
of presentations by faculty and staff sharing their personal narratives followed
by discussions on questions such as “How do I view my work as a vocation?” “How do I find my vocation in my work?”
The process of developing
this implementation grant proposal served as a reminder that Saint Louis
University is truly blessed with a community of talented and dedicated faculty,
staff, and students genuinely committed to its mission of creating men and
women for others.
Potential obstacles to the
VOICES Project are thought to be primarily administrative. A large, interdisciplinary grant requires
strong leadership and effective management.
It can be difficult to coordinate large amounts of information,
individuals, and departments. The
Leadership Team must be able to address these potential difficulties with
vision and practicality, through an understanding of each participant’s talents
and gifts. The leadership and structure
of the VOICES Project should help to alleviate any potential problems, and the
hiring of a capable Associate Director as well as a knowledgeable and flexible
Administrative Coordinator should also ensure administrative success with the
Project. Further, the University has
strong leadership associated with the administration of grants. The Office of Research Services and the
Sponsored Programs Office provides grant administration support, and the
Provost’s Office, through Patricia Hagen, Ph.D., can also provide
administrative advice and support. Dr.
Hagen has over ten years of grant administration experience, including administration
of complex, multidisciplinary grants.
The VOICES Project is
structured so that institutionalization of Project activities will occur at the
end of the Lilly Endowment’s funding period.
Project activities are developed with central administration leadership
and counsel, but are implemented at the department level. The Project includes a strong focus on
educating and developing those individuals who work most closely with students
in their efforts to understand their vocations and their interior lives: e.g. faculty, Student Development, Academic
Advising, Career Services, and other staff.
The Project aims to sustain and enhance a culture within the University
in which students’ discernment of vocation, especially within the context of faith
commitments, is a continual theme, and building supportive communities for
students involved in these efforts is an expectation.
In order to further ensure
the continuation of Project objectives beyond Lilly Endowment funding, the
University will include VOICES Project objectives in its upcoming capital
campaign, to be launched in December 2001.
One of the campaign’s primary initiatives is a focus on gathering
support for mission-related activities and programs. Saint Louis University’s Provost, Sandra Johnson, J.D., LL.M.,
has committed to ensuring that fundable activities in the VOICES Project will
be included in the campaign’s effort to support mission-related activities and
programs. The cost of Project administration,
as well as that of internships in the community will likely be appropriate
targets for fundraising in these campaign efforts.
Saint Louis University is committed to the values and to the mission of this Project. The planning grant activities only increased the community’s desire for a deeper focus in the areas of vocation, leadership, and faith commitment. Part of the beauty and unique character of Saint Louis University is its people--their commitment, their fellowship, their communities. When there is an opportunity to develop increased support for students within the University, community members always respond with great excitement and openness. The University community is truly mission-driven, and this will also help to ensure the success and continuation of the VOICES Project.