Sacred Coronary heart College’s new Pioneer Journey director — science weblog

Sacred Coronary heart College directors have lengthy inspired college students to know the establishment’s mission and values by attending seminars and occasions designed to mirror and promote the “Pioneer Journey,” the tutorial, religious and social-emotional studying path that encompasses the coed expertise on the college.

The Roman Catholic establishment in Fairfield, Conn., lately launched a brand new initiative to develop and promote this effort campuswide and to make sure college students not solely perceive the college’s core values but additionally reside them and put them into motion.

Central to this plan is the promotion of Charles A. Gillespie, an assistant professor within the division of Catholic research, to the brand new position of Pioneer Journey director, charged with “spearheading SHU’s efforts to outline and amplify its distinctive academic expertise,” in keeping with a college press launch, and selling “the attributes of a SHU Pioneer all through the campus and past.”

There are 5 pillars related to the Pioneer Journey, which embrace data, religion, integrity, service and neighborhood. (The college’s mascot is a pioneer.)

“After we speak in regards to the Pioneer Journey, what we imply by that’s how we educate our college students, thoughts, physique and spirit,” Gillespie stated. In his new position, he’ll assist college students higher perceive and navigate the college’s educational necessities and the way they improve the coed expertise, he stated.

“I feel our college students have a very nice expertise proper now, however what they don’t get a number of proper now could be a framing narrative that goes round why are we doing all these completely different necessities,” Gillespie stated.

“There are some actually particular issues going down at our college, however we don’t have a good time them sufficient,” he stated within the press launch. “We’re not loud and shouting from the rooftops in regards to the unbelievable happenings at Sacred Coronary heart.”

A part of the college’s new focus is to make sure that SHU’s distinctive mission and tradition are integrated into every scholar’s journey as a Pioneer. An outline of the Pioneer Journey has been built-in into the freshman orientation program, and its language shared with freshman advisers and embedded in descriptions of a few of SHU’s core lessons.

Along with the brand new place, a committee will work with college and employees members to create assets about “the distinct traits and experiences concerned in a SHU schooling,” in keeping with the college.

“Dr. Gillespie’s position is to assist us talk our mission in a extra systematic manner and to foster and additional nurture the college’s tradition,” stated Robin Cautin, SHU’s provost.

The brand new position was impressed after the establishment applied a core curriculum requirement in 2015 that launched two seminars in regards to the Catholic mental custom that every one undergraduates should take, Cautin stated.

The seminars are facilitated by college members to encourage discussions and civil discourse amongst college students and to advertise group reflection on the college’s core mission and values.

“With Catholic mental custom, which is our mission, we attempt to have interaction the scholars within the nice thinkers of that custom and see how that pertains to them and to their world,” stated Michelle Loris, affiliate dean within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and chair of division of Catholic research.

Loris wrote the proposal for the brand new position and initiated creation of the place.

“I’m actually delighted that the college is embarking on this initiative, and I feel I’m fairly honored to have been the one who initiated it, to sort of be the founding mom,” she stated.

Loris stated she declined to take the brand new position as a result of she believed Gillespie was finest suited to the place.

“I feel Charlie is a wonderful particular person to be the director to advertise and combine Pioneer Journey throughout the college and convey that distinctive academic expertise to the entire scholar,” she stated.

The launch of the brand new position coincides with the establishment’s strategic planning course of for the college. Gillespie and Maurice Nelson, Sacred Coronary heart’s chief range and inclusion officer, lately did an on-campus presentation in regards to the college’s dedication to range and inclusion as a part of the mission to affirm its values and targets throughout your complete campus.

“It’s necessary to clarify why range, fairness, inclusion and belonging so desperately matter for not solely our college students’ Pioneer journey, but additionally for our journey collectively as people working at a college setting,” Gillespie stated.

Francis Origanti, vp of the Workplace of Mission Integration, stated Gillespie’s new position is supposed to be the muse of the coed expertise and extra carefully join numerous college departments.

“Displaying how the scholars can have an expertise that’s reflective of our mission and our values by this journey in 4 years is why we needed to have a devoted particular person for that position,” he stated.

Gillespie will work on all points of scholars’ academic expertise, whether or not it’s studying in a classroom, experiences on and off campus, academic alternatives, internships, or learning overseas.

“All of these experiences listed are part of a scholar’s schooling, and Pioneer Journey is making an attempt to uplift each single member of the college neighborhood, whether or not it’s employees, college students, alumni, administration, as a result of we’re all contributing to how our college students are studying and the way we’re on this journey collectively,” Gillespie stated.

Gillespie plans to make use of his theater background to tell his work within the new position; he acts in and directs native productions and is a co-founder of Theatrum Sacrum, an experimental ensemble primarily based in New York.

“A set of abilities I’m hoping to deliver on to this new position is placing collectively occasions and serving to collect folks collectively to plan one thing actually particular and fantastic that they worth,” he stated.

Gillespie has a various educational background. He has a bachelor’s diploma in humanities from Villanova College, a grasp’s from Yale Divinity College and a doctorate in spiritual research from the College of Virginia. He stated his academic background has formed his scholarly pursuits.

His stated his new place is exclusive on the campus as a result of, along with being a college member, he’ll work with employees members throughout numerous college departments to advertise the Pioneer Journey and enhance the coed expertise.

“I’m going to be speaking with people in our athletic division, performing arts departments and likewise in scholar life, housing, and so forth,” Gillespie stated. “It’s all about connecting people throughout the tutorial division and likewise in all places that interacts with our scholar expertise.”

Cautin, the provost, stated Gillespie, in his new position, will assist college leaders monitor and assess the day-to-day influence of the establishment on college students.

“I wouldn’t even say the brand new place is a small half—I feel it’s a crucial a part of affirming who we’re as a Catholic establishment and in increased schooling,” Cautin stated. “I feel it’s a crucial half to affirm and crystallize what makes us particular, our tradition and our model in order that we are able to articulate it.”