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Regent School of Undergraduate Studies MISSION

Regent School of Undergraduate Studies Mentoring Christian Faculty Fall Faculty Workshop August 01, 2008 J. Thomas Whetstone, D.Phil. Regent School of Undergraduate Studies MISSION. Excellence in academic standards and Teaching according to a biblical worldview

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Regent School of Undergraduate Studies MISSION

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  1. Regent School of Undergraduate StudiesMentoring Christian FacultyFall Faculty WorkshopAugust 01, 2008J. Thomas Whetstone, D.Phil.

  2. Regent School of Undergraduate StudiesMISSION • Excellence in academic standards and • Teaching according to a biblical worldview • Equipping “Christian leaders to change the world” • This is demanding

  3. Building the Right Culture • Work at it • First, hire committed Christian teachers • But, are they prepared to teach according to a biblical worldview? • Mentoring is required

  4. Faculty Mentoring * Tenure paper * Pre-tenure paper and review * Faculty orientation readings and discussions * Workshops * Mutual mentoring in a community relationship * Course development * Faculty research, colloquium * Monitoring and mentoring by Chairs

  5. Mentoring Adjunct Instructors • Difficulties: • Part-time vocation • Remote locations • Not integral part of on campus community

  6. Mentoring Adjunct Faculty • Annual faculty workshops • Mentoring by chairs and full-time faculty • Mentoring network led by experienced adjuncts • Compensation (proposed) • Faith integration paper for highest level • A sample workshop paper will be presented • Please question and share your successes

  7. Teaching from a Christian Worldview--Including Use of Secular Materials J. Thomas Whetstone, D.Phil. w/Drs. Sandra Bryant & Almarie Munley 11 August 2007

  8. Teaching the Truth with Academic Excellence3 C’s for Faith Integration • Core presuppositions • Worldview perspective • Context • Teacher’s example • Institution’s support • Student expectations • Content • Texts (secular, even anti-faith?) • Literature of discipline • Assignments-discussions, cases, essays, exams • As in a 3-legged stool, all C’s are needed But only after two prior C’s…

  9. Commitment to Calling • Challenge: • How is Your personal relationship & walk with Christ? • Examine yourself • Confess, Pray • For self • For students • For Regent & Forgive • Are you content in your calling to teach? • Still excited, love to engage students in subject • Delighted when students apply their faith

  10. Teaching the Truth with Academic Excellence:Core Presuppositions: Worldview At Regent, our instructional materials and instructors’ teaching is to frame the courses we teach from a deliberately Christian worldview.

  11. Alternative Worldviews MODERNISM • Human Reason #1 • Progress inevitable • Human is exalted • No transcendent God • (materialistic) • Ethics a human invention • Relativism -->Judges 21:25 POSTMODERNISM • No truth, reality • Socially constructed • Power prevails • Individual insignificant • God is dead • (anti-God, anti-modernism) • Ethics does not exist • W/o God, all is possible • (Dostoevsky)

  12. Christian Worldview • Reveals our true values re: (A. Kuyper) • Our relationship to God • Our relationship to man (and ourselves) • Our relationship to the world • Students need to assess subjects, text starting with worldview differences • Apply consistently from a Christian worldview

  13. Teaching the Truth with Academic Excellence:Context • The teacher is the role model • Personal example—intro, counsel, life • Prayer Discussion Board & prayer for students • Theme scripture, announcements • Devotionals • Comments & questions—discussions, essays, exams • Regent’s mission • Students expect faith integration • Diversity of theologies, may need to clarify, teach openness with compassion, Ephesians 4:15

  14. Teaching the Truth with Academic Excellence:Content • First, assess the discipline itself • A. Compatibilist (complementary) • (e.g., Mathematics, Classical Music) • B. Transformationalist (valuable insights, but needs a Christian orientation—major changes, interpretations needed • (e.g., Organizational Behavior, Ethics, Political Science) • C. Reconstructionist (at odds with Christianity) • Reject and radically redo biblically • (e.g., Anthropology, Astrology, Linguistics?)

  15. Example: Systems Thinking • Assessment of OLAM 310 Systems Thinking, text: Peter Senge’sThe Fifth Discipline (1990, 2006): a. Text’s worldview is materialistic, naturalistic b. But structure, process is edifying -Problem is values, not basic structure of discipline -Systems Thinking is Transformationalist -We should teach it per Christian worldview, biblical perspective -Apply it as we love God & man with our minds (Whetstone, 2007)

  16. Teaching the Truth with Academic Excellence:Content:Textbooks • Key literature of a field often is secular, even anti-faith • Students need to know • Banning such texts a disservice to students • Add texts, materials, interpretations from Christian perspective • Challenge students to discern and apply consistently w/ Christian worldview

  17. Teaching the Truth with Academic Excellence: Content: Assignments • Readings—Christian authors • Discussion—Questions and follow-ups asking for approaches best for a Christian • Essays—Christian themes and propositions • Exams—Questions asking for Christian interpretation, conclusions, recommended application • Other?

  18. Teaching the Truth with Academic Excellence:What Ways Have You Found? • Example: • Almarie Munley • Dialogue in small groups • Share a favorite example

  19. Teaching the Truth with Academic Excellence:OUR CHALLENGE • Continue to ponder, try out, share • Throughout this workshop • As you teach • This is difficult… • But the LORD will guide and bless us if we remain faithful • Educating Christian leaders to change the world

  20. Your Input • Comments • Questions? • What have you done that works? • Discussion

  21. The End • Thank you all. • May God bless you.

  22. Finis

  23. J. Thomas Whetstone, D.Phil Regent School of Undergraduate Studies 3rd Annual No Educator Left Behind Conference 20 June 2008 Indiana Wesleyan University Mentoring Adjunct Christian Teachers

  24. PLEASE RISE • Let us sing to the LORD Led by Dr. Almarie Munley

  25. What a Friend We Have in Jesus What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. Amen.

  26. Your Input • Comments • Questions? • What does your college do? • Discussion

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