Connecting Life and Learning:

1. Connecting Life and Learning: Developing Integral Christian Learning through Curricular and Co-Curricular Collaboration

2. Erik Hoekstra Provost Hubert Krygsman Associate Provost for Curricular Programs Bethany Schuttinga Associate Provost for Co-Curricular Programs

3. Demographic Particulars • Founded in 1955 - associated with the Christian Reformed Church (Calvinist) • 49% of students are Christian Reformed • 65% are from “Reformed” denominations • 1,350 total undergraduate student body, mainly traditional residential • 50% of the total student body are from more than 500 miles from campus • Largest majors - education, business, engineering, nursing, fine arts, agriculture • Strong programs in music, theater, and athletics • Strong, stable religiously homogeneous faculty, 15:1 student/faculty ratio • Rural, population 6,300, and one hour from two metro areas • Intentional and extensive residence-life and co-curricular programming

4. Unique Foundational Documents and Principles • Educational Task of Dordt College • Educational Framework of Dordt College • Serviceable Insight • Four Coordinates for Learning

5. Serviceable Insight Education at Dordt College is not pursued for its own sake nor for its civilizing qualities nor for the strictly pragmatic purposes of vocational instruction, but to provide insight and develop talents that will sustain lifelong responsible service in God’s Kingdom. The knowledge, competencies, and commitments gained through the educational process aim to prepare students to live thankful lives before the Lord; to serve others with integrity, in common everyday activities as well as in specific vocations; and to unfold and care for creation.

6. Education of Whole Persons To a large extent Dordt will have failed if it graduates knowledgeable and skillful students who lack the desire to carry out their tasks in service and loving obedience. Scripturally-oriented devotional and social activities… ought not to be considered mere additions to the academic task; rather, they should be integrated into the total pattern of curricular and co-curricular activity, all of which is designed to provide the student with serviceable insight, i.e., wisdom according to the mind of Christ.

7. Four Coordinates • Religious Orientation—Who owns your heart? • Creational Structure—How do things hang together? • Creational Development—What is the situation today? • Contemporary Response—What do we do now?

8. Timeline for Change • Consideration of General Education • Retirement of VP of Academic Affairs • Provost Office Structure • Combine Curricular & Co-Curricular • Advent of Faculty Senate • Academic Leadership Team Concept

9. The new CORE Program • For details of the Core Program, see: • http://homepages.dordt.edu/krygsman/core_program_resources.htm • https://www.dordt.edu/publications/catalog/academic_offerings/core.pdf

10. The CORE Mission • The Core Program: • Prepares students for Christian discipleship in the common areas of life. • Articulates the religious foundation and structural and cultural / historical contexts for other curricular programs. • Provides a forum for addressing issues of common concern • (Core Framework, p. 3).

11. The CORE Paradigm • “Core” means “central” • From “distributive model” to “common areas of life” • Defined by Framework (4 Coordinates) goals • Connected: inter-disciplinary; connected to majors, Student Life, whole life • Flexible, responsive to student needs • Developmental – to a mature, integral Christian worldview

12. CORE Components / Flow CORE COMPETENCIES (FRESHMAN LEVEL): Communication (3) COMM 100: Speaking and Listening, or CORE 110: Communication in Contemporary Culture Writing (3-4) ENG 100: Writing for College, or CORE 120: Composition Language (7) LANG 101-102: Foreign Language Math (3-4) MATH 100: Mathematics for College, or college-level Math course

13. CORE Components / Flow FRESHMAN-SOPHOMORE LEVEL COURSES CORE 100 (2): Kingdom, Identity, and Calling CORE 130 (1.5): Health, Sport, the Body + 3 activities CORE 140 (3): Roots of Western Worldviews/Culture CORE 145 (3): Modern West Culture in Global Context CORE 150 (3): Biblical Foundations CORE 160 (3): Introduction to the Arts CORE 180 (3): Literature

14. CORE Components / Flow SOPHOMORE-JUNIOR LEVEL COURSES: CORE 200 (3): Introduction to Christian Philosophy CORE 210-219 (3-4): Unfolding the Biotic Creation CORE 220-229 (3-4): Unfolding the Physical Creation CORE 250-259 (3): Persons in Community CORE 260-269 (3): Justice and Stewardship CORE 270-289 (3): Cross-Cultural Studies SENIOR LEVEL COURSES: CORE 310-329 (3): Advanced Reformed Thought CORE 399 (3): Calling, Task, and Culture

15. CORE Components / Flow • Academic Competencies * • Comm 100 / CORE 110 • English 100 / CORE 120 • Foreign Language • Math 100

16. CORE Components / Flow • Redemptive-Historical Outlook: • Religious Orientation • Theme: “My story” in “God’s story” • CORE 100: Kingdom, Identity, Calling • CORE 150: Biblical Foundations

17. CORE 100: Kingdom, Identity, Calling • First-semester “bookend” • Foci: • Advising • Mentoring into college life • Exploration of identity and calling inside God’s story: • How has God been at work in my life? • Who am I? • What am I supposed to do?

18. Core 150: Biblical Foundations • The Biblical story: God at work in history • Whose we are • God’s Word for creation (and how we read it) • Creation >Fall> Redemption>Consummation • Called to faithful response

19. CORE Components / Flow • Redemptive-Historical Outlook: • Creational Development • Theme: humans developing creation in response to God • CORE 140: Roots of Western Worldview and Culture • CORE 145: Modern Western Culture in Global Context

20. CORE Components / Flow • Contextual / Inter-disciplinary – Creation Structure: • Academic Competencies * • CORE 200: Christian Philosophy • Arts and Lit: • CORE 160: The Arts • CORE 180: Literature • Natural Sciences: • CORE 130+: HPER + activities • CORE 210-19: Unfolding the Biotic Creation • CORE 220-29: Unfolding the Physical Creation • Social Sciences: • CORE 250-59: Persons in Community • CORE 260-69: Justice and Stewardship • Cross-Cultural: CORE 270-79

21. CORE Natural Science • CORE 220-29: Unfolding the Physical Creation • CORE 221: Physics Applications and Implications • CORE 222: Intro to Environmental Studies: Energy, Materials and the Environment • CORE 224: Solar System Astronomy • CORE 227: Chemical Principles

22. CORE Natural Science CORE 222: Energy, Materials & the Environment

23. CORE Natural Science “Showering with the 4 Coordinates” • 1) Why care about hot water production? • Religious Orientation– Biblical Foundation • God as creator/sustainer/redeemer • God’s love for His creation • Call to serve as stewards & shalom seekers

24. CORE Natural Science “Showering with the 4 Coordinates” • 2) Why do we use electricity for hot water? • Creational Development • Brief history of society’s use of energy

25. CORE Natural Science “Showering with the 4 Coordinates” • 3) How is it produced and how much do we use? • Creational Structure • Tour Dordt’s boiler and dorm mechanical rooms • Measure hot water used for showers • Calculate amount of coal/year • & bales of corn stalks required

26. CORE Natural Science “Showering with the 4 Coordinates” • 4) How might I steward hot water? • Contemporary Response • Conservation – low flow, short showers • Use renewable energy

27. CORE Social Science: Being Human in Community • CORE 260-269: Justice and Stewardship • CORE 261: Sociology and Social Justice • CORE 262: Introduction to Politics • CORE 264: Faith and Social Justice • CORE 266: Economics and Christian Stewardship

28. CORE Components / Flow • Advanced / Post-Disciplinary – Contemporary Response: • CORE 310-19: Advanced Reformed Thought • CORE 399: Calling, Task, and Culture

29. Connections • Meeting students’ needs: a goal-based, flexible program • Focus: the common areas of life • Co-Curricular links • CORE 100 • CORE 399 (GEN 300) • Other

30. Curricular/Co-Curricular • Creating the Academic Partnership: • What is the role and task of staff? • What does the partnership look like? • Where are the connection points in the Core for Co-Curricular engagement?

31. Defining the Partnership • Creating collaboration through structure: • Residence Life/Academic Skills Center • Counseling Services/Psychology Department • Campus Health/Nursing Department • Institutional Committee Assignments • Career Services/Academic Departments • Campus Ministries/Athletics • Student Services Staff/Admissions • Career Services/Advancement

32. Co-Educators or Partners? • Supporting Academic Programs • Retention Council • Academic Alert Process • Residence Life/Academic Skills Center • Career Services • Evaluating ‘educational programs’ • Residence Life • Student Activities • Campus Ministries • Campus Health/Counseling

33. Connection Points With the CORE • Community Block Schedule • First Monday Speakers Series • Core 100 • Core 399 (Gen 300) • Chapel • Core 100 • Residence Life, Campus Ministries, Discipleship Groups, Athletics • Third Monday Advising with Departments • Service Learning • Core 100 • Student Symposium

34. Conclusion / Questions