2023 Institute on Teaching and Learning for Campus-wide Interfaith Excellence

About the Institute

The ever-increasing diversity of the United States means that we regularly encounter religious differences in our everyday lives. American citizens have a choice of how to respond to this unprecedented diversity in our communities and nation. Rather than allowing apathy or intolerance to define the future of our democracy, we can choose to engage each other to build bridges across lines of difference. American colleges and universities have a unique role and responsibility to help our fellow citizens explore how to embrace our many differences while maintaining a common life together. Colleges and universities bring people together across lines of religious difference through curricular, co-curricular, and community engagement opportunities. As such, campuses serve as both a laboratory and a model for how diverse societies can thrive, as well as a launching pad for the next generation of leaders who can transform these diverse experiences into engaged and productive pluralism.

The 2023 Virtual Institute on Teaching and Learning for Campus-wide Interfaith Excellence (IIE), in tandem with AAC&U’s Institute on Engaged and Integrative Learning, will prepare college and university leaders to transform their campuses into model environments for interfaith cooperation. The Institute is an opportunity for campuses to develop context-specific plans for integrating interfaith cooperation in sustainable and far-reaching ways in order to cultivate new generations of civic interfaith leaders. Over the course of this virtual four-day Institute, campus teams will meet with a faculty advisor, attend sessions relevant to their campus project, meet as a team to develop a context-specific action plan, and consult with experts on pressing issues. Campus teams also attend a one-day pre-Institute workshop, where they can connect as a cohort, begin the conversation about why interfaith cooperation is mission-critical on campus, and learn how to get the most out of the Institute.

Through the generous support of the Lilly Endowment Inc. all costs are covered for the 2023 Institute and pre-Institute workshop participants. In addition, accepted campuses will be eligible for a $3,000 grant to implement their action plans in the year following the Institute. After the Institute, campus teams will continue to receive guidance from Interfaith America and AAC&U and will connect with the broader network of institutions that have participated in previous Institutes.

Who Should Attend?

The Institute is designed for senior-level administrators, faculty, and staff who are leading change to deepen, strengthen, and expand campus-wide engagement with religious diversity and interfaith cooperation. Campuses are asked to bring a team of five people including at least one senior academic officer and one faculty member. Key administrative leaders are essential for accomplishing broad-based educational reform on campus. Networks of engaged chairs and faculty can help sustain this reform. Teams are also encouraged to include additional individuals from faculty development, student affairs, or assessment offices.

Questions may be directed to Shauna Morin at [email protected]