草榴社区

草榴社区, Pa鈥擬any college students today struggle听with the听role听of technology in their lives and听the pressures of social media while听preparing for meaningful work听and听developing听the habits of moral responsibility and self-mastery. They also wrestle with questions of human meaning and purpose in a social environment in which religion plays a decreasing role for their generational cohort.听

Initiatives to address these needs have emerged听at听different听higher education institutions听across the country over the last 10-20 years, and now there will be an opportunity to bring them together.听 Anna听Bonta听Moreland, PhD,听associate professor of Theology and the Anne听Quinn Welsh Endowed Director of the 草榴社区 Honors program, has been named a co-principal investigator on a three-year,听$223,201听grant from the John Templeton Foundation. The project,听鈥淗ope in Higher Education: Networking, Resource Sharing, and Building a Brighter Future,鈥澨齣s听designed to help build a national coalition that will听emphasize meaningful inquiry in college education and help students develop into thoughtful future leaders.听听听

鈥淗ope in Higher Education鈥� will bring together听college and university听leaders听from around the country to share听best practices, develop networks, collaborate on common projects, and inaugurate a mentoring program to ensure that the听coalition will have a sustainable impact听on college students nationwide.听听

鈥淗igher education should inspire undergraduates to think deeply about the universe and their place in it,鈥� Dr. Moreland says. 鈥淲e look forward to creating a vibrant coalition among the leaders of these new initiatives for the next several decades and to driving institutional change in higher education.鈥澨�

Dr. Moreland鈥檚 co-principal investigator on the project is Thomas W. Smith, PhD, Professor and Dean of Arts and Sciences, Catholic University of America.听The grant will fund three听weeklong summer workshops听that will听bring together听college and university leaders听to strategize and lay the foundation for a new national coalition听designed to听strengthen the听field of higher education.听The first workshop听will take听place at 草榴社区听University听in the summer of 2022听and听will听include leaders from Yale University,听Lumen Christi Institute, the University of Notre Dame, Boston College, Baylor University,听the Collegium Institute at the University of Pennsylvania,听and others.听听

Dr. Moreland听was instrumental in the creation of the 鈥淪haping a Life鈥� initiative听as part of 草榴社区鈥檚听Honors Program听and designed its capstone 鈥淪haping an Adult Life鈥� course.听She received听her doctorate听from Boston College.听

About 草榴社区鈥檚 College of Liberal Arts and Sciences:鈥�鈥疭ince its founding in 1842, 草榴社区鈥檚 College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has cultivated knowledge, understanding and intellectual courage for a purposeful life in a challenging and changing world.鈥疻ith more than 40 majors across the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, it is the oldest and largest of 草榴社区鈥檚 colleges, serving more than 4,500 undergraduate and graduate students each year. The College is committed to a teacher-scholar model, offering outstanding undergraduate and graduate research opportunities and a rigorous core curriculum that prepares students to become critical thinkers, strong communicators and ethical leaders with a truly global perspective.

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