Assessment Case Studies

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Assessment Case Studies Assessment Case Studies to accompany An Assessment Workbook for Roman Catholic Seminaries A collaborative project between The Seminary Department of the National Catholic Educational Association and The Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools Revised July 2018 Table of Contents Preface ........................................................................................................................................... 2 INTELLECTUAL FORMATION ............................................................................................. 3 Mount Angel Seminary ................................................................................................................. 4 Mundelein Seminary ................................................................................................................... 15 Oblate School of Theology ......................................................................................................... 24 HUMAN FORMATION ........................................................................................................... 46 St. John’s Seminary (Collegeville, MN) ..................................................................................... 47 St. Joseph’s Seminary and College ............................................................................................. 60 Mount St. Mary’s Seminary ........................................................................................................ 77 SPIRITUAL FORMATION ..................................................................................................... 83 Pontifical College Josephinum .................................................................................................... 84 Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology ........................................................... 91 St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary .................................................................................... 101 PASTORAL FORMATION ................................................................................................... 105 Notre Dame Seminary Graduate School of Theology .............................................................. 106 St. John’s Seminary (Camarillo, CA)........................................................................................ 135 St. Peter’s Seminary .................................................................................................................. 142 1 Preface This collection of case studies is offered as a companion to An Assessment Workbook for Roman Catholic Seminaries (available on the ATS website), and is the result of a multi-year project completed by members of the Seminary Department of the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) in collaboration with The Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS/COA). These case studies represent the ideas and efforts of individual schools, in conversation with their peers, and each one shares real life practices that these particular schools have found to be effective. Rather than being models that all schools should follow, these case studies are offered as examples that can help other seminaries imagine how to implement effective assessment strategies in their own settings, as well as how to think deeply and in an integrative way about the assessment of student learning more broadly. It should also be noted that these case studies have not been significantly edited beyond the initial work of the project, other than to remove information that might identify individual students. In addition to An Assessment Workbook for Roman Catholic Seminaries, we would encourage that these case studies be read alongside other ATS/COA resources (such as A Reflective Guide to Effective Assessment of Student Learning, published as chapter seven of the Commission’s Self-Study Handbook) and interpreted in light of the ATS Commission Standards as well as the unique mission and context of each individual school. Schools that have questions about the appropriateness or applicability of any of these tools for their own contexts are encouraged to consult with their ATS Commission staff liaison (as listed on the ATS website). Deep gratitude is expressed to each of the participating schools who have so graciously shared their assessment tools and strategies here. Thanks are also due to Msgr. Jeremiah McCarthy, Rev. Mark Latcovich, and Dr. Sebastian Mahfood for their significant work coordinating this project, as well as to all of the members of the project panel (listed at the conclusion of the companion Workbook) and to consulting editor Dr. Emily Kahm. This project was made possible by the generous support of the Lilly Endowment. For all the participants in this significant project, we express our thanks. 2 INTELLECTUAL FORMATION 3 Mount Angel Seminary History and Location The history of Mount Angel Seminary is intimately tied to that of its parent institution, Mount Angel Abbey. The abbey was founded in 1882, when a small group of Benedictine monks from Engelberg, Switzerland arrived in Oregon to found an abbey similar to the one they had left behind. They settled on a large hill at the edge of the Willamette Valley, built their monastery, and continued their ancient tradition of work and prayer. One of those works was a school. The monks opened their first school in 1887, under the name of Mount Angel College. In 1889, Archbishop William H. Gross, CSsR, of the then Archdiocese of Oregon City (now Portland in Oregon) asked the monks to establish a seminary in conjunction with their college. Since that time, while the college was eventually closed, Mount Angel Seminary has operated continuously, educating and forming thousands of priests for service in dioceses and religious communities across the nation and around the world. Although the primary mission of the seminary is still the education and formation of candidates for the Roman Catholic priesthood, the graduate school is open to qualified lay students who are looking for an excellent theological education in preparation for some aspect of ministry within the Church. Mission Statement Mount Angel Seminary, an apostolate of the Benedictine monks of Mount Angel Abbey, is a school whose primary purpose is the human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation of men for the Roman Catholic priesthood. The Seminary is comprised of a Graduate School of Theology, and a College of Liberal Arts, and, for seminarians requiring additional preparation to enter the Graduate School, a Pre-Theology program. In addition, the Graduate School of Theology offers theological education to qualified laymen and women. The Seminary’s programs adhere to the norms established by the Holy See and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as stated in the Program of Priestly Formation. Demographics Mount Angel Seminary currently has 27 full-time and 24 part-time faculty and staff members. The student body typically includes around 150 seminarians from 25 sending dioceses and a half dozen religious communities. Reflecting the Church in the West, the student body is culturally diverse, including seminarians from Central and South America, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Pacific Islands. This year, approximately 20% of the diocesan seminarians are international students on student (F-1) visas, most of whom are non-native English speakers. Intellectual Formation In describing intellectual formation in Graduate Theology programs, the Program of Priestly Formation (PPF) states simply that “intellectual formation in the seminary program centers on theology as a search for an ever deeper knowledge of the divine mysteries.” (PPF, 163) It states further that “intellectual formation through the study of theology enables priests to contemplate, share, and communicate the mysteries of faith with others.” (PPF, 164) Given this standard, Mount Angel’s institutional goal for intellectual formation on the graduate level is “to provide for graduate students a theological education that covers the range of Christian doctrine so that, theologically informed and solidly grounded in the Catholic tradition, they 4 can teach, preach and celebrate with knowledge and skill in ordained and other ecclesial ministries.” (Mount Angel Seminary Catalog, p. 11) In the Graduate School of Theology, the “search for an ever deeper knowledge of the divine mysteries” centers on communion ecclesiology as the foundation and unifying factor of the theological curriculum. There are two degree programs within the Graduate School: the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and the Master of Arts (MA). Each degree has clear program objectives. The outcomes of the Master of Divinity degree are stated in the seminary catalog: • The student can articulate the Catholic faith in a clear and appropriate manner. • The student engages in theological reflection as a means of integrating intellectual formation with spiritual, pastoral, and human formation. • The student manifests skills necessary for effective pastoral ministry. • The student holds himself accountable to exhibit skills in written and oral communication for academic and pastoral effectiveness. Outcomes and Measurement The two outcomes that we focus on for this project are: • The student engages in theological reflection as a means of integrating intellectual formation with spiritual, pastoral, and human formation. • The student holds himself accountable to exhibit skills in written and oral communication for
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