Quaker Higher Education QHE a Publication of Friends Association for Higher Education

Quaker Higher Education QHE A Publication of Friends Association for Higher Education

Volume 4: Issue 2 November, 2010

This issue of QHE explores the theme to briefly introduce the Academy. At introduced in the first article, faithful last June’s Annual FAHE Conference, lives. Mike Heller and Deborah Shaw Diego was one of our featured, plenary deftly set the stage by sharing excerpts speakers. We were uplifted by the and insights from the workshops that inspiring story of his evolution from at- they presented last year, at Woodbrooke risk street youth, to AFSC organizer, and William Penn University, on the Harvard MBA graduate, computer lives of John Woolman and Thomas entrepreneur and founder of one of the Kelly. nation’s most successful programs for underprepared community college Mike Moyer follows providing us with a students. The Academy for College glimpse of his Quaker Values course at Excellence “lights a fire within” its William Penn University. In the course students and launches them on their Mike emphasizes the life of former academic journeys armed with new AFSC Executive Director and William confidence in their abilities. Penn graduate, Clarence Pickett, as a model of faithfulness. As you will see, Once again, it has been a pleasure Mikes own faithful commitment to sharing our contributing authors’ stories Quaker values is also apparent. with you. As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome. The third article vividly illustrates a faithful, spirit-led commitment to Submissions: QHE is published twice a alleviating the high levels of stress year, in the spring and the fall. Articles experienced by graduate students at the submitted for possible publication University of Warwick’s new medical should be sent as Word documents to: school. Gill Grimshaw explains how, [email protected] . Since QHE is in spite of intractable family challenges, not wed to any particular referencing she persevered in developing support format, you may use the professional systems for the medical students. As a style of your choice. If you would like to result, she too was transformed. discuss an idea that you have for an article, my telephone number is: 860- The final article describes the 768-4186. In case you want to send a remarkable product resulting from hardcopy, my address is: Donn another faithful journey. With Diego Weinholtz, Department of Educational Navarro’s permission, I have excerpted Leadership, University of Hartford, 223 portions of Cabrillo College’s Academy Auerbach Hall, 200 Bloomfield Ave., for College Excellence website in order West Hartford, CT 06117.

Woolman and Kelly: Faithful Lives

Mike Heller and Deborah Shaw Roanoke College Guilford College

In designing courses or coming up with this became a turning point after which retreat themes, it seems useful to think his life's work changed and deepened. about what we are most interested in as We identified the aspiration of returning well as what might be of interest and to our institutions or our daily lives with useful to others. For a retreat at a renewed sense of what it means to be Woodbrooke and a workshop for the faithful to our spiritual gifts. Each Friends Association for Higher evening in epilogue at Woodbrooke, we Education annual conference, we emphasized with participants our daily decided to offer “Woolman and Kelly: practices as the center of how we live Faithful Lives.” John Woolman and out a life of faith. We also made our Thomas Kelly are much admired for concluding session a time of worship out their faithful lives, even beyond the of which we invited people to speak to Society of Friends. We see them as the question "What Does It Mean to Live models for exploring these questions: a Faithful Life?" As one Woodbrooke • How can we learn from John participant expressed it, we seek a Woolman’s and Thomas Kelly’s practice of presence in everyday life. lives to engage with the spirit in our own lives? The beginning questions in our retreat • What does it mean to live a faithful were "Where are you now? What brings life? you here? " People shared a wide range of experiences, and we felt moved by Embedded in these overarching queries their honest sharing. One of the are further questions about service, participants shared how she was in the Quaker testimonies, simplicity, and how beginning stages of Alzheimer's disease, we respond to students and colleagues. and she wanted us to know that she does We wanted to approach this not do well with numbers if we asked experientially through worship, people to count off for discussion corporate and individual reflection, and groups. She spoke throughout the retreat journal writing and sharing. The with insight and gentleness that touched beginning place for us, that we feel all of us. Toward the end of the retreat almost everyone can identify with, is in she spoke of how we are called, with the struggles of our own lives. John childlike radiance, to be rather than to Woolman becomes all the more do. inspiring when we see how he struggled to accomplish what he felt called to do We structured the retreat around stages and how he drew upon the inward of life. We began each session with experience of the Spirit to guide him quiet worship. In the second session through difficulties. Perhaps more than "Childhood-Young Adult Journey," Woolman, Thomas Kelly went through Mike asked people to write in their an extremely dark time in his life, but journals a brief statement on each of

these questions, and then to choose one In another session, from Kelly's life we and write more: "How did your father focused on two letters to his wife Lael influence your spiritual journey? How and excerpts of his writing compiled in did your mother influence your spiritual Sanctuary of the Soul. In one of the journey? What was an early memory of letters to Lael, Kelly begins by saying “I awareness of social injustice? When did have never had such a soul-overturning you first speak in Quaker worship? Who summer or period such as this. He helped you find a song for life?" The speaks of having an ‘amazing series of first two questions about fathers and “openings” and experiences’ amongst mothers raised such painful memories those struggling in 1938 Germany, “men for some that it felt as if the room and women who have stirred me with temperature dropped twenty degrees. their Christlikeness or their simple trust We were in a kind of vortex of swirling or their deep insights or their intuitive emotions. Perhaps we should have not flashes” (17-18). Visiting Germany, jumped into such questions so soon or during a period when Nazism was prepared people better before asking nearing the height of its power, Kelly them to write on these questions. We was moved by seeing the human spirit in saw what was happening, and the face of oppression. This experience fortunately, Deborah threw a life-line to contributed greatly to his finding his those who needed it. We slowly proper path. regained our footing and Mike ended up not being entirely exiled by the group. These passages helped us consider the theme "Our Journeys—Way Opening." In another session, looking at Here we asked participants to enter into Woolman's and Kelly's lives, we talked "paired listening" in which they about how we all face difficulties in life. responded to the question "When was a We called this session, "Falling Apart: time when you experienced the way Life Changing Events," and used this opening with respect to a choice, a focus as a way to recover from the decision, a discernment?" For follow-up turmoil of the previous session. evening homework (contemplation or Drawing from the spiritual journey as journal writing), we asked them to think described in studies of myth and about this question: "How have you ex- mysticism, we talked about how we each perienced spiritual accompaniment: experience entering the dark forest and mentors, elders, companions?" must find our way to the other side. In a passage from "A Plea for the Poor," We talked about how we come out of Woolman writes that, "To labour for an crises in our lives. In Woolman's establishment in divine love where the Journal, chapter 12, there is the passage mind is disentangled from the power of about his sickness and his dream of darkness is the great business of man's merging in a murky cloud with suffering life" (249-50). As we talked about how humanity (185-87). As one participant we make our way through the difficult observed, Woolman was so low then, times in our lives, one participant disappearing into the great mass of observed that we surrender to that place, humanity, that he finally becomes even with a smile into the dark. accessible. We talked about the great crisis in Kelly’s life when he faced not

being allowed to complete his We talked about "Struggling to Be dissertation at Harvard. Heard" and we posed the questions: "How Has the Spirit Prospered with Friends in the retreat raised perceptive You? What does thankfulness have to questions about how Woolman do with the faithful life?" For consciously shaped the life story in his homework that evening, we asked Journal, and we talked about the people to think about what they are implications of that conscious shaping of doing to take care of the self. one’s own narrative. His Journal gives us the portrayal of a man who has great In our shorter version of the retreat, empathy and imagination, a man who is presented as a workshop at the Friends utterly believable. Beyond that literary Association for Higher Education annual achievement, the shaping of the Journal conference, we examined Woolman's also becomes an act of faith – partly as statement that "The true felicity of man an expression of trust in the reader’s in this life, and that which is to come, is ability to feel and understand and partly in being inwardly united to the fountain as an extension of ministry through the of universal love and bliss. . ." (249). sharing of his experience with his We asked people to write in response to community. “What rises up for you? How do you envision or imagine ‘being united to the We talked about "Simplicity: What Are fountain of universal love,’ as you You Called to Do?" and drew upon consider your work/ministry in your quotations from Caroline Whitmire's college or university?” Plain Living: A Quaker Path to Simplicity. We found useful Richard From Kelly's writing, we read out loud Gregg’s quotation from a conversation this passage: he had with Gandhi in which he, There is a way of ordering our Richard, was counseled to “Only give up mental life on more than one level at a thing when you want some other once. On one level we may be condition so much that the thing no thinking, discussing, seeing, longer has any attraction for you, or calculating, meeting all the demands when it seems to interfere with that of external affairs. But deep within, which is more greatly desired” (25). We behind the scenes, at a profounder could see examples of that course in level, we may also be in prayer and Woolman’s and Kelly’s lives. We adoration, song and worship and a discussed the connections between gentle receptiveness to divine Kelly’s “Holy Obedience” and breathings. . . . “Simplicity.” One participant observed Between the two levels is fruitful that Woolman speaks to us across the interplay, but ever the accent must be centuries as a man who made sacrifices upon the deeper level, where the soul little by little, living out of the center. ever dwells in the presence of the And another participant observed that Holy One. For the religious [person] this simplicity is not in giving up or in is forever bringing all affairs of the sacrifice or in bravery, but rather in first level down into the Light, making a choice to do something else, holding them there in the Presence, and this becomes a spiritual maturity. re-seeing them and the whole of the

world of men [and women] and institutions is a kind of "advanced things in a new and overturning way, work." We are showing students a and responding to them in threshold that we are beckoning them to spontaneous, incisive and simple cross. ways of love and faith. Facts remain facts, when brought into the Presence Works Cited in the deeper level, but their value, their significance, is wholly Kelly, Thomas R. The Sanctuary of the realigned. (A Testament of Devotion Soul: Selected Writings of Thomas Kelly. 35-36) Nashville, TN: Upper Room Books, 1997. In response to these paragraphs, we asked participants to write and respond Kelly, Thomas R. A Testament of to this question: “As you listen to Devotion. New York, NY: Harper & Thomas Kelly's words how do you Row Publishers, 1941. imagine working/ministering in and through that fruitful interplay?” Whitmire, Catherine. Plain Living: A Quaker Path to Simplicity. Novato, CA: One participant at Woodbrooke observed Sorbin Books, 2001. that Woolman and Kelly offer us two ways: in Woolman we see the steady, Woolman, John. The Journal and Major stone by stone submission to the cross, Essays of John Woolman. Ed. Phillips and in Kelly we see a glorious P. Moulton. 1971. Richmond, IN: blossoming – the calling is to love. In Friends United Press, 1989. the Woodbrooke retreat and the FAHE workshop, we came away strengthened in our sense that what we do in our

* * * * * * * * * * FAHE Annual Conference Bryn Mawr College June 16-19, 2011

Living Our Heritage: Seeking Equality Through Education

Access the Call for Papers at: http://www.earlham.edu/~fahe/current %20conference.htm (If this link fails to work, cut and paste the address into your browser.)

Teaching About Faithfulness in Penn 400: Clarence Pickett and Quaker Values at William Penn University

Mike Moyer William Penn University

“The future looms large, with problems room, Penn 400 is Penn Hall’s largest and possibilities.” --Clarence Pickett, in classroom. Before Spencer Chapel was his first annual report with College Ave built in 1923, Penn 400 must have Friends Church, Oskaloosa, Iowa served the meeting needs for the small William Penn College community as Another section of Quaker Values is well as for lecture space. In times past, about to begin in Penn 400. Thirty plus Penn 400 also served co-curricular students are scattered among the narrow, needs of the student body as a small old style wooden theater seats that have theater for showing movies (carefully served their purpose for almost a selected I’m sure). During my 19-year century. Some students complain about tenure at William Penn University, Penn the number of stairs required to make it 400 has been utilized for monthly faculty to class. I smile. In my welcome I often meetings and weekly voluntary chapel say, “Of all the classrooms in Penn Hall, services. It is now showing its age, but this classroom, my friends, is by far my as I’ve already indicated, Penn 400 favorite.” remains my favorite place to teach.

Penn 400 is unique among the I like Penn 400 for several reasons. Its classrooms in Penn Hall built in 1917. spacious lecture floor allows ample Situated centrally on the top floor, Penn freedom to move as I teach. With a 400, as it is now known, is the only small, hand-held blue-tooth device I can classroom space on fourth floor. advance my powerpoint slides onto the Students gain access to the classroom white screen behind me while moving from a long hall on either side of the about. And I like that large white screen. auditorium. With its 150 seats arranged The lecture bullet points are easily seen, in ascending decks on three sides of the and any video I use is more engaging

and enjoyable. Also, the seating the upper tiers of the classroom, to arrangement provides the feeling of choose for the second day of class a seat being in a small amphitheater, making it no higher than the seating on my left and possible to move toward students both right. That condition still gives students on my left and right as well as in front of good choice of seating while opportunity me. Thus, I have a feeling of is afforded for establishing a classroom connectedness with my students unlike environment conducive to dialogue and in other classrooms. I feel free and discussion. I covet such an atmosphere, energized as nowhere else when I teach for inevitably a certain number of in Penn 400. students come to this required course with “feet...creeping slow to school” This is a good thing because Penn 400 is (Greenleaf, “In School Days”). where I teach most of my LDRS 290: Quaker Values classes. William Penn Most of our students know that William University requires every graduate to Penn was a Quaker and associate him take this specific course, which is an with Pennsylvania; most would element of the Leadership Core recognize the stylized image on the curriculum established in 1996. The Quaker Oats box, but few initially know course obtained even greater relevance what that image and association with last year as the Board of Trustees Quakers imply. Some students come to endorsed a revised mission statement the course thinking the subject matter stating that: William Penn University will be primarily about religion or provides the opportunity for an history and, frankly, are not all that educational experience with a focus on enthused. So, I say to them in the leadership, technology, and the Quaker introductory session, “Quaker Values principles of simplicity, peacemaking, does address religion and history in integrity, community, and equality. relation to the people called Quakers, but it is just as much about you and your Every year about one fourth of the total values as it is about Quaker values.” number of students enrolled in the William Penn traditional, undergraduate In the first or second class, I show a ten college program will take this course. minute video segment of Edward R. Not all of these students will graduate, Murrow’s “Person to Person” national but all who take the course are television program that aired April 1, challenged to consider their own values, 1954. On that program Murrow, seated to probe their own life goals, and, I trust, in the television studio, interviewed to appreciate the significant role Quakers Clarence and Lilly Picket live from their have made to our culture and to the home near the Haverford College world at large. campus. At the time of the airing, Clarence was in retirement as Executive Although Penn 400 can accommodate a Secretary of the American Friends larger number of students, the structure Service Committee, a position he held and time-frame of the course dictate that for 25 years. The friendly laid-back the sections be limited to about 30 interview directly or indirectly highlights students. So, on the first day of a new each of the four values I will emphasize section of LDRS 290 I ask those in the course (equality, simplicity, students who initially seat themselves in peacemaking, and social justice).

I also show the video because Clarence Clarence refused to participate in buying and Lilly (Peckham) Pickett are among war bonds. Subsequently, the Meeting’s the most distinguished Quaker alumni of parsonage was defaced with large William Penn University (Clarence, slashes of yellow paint in the form of 1910; Lilly, 1909); I want my students crosses. Throughout, Clarence to know that real people living out the rearranged the Sunday schedule in order values we will cover in class have had to spend time with the young men of real impact for real good. I want my Penn College in discussion about the students to reflect upon the truth that the decisions they faced regarding the war. pursuit of our own happiness is Later, after leaving Oskaloosa, Clarence inextricably linked to the pursuit of worked with the Young Friends happiness of our local and global Movement during his professorship at neighbors. Inspired by the example of Earlham College. This, along with all of Clarence Pickett, my goal for the his prior experiences prepared him for students I meet semester after semester his incredible fruitful ministry with the in Penn 400 is, as Clarence once wrote, American Friends Service Committee. to nourish and stimulate “an abiding faith in the power of the good to In my Quaker Values class, while overcome evil, to live in that way of discussing the value of peacemaking, I loving service for which we all most project upon the white screen a deeply yearn.” statement attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt: “When will our consciences While attending a lecture given by Rufus grow so tender that we will act to Jones, Clarence Pickett heard Jones say, prevent human misery rather than “What we need to make religion prevail avenge it?” My comments include is a band of young men and women reference to the fact that Clarence was a ready to give up their lives for a real, likely source of inspiration behind Ms genuine religion.” For the balance of his Roosevelt’s statement. Biographer life Clarence sought to fulfill this Lawrence Miller (Witness for Humanity) challenge for himself and to challenge noted that “Clarence was in and out of others, especially young people, to do the White House during the Roosevelt the same. For Clarence, genuine religion presidency over one hundred and fifty involved application of the principles of times.” Jesus to world problems. I am no Rufus Jones, but I hope my students will hear a Clarence and Lilly could not have similar challenge from me. attended classes in the present Penn Hall as the original Penn College burned The space allotted here does not allow down in May of 1916. So, neither me to flesh out Clarence’s full story, but Clarence nor Lilly would have here are some key details. The local personally sat as students in the once Quaker meeting, College Avenue grand desk chairs of Penn 400. However, Friends, recorded Clarence as a minister seven years after graduation from Penn of the gospel on April 1, 1912. After College, on September 16, 1917, seminary and a pastorate in Canada, Clarence delivered his first sermon from Clarence returned to pastor College Ave the pulpit of College Ave Friends Friends; where in spite of pressure from Meeting. Clarence and Lilly must have the Oskaloosa Ministerial Association, been pleased to see the rapid progress of

the new college buildings rising from the would like to see the Endowment grow ashes in a new location just a few blocks so that more grant requests may be north of College Ave Friends Meeting. funded each year. The trustees are And Clarence likely had occasion to be becoming aware that exciting things are in Penn 400, as he was very active with happening among Young Friends these the students. He may even have lectured days, and the Pickett Endowment wishes from the floor to gathered students; I do to encourage these developments just as not know. But we do know that he spoke we are convinced Clarence Pickett on campus for a chapel service in April would have. 1954, and that his proud alma mater awarded Clarence a honorary Doctorate A second goal relates to Penn 400. This in Humane Letters in 1960. past spring marked the 100th anniversary of Clarence Pickett’s For several years, I have represented graduation, and the Pickett Endowment William Penn University as a member of trustees have discussed finding ways to the Board of Trustees of The Clarence publicly recognize the Picketts and their and Lilly Pickett Endowment for Quaker contributions. Would it not be Leadership. I currently serve as the appropriate to renovate Penn 400, that Board’s Coordinator. The primary goal unique space in William Penn of the Pickett Endowment is to honor the University’s Penn Hall where hundreds Pickett’s legacy by nourishing Quaker of students become acquainted - most for leadership. Each year for the past 19 the first time - with the models and years, the Pickett Endowment has made ideals of the Quaker movement, in honor grants mostly to Young Friends who, to of Clarence and Lilly Pickett? use Clarence Pickett’s own words, “desire to partake of life exactly where it Note:Please visit the Pickett Endowment [is] most necessitous and difficult, and website (which you can access at: who, in addition, [want] to give study http://pickettendowment.quaker.org/ ) to and thought to the significance of such review those who have received past experiences” (Pickett, Clarence. For grants and what their projects entailed. More Than Bread, 361). This year, nine Quaker young people were awarded Nominations for 2011 grants are now grants totaling $16,000. Since 1994, over being received and can be made online. 90 individuals have received Pickett A brief Penn 400 powerpoint slide show Endowment grants. is also available for viewing from the website. As Coordinator of the Pickett Endowment, I have two goals--each shared by the board of trustees. First, I

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Just Do It: Transforming Student Support Systems at a New Medical School

Gill M Grimshaw University of Warwick, UK

This paper arose from a workshop that I helped to set up for my students presented at the 2010 FAHE Conference, and the influences on me that led to the theme of which the was Teaching these systems. and Mentoring. Context The juxtaposition of teaching and mentoring in the conference title is The experience that I share here interesting as the two words appear, at occurred within a new, graduate entry first sight, to be opposites. A stereotype only, UK Medical School1. At the point of teaching in higher education is the systems described were designed the lecturing; fulfilling the old joke about Medical School had been open for knowledge going from the notebook of around four years. We had taken in our the teacher to the notebook of the first cohort of 67 students exactly one student without passing through the year after receiving the government brain of either. Conversely, mentoring is contract, using a curriculum “shared” stereotyped as the passing on of the with another local medical school. ways and values of one's institution to Three years later, around 2004, we had the next generation through one-to-one increased our annual intake to 200, had engagement. Naturally, these stereotypes around 800 students, and were slowly contain kernels of truth, but my separating from our shared curriculum, understanding of the theme of the especially for the first three, classroom conference was that we were concerned based semesters. At the end of these with transformation: transformative, and first classroom-based semesters, students experiential learning and personal had to pass a qualifying exam to proceed development and that we were to the next phase and could be asked to discussing this specifically in the context leave if retakes of the examination were of ourselves as teachers relating to our failed. students. Concern was growing for the whole student body as colleagues and other It should be stated up front that one of students were reporting extraordinary my own core values is that no-one student stress levels. Absences for should enter the field of transformative learning and personal development without being willing to put effort and 1 In the UK it is more usual to start medical energy into their own development first. training at 18 years old, as an undergraduate Only after transformation is experienced straight from school. A strong predictor of success at UK medical schools remains high can it be used for students, my performance at end of schooling exams. interpretation of “love thy neighbor as Some graduate entry medical students thyself”. Thus, this paper cannot escape undertook another first degree because of being a deep intertwining of the systems failure to gain entry to Medical School at age 18.

sickness were at unacceptable levels, sustainable. As my child's disease centralized university support services proved increasingly intractable, I started including the Counseling Service, retraining as a Professional Mentor Welfare Service and Health Services intending to leave academe and start my were notifying us of overload from our own coaching practice. However, the students. In one month, over half their more I learned about transformational referrals were from our 3% of students learning within this training, the more it registered with the university. Even became clear I was being given tools to more worrying was increasing academic influence the lives of my current failure rates which were reaching students in the Medical School. I stayed. unacceptable levels. The initial, ad-hoc effort to address these problems This paper describes some of the involved quickly introducing a personal structures and processes put in place at tutoring system, but without supporting our medical school, as well as the structures and processes personal tutors reasoning and philosophy that informed were challenged in their efforts to offer the design. A metaphor for what support to students and conflicting follows is that, shown in Figure 1, of a practices among tutors became a further small chunk of a double helix. One risk. A more systematic approach was strand of the helix is the overall clearly needed. curriculum. This paper relates to the small chunk that defines student support For me personally this had also become systems. This chunk includes learning a challenging time. One of our children support, pastoral support and care was developing a severe mental illness structures, academic and professional (the film Beautiful Minds is a true development and remediation for “at representation of our experience albeit risk” students. Some of the systems and with a child rather than a parent) and this processes stand alone; others are deeply was impacting on my home and work embedded in other parts of the life. As the strain developed, my curriculum as adjunct learning, but are previously compensated dyslexia started recognized as contributing to to impact my capacity for work and my transformative learning and managed life as an academic seemed to be non- therefore as part of Student Support Systems.

Figure 1

If one small chunk of the strand is what provide clear discrimination about happens for our students while they are academic performance, but are less with us, the adjacent small chunk of the reliable when it comes to attitudes and helix is what was happening for me that behaviors. informed the design of the system. Importantly as in all genes, there are In the UK we have traditionally taken linkages between the two strands and students into medical education at 18 this paper will describe four of these years old. The curriculum that, at linkages, shown in Figure 1, how these Warwick, we “shared” was designed for linkages influenced the design and some this age group. Yet the literature on of the lessons that were learned. identity development is clear, the psychological processes relating to Identity identity development are not the same at 18 years old as those at 21 years old 6;7. It is now well accepted that students At 18 years old, students are learn how to “become” doctors not just subconsciously seeking and using (and as knowledge and skills based activity, rejecting) role models as their main form but also through a processes of of identity development. The day-to-day professionalization. As students they encounter with practicing doctors have been described as proto- enables them to be challenged to balance professionals 1 and even at entry to their what they see through the media with training standards of attitude, their own experience. Indeed, the by- performance and behavior are expected. day example of their teachers and more But how are our students to know what experienced peers can be highly these expectations are and how are they influential and serves to challenge other, formed? At some level we expect this more romantic notions gained from the knowledge of the identity “doctor” to be media. pre-formed; especially as our students have made a positive choice, at great For older students the situation is personal cost in terms of workload and somewhat different. Evidence suggests commitment as well as financially and that between 18 and 21 people try on emotionally, to get to Medical School. many different identities, but that after But we haven't necessarily asked 21 years self confidence and life ourselves where the information to form knowledge grows and identity becomes the identity has come from, what firmer and more assured. Consider then memes2 are our students using 2;3? our students who had learned about the Closer enquiry suggests that television behavior and attitudes of the practice of and cinematic characters appear to be medicine from the media; had indeed crucial in identity formation despite the formed part of their identity based on the sober and thoughtful publications put out characters thus portrayed without the by our professional associations and challenge of teachers and peers; without higher education institutions4;5. the balance offered by other's Additionally, selection processes are assessments of these images. Consider the effect of challenges to these students’ 8 2 Whereas a gene is a unit for transmission of world views. Not only are we saying biological data a meme can be regarded as a unit “It isn't how you thought it was, you are of cultural information.

mistaken in your understanding” we are professors and later peers have the also challenging at a much deeper level, power to define whether individuals are their newly formed identities. fit to practice. From our perspective, we Potentially, by challenging students, we want them to learn about the nature of were precipitating existential crisis professional authority and develop their rather than transformation. own, including the skill of making self- judgments about when they are (and To help any student, especially a importantly are not) fit to practice. stressed or failing student, requires us to challenge the student as well as offer In many walks of life mentoring has care; challenge is intrinsic to our roles of been used as a most useful means of teachers and mentors. However, our transmitting memes. However, duty of care requires us to differentiate mentoring is time consuming and stress of identity crisis from stress of requires training. Few faculty have time workload. The response to each is very given research and teaching pressures. different and requires different skills to Peer mentoring requires us to be sure form new understandings. Furthermore, that the peer mentor is transmitting the work on identity development cannot be right meme, not counter cultural done when examination stresses are information and thus even peer present, even if as tutors we first learn of mentoring is time-consuming in terms of problems during examination periods. training. To find appropriate means of We have to develop ways of working helping our students develop their with our students that allows time to personal authority requires us to explore support identity development, at the nature of this authority ourselves. appropriate stages. To recognize this as important is the necessary step, as once During my own training, I was we are aware of the issue it naturally can introduced to a model of authority that become part of our overall working had been used to describe our own practice. Our response as teachers and authority to minister in a Quaker mentors is to become aware of how far context. 9 This model, presented below we require our students to transform in Figure 2, uses the term “power” to their identity (and what impact this has describe the sense of having the on them) and how well we equip faculty authority to act: and design our curriculum to meet this challenge. Power Within: A sense of personal power, authority and Authority and Influence confidence, ministry;

Our ability to challenge our students is Power Over: Those people or related to their perception and systems that regulate control or expectation of us as the bearers of influence our activities; authority and influence. They perceive us to have positions of power over them. Power With: Those we work In the case of professional practice, with and form influential and medicine and social services, education mutually beneficial relationships

Figure 2: Where do you get your authority?

I found these ideas useful at many levels examples of professional practice and and adapted the model itself to enable work out the domain in which the me to articulate the areas of development clinician needs development. that contributed to the notion of “a Caricatures are useful here, the arrogant professional”3. For Quakers the process clinician with an overwhelming sense of is one we know as discernment 10. In power over, the poor communicator with expressing the components of a seriously reduced power with (not to professionalism in this way it is possible mention the dismayed clients of this type to see more clearly what parts of the of practitioner), the old stager who has curriculum could be used to articulate not kept up to date and is losing the the concepts to students. Additionally, power within. A second example is this model shows how assisting the using the model to show how their development of identity can be a responsibilities will change over the continuous process of micro-episodes years with different emphases and how and adjustments as well as targeted they will themselves move into positions learning episodes11. of power over and how this has to be continuously balanced with other circles. Two examples illustrate this way of I write here only of my way of using this expressing being professional; Role model as a tool to reveal how and where models are crucial in transformational action could be taken within my learning and identity development. 12 I curriculum. ask students to find particularly bad

3 Astute readers will notice that there is a connection here from the origins of the word “profession” as one who has professed in the monastic sense.

This model gave students the framework Executive Coaching. Coaching and to identify and make sense of day to day mentoring should be focused on micro-learning episodes and enabled me encouraging and supporting students to to articulate complex notions to both change their meanings and their students and colleagues. Several points perspectives14;15. Readiness for this type emerge; of learning is a crucial consideration and Δ the model is dynamic as different not all students will be in the same place areas will and can develop at at the same time; life experience, current different times; mood and pressures all contribute to the Δ personal responsibility for need for an individual learning path. In development is clarified rather general this would imply individual than just seeming overwhelming; tuition as the best approach, but Δ the notion of balancing different pragmatically this is unlikely in most of aspects of the complex whole is our institutions except in the most expressed, limited cases. We expected students to Δ using the Venn Diagram helps to undertake exercises and show us a show how interlinked all these Personal Development File without notions are and how the being prescriptive about the exercises individual needs to find a undertaken. These exercises and resolution of all the pieces to suggestions were provided on an produce a whole, eLearning platform. Δ the fear of failure to perceive unwritten rules is answered - However, there are key times for “they know what IT is but aren’t reflection, particularly when the entire telling me”, “the conspiracy is cohort is making some important that they expect me to find out transition, for example a change in without telling me”, semester or assessment time, especially if there is a failure. In implementing Δ the overlaps are interesting as, 16 for example, the grey shaded area Personal Development Planning into can be used to illustrate the skill the curriculum we imposed Self Reflection and Personal Learning of presenting expert knowledge 17 to a client in simple language Planning at times of transition . Students who were “at risk” either for Learning from Coaching Practice personal crises or assessment crises were mandated to produce a learning plan as The means by which we engage with part of their commitment to self- students is important in transformational regulation. Another opportunity was learning and the training and coaching taken during induction to group working to do a personal learning style industry is an important source of tools 18 and practices. The evidence base for assessment and time preference and coaching and mentoring is developing13 share these with the group as a and tutors in Higher Education are mechanism for setting group ground already familiar with some aspects of rules. Other tools such as “Crucial coaching practice, albeit not the formal Incident Analysis” (for example: and intensive methods used within (http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/sigevent/ )

and on-line personality inventories (e.g. potentially developing, values-based http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgiwin/J complex systems22. Based on Chaos Types2.asp) are made available for Theory and developed by a psychologist personal use. We were guided in our and a physicist this model attempted to choice of personal development tools by define the essential components of the activities that will have to be systems capable of building spiritual undertaken for re-validation19 as capital. From my perspective as a registered professionals (see 20 for a UK Quaker, I could perceive a connection example). Systems were designed to between transformation and the personal provide a three step process, over 5 development of spiritual capital even if years; (1) Years 1 and 2: learn what that presented certain challenges in personal development is about and explaining it to my colleagues. introduction to revalidation methods, (2) Years 3 and 4: practice in a safe The first two columns in Table 1 shows environment with feedback, and (3) the components of complex adaptive Years 5 onwards; do it. systems that Zohar and Marshall argue can support development of Spiritual Spiritual Capital Intelligence. In the final column I have noted many of the components of our Throughout this narrative I have been at own system and how these fit in to the pains to make clear my views that any Zohar and Marshall model. In system that is developed to support summarizing all the components within students is necessarily complex. The our curriculum that contributed to pace of learning of professionalism transformation, two important aspects cannot be forced and this is the real presented themselves. First, there was challenge for an education system that is quite a lot happening already but not in a structured to assess at prescribed recognized or formally structured way. intervals in a formal manner. How do With the addition of relatively small we help our students who are not as interventions, designed to focus the predisposed as 18 years olds who have a student and make explicit what was greater capacity to mop up what we give implicit from a teacher’s perspective, we them like sponges? already had some crucial parts of the system. Second, there were various I found the answer in an unexpected approaches to modeling professionalism, place. Familiar with the debates around tutoring, coaching and mentoring that IQ and Emotional Intelligence I looked could be embraced rather than at a third proposition that extended eliminated by training designed to level “notions of intelligence” to include not the playing field. As long as we shared a just intellect and emotion but also common philosophy and values, this values.21 Values are currently much variety enabled our students to find the debated in medicine and much is written resources they personally needed. about teaching values. The Spiritual Capital Model seemed to present a means of articulating, and hence

Table 1: Components of a complex system to develop Spiritual Intelligence

Characteristics of Zohar and Marshall Development of Professionalism complex adaptive 12 qualities and Student Support Systems systems − Learning styles assessment − Time Preference Assessment − Structured Personal Learning Planning Developing Self Self-organizing − Portfolio work over three semesters awareness − Communications training − Feedback from clinical sessions − Training in giving feedback − Student support system designed around “safe development of identity” − Challenges in safe environment with feedback systems Bounded instability Spontaneity − Structured support for transitions − Open access tutor system − Group working support − Making systems overt − Introducing conflict management such as mediation − Transparency of assessment Being vision and − Clearly stated professional values Emergent value led − Supporting development of student culture − Structures to include students in all formal committees that do not directly involve assessment − Signed Student Agreement setting out expectations − Welcoming comments and responding to student feedback positively − Showing where feedback has changed systems

− Not trying to make one-size fits all especially in Celebrating diversity tutoring, welcoming different approaches Adaptive − Safeguarding different approaches with clearly

stated norms (bottom lines)

− Allowing students to exchange tutors where relationships break down − Tertiary system to act as safety net when

relationships break down − Consciously mapping whole curriculum so we are aware where all elements of transformative Holistic Holism learning and support for transformation occur − Train all staff, especially Clerical Staff to recognize and respond to distress

− Encouraging role modeling of behaviors − Support for failure − Exit Interviews and allowing access to university Compassionate systems such as Careers Service after termination of

Registration for a limited time − Allowing opportunity to debrief tough clinical experiences Evolutionary − Strategies to increase self affirmation when Mutations − negative events occur such as clinical error

Humility − Encouraging open environment and culture where these behaviors can be shown by faculty − Colleagues willing to challenge colleagues, peer systems demonstrated by staff Sense of vocation − Open discussion of vocational aspects of training − Overt altruistic commitment of staff − Safe place to experimentation with personal approaches − Protected confidentiality − Self reporting possible to Fitness to Practice and Academic Progress Committees Destroyed by outside Field independence control − Personal support made available for students going to Fitness to Practice, Examination Boards or Appeals − Reduce unnecessary assessment, consider increasing formative assessment − Welcome and make opportunity for depth of engagement in processes Tendency to ask − Encourage student societies Exploratory fundamental “why?”

questions − Welcome questions that challenge establishment − Develop forum for discussion and dissent that use “Quaker Methods” of discourse. Positive use of Re-contextualizing − Transformative methods where possible adversity − Systems that allow perception of progress other than Order out of chaos Ability to reframe pure academic progress − Recognition of achievement of personal goals

Table 1 is complex, as I have tried to informal and formal measures already in demonstrate the variety of components place. The strength of using the Zohar that were present to help our own and Marshall Model is that it helps students. In mapping these components reframe what is already being done, in this way I hope I have demonstrated places value on elements that we might that although we think we may need to not otherwise perceive as valuable, put formal measures in place to develop gives a structure and means of assessing transformational systems for our balance when innovating and aids students, it is worth first exploring all the communication. For example, while

trying to write training material for have dropped. We have had fewer tutors the Model helped reframe the problems finding people willing to be issue of the diversity of approaches our Personal Tutors and Self-Reflections and teachers had available for students. Personal Development Portfolios are Whereas we had worried that, with 20 been used. Personally, I became used to tutors, we could not produce a uniform the knock on my office door and the experience for students across the head popped round with the question cohort, we began to celebrate the fact “have you a minute” that led to a that there was so much variety and find challenging discussion. My colleagues ways of exposing difference as a positive report similar conversations including learning experience for students. Our students seeking to check out whether attitudes as curriculum managers began their perceptions of negative events were to shift, since perceiving where correct. Sadly, this doesn’t work for all difference fitted in as part of the students; many want certainty and are complex adaptive system enabled us to uncomfortable with our desire to guide be more confident and discriminatory them towards complexity and self- about where we did need to intervene regulation. At least for these students with staff training or one-to-one staff transparency can help reduce the sense development. It is, of course, an act of that there is a hidden agenda. faith that this approach will continue to add to the net welfare of everyone At the heart of this paper is the question, involved in a curriculum, but at the very “What can I bring as a Quaker to a least it offers a values-based framework Higher Education environment?” I hope to explore what actually happens within this has given some encouragement, but your curriculum. I want to leave the final words to Grace Jantzen, an extremely well regarded UK academic. In her introduction to the biography of Julian of Norwich23 she Conclusions reflects what a medieval anchorite would look like in our time: This has been a narrative of a personal and professional journey. The key If the purpose of a post-modern messages that emerge are clearly anchoress is to discern death- focused on my own desire to live dealing structures and practices holistically as a Quaker, blurring the of modernity and to be open to boundaries between my personal life and ways of new life and flourishing, my professional life. then she will indeed be a comfort for her own griefs, but a comfort The obvious question is: Did this which enables her to turn approach work? There are few answers, towards rather than away from but some important indicators are that the needs of the world. While at our Student Satifaction scores improved, one level the life of the post the University Services reported that modern anchoress is deeply referrals were now at levels comparable hidden, perhaps even more with our departments and still falling. hidden than in the fourteenth Additionally, our academic failure rates century when they were an

acknowledged part of society, (4) Nicholson S. 'So you row, do you? this is the very antithesis of You don't look like a rower.' An private spirituality that turns account of medical students' away from the world to some safe experience of sexism. Med Educ unengaged cocoon. The very 2002; 36(11):1057-1063. withdrawal is, paradoxically, a (5) Kunnen E, Bosma H, Van Halen P, commitment to engagement. And Van der Meulen M. A self- again, the possibilities of self- organizational approach to identity deception and the risk that one and emotions:an overview and will do no good are ever present. implications. In: Bosma H, Yet unless the risks are taken Kunnen E, editors. Identity and who will be in the place of vision Emotion: Development through in post modernity? self-organisation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2005. Julian of Norwich: Mystic and 202-230. theologian. Grace Jantzen, 2000 (6) Apter T. The myth of maturity. I suggest we turn towards our own New York: WW Norton; 2001. situations and have the confidence to (7) Levinson D. The seasons of a believe in our own authority, developed man's life. New York: Random in Meeting, to use the skills of listening, House; 1979. discernment and “truth speaking to power”. If Zohar and Marshall point out (8) Ginsburg S, Regehr G, Lingard L. how we might add to spiritual capital To be and not to be: the paradox of within our institutions, Grace Janzten the emerging professional stance. speaks of the link between our Medical Education 37(4):350-7, engagement within Meeting for Worship 2003. and our role as teachers and mentors; we (9) Zhekov Y. The Rise of can indeed become post-modern Hierarchical Leadership. Evangel- anchorites. We may have to be “deeply ical Theological Seminary, Osijek; hidden,” but if it is your ministry - Just 2005. Do it. 10) Loring P. Spiritual Discernment: Reference List The Context And Goal Of (1) Hilton SR, Slotnick HB. Proto- Clearness Committees. 1992. professionalism: how professional- Pendle Hill Pamphlet. ization occurs across the (11) Jones WS, Hanson JL, Longacre continuum of medical education. JL. An intentional modeling Med Educ 2005; 39(1):58-65. process to teach professional (2) Csikszentmihalyi M. Introduction. behavior: students' clinical The Evolving Self. New York: observations of preceptors. Teach HarperCollins; 1994. xiii-xvii. Learn Med 2004; 16(3):264-269. (3) Blackmore S. Meme, Myself, I. (12) Davies E. Clinical role modelling: New Scientist 1999; 2177:40. uncovering hidden knowledge. Journal of Advanced Nursing 1993; 18:627-636.

(13) Grant AM. Evidence-based students. International Journal of coaching: Flourishing or Behavioral Development 2010; languishing? 2007. 34(3):238-247. (14) Boyd RD, Myers JG. (19) Irvine D. Standards and Transformative Education. 1988. revalidation or recertification. Ann Acad Med Singapore 2004; (15) Mezirow J. Transformative 33(6):715-719. learning: Theory to practice. 1997. (20) Revalidation. Royal College of (16) Jennings SF. Personal General Practitioners 2010. development plans and self- Accessed 24-9-2010. directed learning for healthcare professionals: are they evidence (21) King D. Personal Meaning based? 2007. Production as a component of spiritual intelligence. 2010. (17) Murdoch-Eaton D. Reflective practice skills in undergraduates. (22) Zohar D, Marshall I. Spiritual Academic Medicine 77(7):734, Capital. London: Bloomsbury; 2002. 2004. (18) Luyckx K, Lens W, Smits I, (23) Jantzen G. Julian of Norwich: Goossens L. Time perspective and Mystic and theologian. London: identity formation: Short-term SPCK; 1987. xxii. longitudinal dynamics in college

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The Program That “Lights the Fire Within” Excerpted from The Academy for College Excellence Website: http://academyforcollegeexcellence.org/

Rapid Results are a critical aspect of the Editor’s note: The Academy for College Academy for College Excellence (ACE) Excellence, located within Cabrillo design. Furthermore, the full-time, first College, is a carefully researched and semester community college program meticulously designed program growing has proven results. ACE targets the out of Diego Navarro’s own experiences needs of underprepared students, while as an “at-risk” youth. His time spent at equipping them to succeed in the Young Friends Retreats provided the technology-driven, twenty-first century transformative experiences that served economy. A highly collaborative as the inspiration for the Academy. enterprise that teaches teamwork and Through all stages of his work with the personal responsibility, the ACE Academy, Diego has been supported by approach also promotes individual self- an Anchor Group from his Monthly exploration, self-improvement, and Meeting. – D.W. persistence. The result is a transformational learning experience The Academy’s Mission is to give unlike what is currently available at underprepared community college community colleges. students the opportunity to improve their lives by helping them develop the Meeting the Demand for Knowledge academic qualifications, professional Professionals is central to ACE’s focus. skills, and personal attributes necessary The world’s economy is increasingly to succeed. The students “bridge” into driven by digital technologies and there regular community college courses via a is a growing demand for knowledge full-time, semester-long transformative professionals with college degrees or learning environment focused on certificates. The ACE curriculum addresses this need by teaching effective academics and self-efficacy. The communication skills and basic Academy aims to increase the number of computer skills, as well as leadership students who emerge from community and management techniques. ACE college prepared for a knowledge-work students leave community college professional career with a future. equipped with the essential knowledge,

technical skills, and credentials needed Our Story for a professional career. A Desire to Serve: The idea for the Lighting the Fire for Learning is what Academy for College Excellence (ACE) ACE is all about. Typically, under- was born in 1999 as founder Diego prepared students did not thrive in James Navarro sought to leave the high- traditional classrooms and have a history tech industry for a more personally of low academic achievement. ACE’s rewarding career. He wanted to return to transformative learning environment his roots as a community organizer, and allows students to reclaim their help people transcend poverty through educational experience and create a new education. vision of what learning can be. The ACE methodology & curriculum facilitates a The Beginning: In 2002, Diego deeper connection between educators interviewed 125 experts in the country and students, while awakening students' who worked with young adults, desires to learn. and reviewed 36 curricula. He used research and process design methods We Create Effective Students. The he’d learned while a researcher at behaviors that are needed for success are Hewlett-Packard labs to assess the needs front and center in an ACE classroom, of underprepared youth and to design a and are made explicit to students. ACE program that would transform them into builds student potential by teaching: successful community college students. He held five pilots with nine of the • accurate self-efficacy curricula to determine the elements that • self-motivation would make the program most effective. • mature behavior With each pilot the curricula was • self-awareness reviewed and improved based on student • personal goal setting feedback. This research took over a year and a half. Each pilot included different With higher retention rates than the elements of the two-week intensive that average community college student begins the ACE semester (the population and improved academic Foundation Course). success for students, ACE has proven remarkably effective. To learn more Working with an outstanding team of about the effectiveness of ACE, read a faculty including Sue Nerton, Marcy summary of a study published by Alancraig, Deborah Shulman and Regina Columbia University’s Community DeCosse, Diego refined and combined College Research Center. program elements to develop a specialized curriculum from which the Our Vision is to partner with community first student cohort was taught in the fall colleges across the nation, serving of 2003 at the Cabrillo College center in underprepared students with a wide Watsonville, California. Diego decided range of developmental needs to to call it the Digital Bridge Academy increase their certificate, degree, and (DBA), since the idea was to help transfer completion rates. students bridge the digital divide as a solution to poverty. The target student population was underprepared Latino

students in a rural, agricultural with projected expansion continuing to community. Cabrillo College continued 10 cohorts per semester in the fall 2010. to run one cohort per semester at its Likewise, Hartnell College has rapidly Watsonville Center through spring 2008. expanded to seven cohorts in spring 2010, with another 7 planned for fall First Partnerships: In fall 2006, 2010. Some of the cohorts attempt to three other northern California accelerate students through the English community colleges ran student cohorts: developmental sequence, while others Las Positas College (Livermore, CA), leverage ACE curriculum to enhance College of Alameda (Alameda, CA) and Career Technical Education (CTE) Merritt College (Oakland, CA). These programs. partnerships proved that the program curriculum was effective with urban Name Change: We were initially students from diverse backgrounds. Las known as the Digital Bridge Academy. Positas College continues to run one As the vision of national expansion ACE cohort every fall semester, with a became a more concrete reality, the need focus on learning disabled students. for a name that better described our mission became strong. In the winter of Expansion: In fall 2008, Cabrillo 2010, we changed our name to the College increased the number of cohorts Academy for College Excellence (ACE). at its Watsonville Center to two, and expanded the program to its main To view a video introduction to the campus in Aptos, California. During this Academy for College Excellence go to: same semester, Hartnell College (Salinas, CA) and Berkeley City College http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSlih (Berkeley, CA) began the ACE program ol8cOE&feature=player_embedded at their colleges.

Since this time ACE at Cabrillo College has grown to six cohorts per semester,

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