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Wild Hope Project ~ Exploring Vocaton at PLU

Project Activites

Specific Categories of Activity~

Wild Hope Project: 2003-2007

To Challenge the university to grapple with "vocation" in an intellectually rich and world-engaged context:

Curricular enhancement
  • Service-learning course development (2 per year, 2004-07)
  • Service-learning workshops for faculty (1-2 per year, 2003-07)
  • Mini-sabbaticals for faculty service-learning projects (1 per year, 2004-07)
  • Development of disciplinary "gateway" and "vocation of leadership" courses (2-3 per year, 2005-07)
  • Student/faculty research on communities, congregations, and civic life (2-3 projects per year, 2004-07)
  • "Returner" reflection groups for students returning from off-campus study (2-6 per year, 2004-07)

Visiting speakers, artists, and mentors

  • Global activists and artists of popular culture (2-3 per year, 2004-07; usually very well-known persons)
  • Community activists and exceptional pastors (2-3 per year, 2004-07)
  • Role models in the disciplines and professions (2 per year, 2004-07 - 8 total)
  • Mentor-in-residence (1 per year, 2004-07; usually from previous categories, for a longer stay)
  • Recent alumi/ae with exceptional experience (at least 1 per year, 2003-07

To nurture students toward the formation of meaning and purpose in their lives ("vocation")
  • Revised new student orientation (2004-07), including first-year student orientation retreat
  • Expanded numbers of 1-credit "vocation advising" courses (2-4 per year, beginning 2004)
  • A societally and intellectually engaged "ministry exploration" group for students considering
  • full-time ministry
  • Increased personnel support in Academic Advising, Career Development, and Campus Minsitry

To cultivate the foundation of PLU's faculty and staff to meet the challenge of nurturing vocation:

Workshops to deepen and broaden competence in critical and theological reflection
  • For faculty and administrators facilitating student groups (e.g., the "returner" reflection groups)
  • For faculty teaching courses enhanced through the project (service-learning, "gateway," etc.; 2004-07)
  • For RA's and other students in leadership roles (annual, 2004-07)
  • For administrators and staff in critical roles affecting students (annual, 2004-07)
  • For faculty, regarding religious commitments in the classroom (annual, 2004-07)

Intensive study seminars
  • For faculty (year-long, 2 per year beginning January 2004; 8 faculty per seminar)
  • For administors and staff (semester-long, 2004 and 2006; 10-12 per seminar)

Other faculty development activites
  • Orientation of new faculty (annual, 2004-07)
  • Retreat for faculty advisers (annual, 2004-07)
World Conversations
Photo by Jordan Hartman
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