We believe that the best way to learn the art of leadership is not merely through the obtaining and executing of good information and technique but through embodiment 鈥� entering into the wild drama and dance of pursuing life with one another on behalf of others. Each of you brings a richness of vision, ability, and desire. Embracing the fullness of who you are, we invite you to participate and to create on behalf of 天美视频 community. Student life at 天美视频 is a living collage reflecting the vision, interests, passions, and personalities of our students!

Student Groups at 天美视频 are peer-facilitated communities designed to connect and resource students in relation to their shared interests or identities. There will be opportunities for our new students to begin getting connected to student groups during Community Weekend and Fall Residency.

Underrepresented student groups are spaces wherein students gather with others who share similar experiences and perspectives related to underrepresentation around their culture and/or identity. We know that it can be costly and exhausting to engage in contexts where one is underrepresented. Student group gatherings offer space for processing, conversation, and deepening connections. These groups expand students鈥� network of support, help students to grow their capacity to learn and thrive in relation to their culture or identity, and provide resources for engaging in learning spaces and future professional contexts. We currently have the following three groups BIPOC Student Group (centers underrepresentation around race/ethnicity); LGBTQIA+ Student Group (centers underrepresentation related to sexual orientation and/or gender identity); and Access (connects students who have neurodiversities, disabilities and/or chronic pain).We are currently looking for students interested in joining the student facilitation teams for these three groups. If you would like to get involved, contact Becca (rshirley@theseattleschool.edu).

Interest-based student groups allow students to cultivate connections based on shared areas of interest. These groups ebb and flow depending on student desire and capacity. We currently have one active interest-based student group called Sage, which gathers students who are returning to school later in life, after a long time away, often while caring for their families or aging parents. Examples of interest groups from the past include an Artists鈥� Council, Lit (student print publication), and Eagle & Child for Theology students.

Student Leadership is a team of students who volunteer to serve the student body as a whole, and meet on a weekly basis. This team is not elected, but open to all who have a heart to serve and to cultivate community together. Our mission is to foster student engagement in our learning community by facilitating collaboration, conversation, and mutuality among students, staff, and faculty. We practice active listening, turning towards one another, and cultivating trust and belonging in all our shared spaces. We seek to recruit a diverse team that represents as much of the student body as possible. Student Leadership hosts seasonal gatherings like Fall Vespers and Community Dinners, and engage ad hoc projects in collaboration with the other student group leaders, faculty, and the Student Services team throughout the year. . Anyone interested in joining Student Leadership can do so at two points in the year: in August, and in January. The initial term of commitment is one academic year from the month during which one has started. For more conversation about student leadership, email studentleadership@theseattleschool.edu or at Becca (rshirley@theseattleschool.edu).

Read more about Student Groups and Student Leaderships here.

The Student Leadership team is eager to meet you and we are planning some fun opportunities for students to get to know one another during Community Week and Fall Residency September 10-13! Look for us in the blue t-shirts around campus on September 10!

The post Student Life at 天美视频 appeared first on 天美视频 of Theology & Psychology.

But how do we orient and connect when students and classmates are joining at different times, from different places, with diverse backgrounds, cultures, and identities, and with varying degrees of ease related to technology and access?

These questions have shaped much of our work within the Student & Academic Services team (SAS) in recent months and years. If you are a new student at 天美视频, I would imagine that questions like these have shaped your experience as well. Some of you in the 2024 cohort started taking classes this winter or spring. Others have just enrolled and are figuring out how to access student email and wondering where to get textbooks. Some have begun connecting during our monthly summer zoom coffee or happy hours. And some are also supporting children starting school while you prepare to start school yourself. Wherever you are today, however you are feeling about starting classes in September, we are here for you. We value your presence, our relationship with you, and the ways you will shape this learning community.

For many years we’ve held a tradition of asking our incoming cohort to reflect on who they are as they begin their degree program, and to introduce themselves creatively using a simple sheet of paper. This non-graded “Who Am I?” assignment is a way of collectively representing the people, perspectives, and stories that make up your incoming cohort.

During the fall term, we hang these compositions in an art installation in our Community Gallery on the 3rd floor of the school building. Afterward, we gather these pages into a portfolio and archive them alongside nearly two decades of cohorts who have participated in this assignment. We return to these portfolios every year as we are sending our graduating cohort, inviting them to look back at the person they were when they started, and to see the host of alumni that surround them as a great cloud of witnesses. These pages are a cherished part of our community鈥檚 story.

How to complete the Who Am I? assignment:

New students, here is your task: Using any media of your choice, answer the question Who are you? We invite you to consider three categories as you reflect and introduce yourself through this assignment: Who are you as an embodied listener, a meaning maker, and a community healer?

You may be as creative as you’d like: collage, paint, sketch, color, write a poem, a song, a story, include your picture or a picture of those people, places, or things you love. . . or don’t. In the case of a song or poem you are free to make an audio recording of yourself but please also prepare an image that connects to it, whether it is the lyrics or some other visual representation of you that can hang with the collection in the third-floor gallery

This assignment is due on September 11th. Bring it with you when you come to campus for Part 2 of New Student Orientation. We will spend some time sharing these pieces with one another that afternoon. We will then hang the visual pieces in the third-floor gallery for you to see and interact with when you come to campus. And, after the fall term, we will gather and keep these pieces in the portfolio archives alongside past cohorts.

If you have questions about this assignment, feel free to post them in the discussion in the Frameworks & Intersections group in Populi or email me directly at rshirley@theseattleschool.edu.

For a bit of inspiration, we鈥檝e included a smattering of Who Am I? pages from past cohorts below.

The post Your First Assignment appeared first on 天美视频 of Theology & Psychology.

The role of Instructional Assistant at 天美视频 is somewhat different from what you may have encountered as Teaching Assistants in other academic contexts. All of our IAs hold Master鈥檚 degrees from 天美视频 or similar programs, and are practitioners at various stages within their chosen fields. Instructional Assistants work with faculty to ensure that you get the most out of your learning experience. They provide feedback on papers, are available to meet for office hours, and periodically teach and facilitate classroom interaction. Moreover, we ask IAs to bring their experience as former students and as practitioners in their current vocational contexts into all they do here at 天美视频. Instructional Assistants are dedicated to your growth and development as students and are eager to walk alongside you in this journey. Get used to seeking them out! They are here for you.

Today we’d love to spotlight two of the IAs who are working specifically in First-Year courses this fall (see below). And while we move quickly towards the start of the academic year, on behalf of all of the instructional staff here at 天美视频, we can鈥檛 wait to engage with you in the classroom soon.

Chris Curia (he/they)

Welcome, new students! I look forward to getting to know you more personally once the academic year begins. But first, I wanted to introduce myself here, extend my congratulations, and offer my best wishes for embarking on this next chapter in your professional journey. Having completed the MACP program in 2023 and the MATC-Community Development track in 2024, I am a recent 天美视频 graduate and know what it is like to begin such an undertaking. I commend you for leaping!

As an alumnus, I credit many aspects of my formation at this small, beautiful, complicated graduate school for how my life looks today. Apart from my role on the Instructional Staff team, I am a psychotherapist based in downtown Seattle and a commissioner on an advisory board with the City of Seattle. I am proud of my academic and personal work and the questions about belonging, equity, justice, identity, and liberation I wrestled with throughout my graduate years that have followed me into my career. As such, I returned to 天美视频 as an Instructional Assistant because of my belief that your graduate student years can be just as formative if you let them. So, it is my joy to come alongside you in whatever that journey will hold. I wish you all the best and plenty of rest in the weeks ahead, and I look forward to our work together this academic year!

Jessalyn Jackson (She/Her)

Welcome! My name is Jessalyn. I am looking forward to another academic year filled with the highs and lows of learning and self-discovery and supporting you along the way. I graduated with a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Northwest University across the pond in Kirkland in 2019. Since then, I鈥檝e worked in a community mental health setting for about three years before transitioning to private practice. The emphasis on reflection and depth work at 天美视频 has had a profound impact on my personal and professional life. Because personal growth is a journey that never ends, I encourage you to engage in the work authentically and with curiosity and see where it takes you. Practice embodied self-compassion as you are seemingly inundated with knowledge and information. You will find that once your time here is done, you鈥檝e retained more than you think. Finally, enjoy connecting with your colleagues! You each have a wealth of knowledge, perspectives, and unique understanding to contribute that is invaluable. When I鈥檓 not a therapist, I’m a wife and mom to an 8th month old boy (Graham). I enjoy design, sports, and used to like going to the movies. I look forward to meeting you!

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What will my school week look like?

This is one of our most frequently asked questions, and understandably so. 天美视频 is designed to be a full-time graduate institution, meaning classes (for both low-residency and on-campus students) typically take place during the week between the hours of 9:00am and 7:00pm Pacific, so it鈥檚 rarely feasible to work a typical full-time, 9am-5pm schedule (30-40 hours) while being a student full-time (7-10 credit hours).听

With that said, we try (as much as possible) to provide consistency in the schedule. . Required classes take place Mondays-Wednesdays and electives are offered throughout the week. Some electives are offered in the typical weekly meeting format and others are offered as intensives.Due to intensives and lab-style courses, there will be听 some variance in the days you have classes, but the bulk of your required core-content area classes can be completed in two days per week..听

How many hours a week do students typically work?

Many students work a flexible part-time job between 15-20 hours a week while studying full-time. Some students also choose to work more hours per week and take fewer credits per term. What works best for you will depend on your study habits, class schedule, family commitments, and other factors.听

What else should you know when considering what job will work best for you?听

• Graduate studies in general require a significant investment of time and energy. Graduate studies at 天美视频 invite a level of academic and emotional engagement that increases this investment of time and energy. Be kind to yourself and wise as you explore your own capacity for this work.
• 天美视频 has a trimester system. Fall Term is September through mid-December, Winter Term is January through March, and Spring Term is late-April through mid-June.

A word about volunteering and other commitments听

Adjusting to the work-load of grad school is difficult and both of our degree programs require either an internship or field experience in their final year. For students who regularly volunteer, coach, engage in lay ministry, or manage one or more side-hustles, it鈥檚 important to seriously weigh what you may need to say 鈥渘o鈥� to while you are prioritizing juggling work and being a student. While it may be possible to keep doing all the things while you are in school, it is likely not possible to do them all well.听

What jobs most often work best for students at 天美视频?

There are a few types of jobs common to 天美视频 students. We recommend reflecting on the impact of the type of work you choose as it relates to your emotional, social, physical, and financial health. Some students feel energized working with kids as a nanny, while others prefer having more independent work online.

Nannying

For those of you who love children or might have baby-whisperer skills, nannying is a job with flexible hours and good pay. Here are some ways to find nannying gigs:

• There are websites where you can upload your resume and search for openings. Families can also search for you. Think LinkedIn for nannying.
• There are also respectable nanny agencies that hire you to represent their agency, pair you with a compatible family, and manage pay, time off, problems, etc. For Seattle residents,
• is also a great place to look for job openings. Alumni will often advertise there for their kids鈥� nannies.
• Word of mouth! Amidst this relational work, it seems like people who nanny almost always know of at least one family who has asked them for referrals.听

Work Study

天美视频 does have federal work study positions in multiple departments, including in admissions, the Allender Center, and the front desk (which requires on-campus presence). Open positions will be posted on our Current Openings page later this summer. Here is the important information to know:

• First, once your financial aid has been awarded,听 find out if your financial aid package qualifies you for work study funding. Our Student Financial Services Coordinator, Ligaya Avila, can tell you all about this.
• Second, read the newsletter, which you will begin receiving in your 天美视频 gmail inbox once you enroll. It鈥檚 good to get in the habit of doing that anyway, as the newsletter is the primary way work study jobs at the school get advertised鈥攁long with all the other important community information!
• Third, you can apply for openings just as you would any other job. Fill out the application form (sometimes you have to send an email to request it) and email your resume and cover letter.

Part-Time Jobs with Insurance

For students in Seattle, here are some local companies that offer insurance to part-time employees. Usually they require that you work a certain number of hours, such as an average of 21-25 per week. It depends on the company, so don鈥檛 be afraid to ask.

• Starbucks
• 尝辞飞别鈥檚
• REI
• Trader Joe鈥檚

Also, some companies consider you full-time and offer benefits if you work a minimum of 30-32 hours. Most students find that to be too much to accomplish on top of school, but there are some who do it.

The Restaurant Industry

Waiting tables can offer good paychecks in the city. In Seattle, for example, servers make minimum wage鈥�$21.30+ an hour or more, depending on the company鈥攑lus tips.听

Ministry and Counseling Jobs

If you鈥檙e looking to find employment in the industry you hope to work in upon graduation, you鈥檙e not alone. often has postings from social service agencies, mental health hospitals, and churches, even from around the country. Depending on your previous experience or education, some of these may be a great fit. Mental hospitals and agencies occasionally need on-call staff or overnight workers, and some students have found this to be a schedule that works for them.

With church jobs, depending on your financial situation, this may or may not be enough financial support during this season. Of course, that varies depending on placement.听

Administrative Jobs

Some people like to do temp work because they can say yes when they鈥檙e available and no when they鈥檙e not. Also, it鈥檚 possible to find administrative positions that are part-time at churches, businesses, and in the public sector.

Self-Employed

• In Seattle: For those of you daring enough to try and start a business while attending graduate school, by Jenny MacLeod is a great resource. It鈥檚 also worth a read if you already own your own business and want some advice on how to succeed setting up shop in the Emerald City. Buy it wherever books are sold, or check out our copy from 天美视频鈥檚 Library once you get your student account!
• Other resources for starting your own business:

Remote Work听

For those of you not planning a move to Seattle, or for any who prefer the convenience of working from home, check out:

• This features 65 different places to find and land remote work!听 听

Gyms / Fitness / Dance / Yoga Studio Front Desk听

A wonderful part-time opportunity might be working for fitness studios. Gyms, fitness, dance, or yoga studios are often busy outside of business hours such as early mornings, evenings, or weekends鈥搈aking it conducive for working while navigating daily class schedules. Students have sometimes received perks for these jobs, for example, free or discounted classes at the studios they work for, and the supportive, community-based ethos and empowerment of these communities could be just the space to unwind while not in the classroom.听

How do people find jobs?

Here are the most helpful job searching resources we鈥檝e found.

Internally

• : This is the 天美视频 online notice board. You can find housing, employment, and classified notices here (you can also post them!). All you need to access this page is your personal 鈥淍theseattleschool.edu鈥� email address.

Externally

• : (AWC) is a private, nonprofit, non-partisan corporation that represents Washington鈥檚 cities and towns. The AWC Jobnet board posts various types of positions with Washington cities and towns.
• : An online community for eco-minded jobseekers and employers.
• : Believe it or not, this is a great resource for job openings (Craigslist also has a map search feature that allows you to search for work within specific geographical locations).
• : Find opportunities at more than 25,000 nonprofit and community organizations in 153 countries.
• : It鈥檚 the most popular and most visited job site in the Northwest! Based in Portland, Oregon, Jobdango was built to serve the people of Oregon and Washington.
• : A service of The Seattle Times Company, representing the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
• : The official site for federal jobs and employment information. Search by agency, location, or job type functions.
• : A local job board from a joint venture of organizations dedicated to addressing Washington State鈥檚 employment needs.

Temp Agencies

• : Serves Pacific Northwest companies who are seeking qualified employees in the customer service, office administration, accounting, human resources, and sales fields.
• : Express Employment Professionals makes it easy鈥攚hether you鈥檙e looking for work tomorrow, a job next week, or a career move for the rest of your life. Once they get to know you, they match your skills to client opportunities. The rest is up to you.

We hope these will be some helpful resources as you discern and explore your options for working as a student!

The post Working While In School appeared first on 天美视频 of Theology & Psychology.

Dr. Paul Hoard is a licensed counselor, clinical supervisor, and psychoanalytic psychotherapist who holds a doctoral degree in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University. A 鈥渢hird culture kid,鈥� he was raised in Ankara, Turkey and has provided mental health counseling and clinical supervision in the United States, Ukraine, and Turkey. His research and scholarly work primarily focuses on the intersection of perpetration trauma, Lacanian psychoanalytic theory, eucontamination, white-body supremacy, and board games. Links to his work can be found on his substack at

Dr. Hoard teaches courses focused on Lacanian psychoanalytic theory, play, helping relationships, and social and cultural diversities.

What are you currently reading?

Conversations with Lacan by Sergio Benvenuto
Christian Atheism by Slavoj Zizek
Who鈥檚 Afraid of Gender by Judith Bulter
Disorganisation and Sex by Jamieson Webster

What have you been listening to lately?

Not much. I have a few random playlists that I cycle through depending on my mood. Most recently I鈥檝e been enjoying Frank Turner鈥檚 latest album.

What research do you find yourself drawn to at the moment?

I am currently writing a book with my sister, Willa (Billie) on our concept of eucontamination (contamination for good) for Cascade Books. We are looking at Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life through a eucontamination lens wherein each of those (way, truth, and life) are seen as contaminating vectors for good. I am also working on projects around the nature of play and board games in particular through the lens of Lacanian psychoanalytic theory as well as a project on the nature of discourse and identification in the Academy today.

Any exciting summer plans?

I will be presenting at Wild Goose with my sister this summer on eucontamination.

If you could have dinner with any person, dead or alive, who would they be?

Nasreddin Hoca

If you weren鈥檛 in your current profession, you鈥檇 be鈥�?

Classic rock radio morning show host or board game designer.

Who is your literary or living hero?

Gandalf

The post Faculty Friday: Dr. Paul Hoard appeared first on 天美视频 of Theology & Psychology.

What do you need in order to be present?

While previously the idea of being relationally connected to people virtually was unimaginable, it is more and more a part of our lives. As you are entering into this learning community where significant parts of your studies will be done online (even if you are in the on campus modality!), consider what you need in order to be present both with yourself and others. Here are some points for your consideration:

• How will you prepare to be present?
  • Create rituals or a space that helps you 鈥済et in the zone鈥�.

E.g. Light a candle before you start class.

• Create a study space that fits your body in an ergonomic way to support your participation over long hours.

• How will you deal with zoom and screen fatigue?
  • Find a way to connect with nature.

E.g. Find a spot to sit that it near a window, so you can give your eyes and imagination breaks from the computer screen

• Take small, frequent breaks to take care of yourself.
• Consider if there are nourishing snacks or beverages you can have nearby that will help you stay energized and motivated.
• Develop grounding practices that help you feel present in your own body

E.g. pay attention to your breath; try closing your eyes for a moment and taking听

deep breaths when you need to recharge.

• What do you need in order to digest all the learning you will be doing?
  • Consider asking close friends, partners, or mentors to be conversation partners with you in your learning process.
  • Create space for creativity or contemplation that helps you metabolize both the information and feelings that will surface throughout your studies.
  • Create and negotiate boundaries (both professional and personal) that will help you both engage and find regular rhythms of rest from the deeply emotional work you will be diving into.听

What are you here to learn and how will you do it?

Starting the learning venture of graduate school is a big deal. Between the workload, normal life responsibilities, and the volume of information that is a normal part of graduate school, it can be quite overwhelming. Listening to what you need to learn and how you will go about doing that is an important skill. It will aid you in focusing and prioritizing your work here. Consider:听

• Prioritizing readings, research, and experiences that matter most to you – seek to find and be led by the sweet spot of your curiosity when engaging required course assignments and your own capacity.听
• Build collaboration.听
  • Your professors and future colleagues (fellow students) are full of knowledge听 which will enrich and enliven your learning experience!
  • Share resources, learnings, and information with others. The Matriculate populi group (for incoming students) and the Student Hub populi group (for all students) are designed to be places for this.
  • What can you do to help others? What do you need that others can help you with?
• What types of interactions feel connective to you?听
  • Group Chats? Video calls? Study groups? Consider connecting with other students in a way that promotes communication, collaboration and relationship.听

What technology and study needs do you have?

Depending on your particular personality, needs, and context, how you will study and what form that takes will change greatly! Processing, prioritizing and planning skills are influenced by so many things, including but not limited to emotions, energy levels, neuro-divergence, home living environment, and society. Think about what your particular needs are and how best you can create systems that will work for you and support you.听

• Develop a filing and note taking system that makes sense to your brain. You will be engaging and reading an enormous amount of information, and having a way to keep track of what you are studying will save you time and frustration when you need to refer to it. It may take some fine tuning to develop a system that works for you, but it鈥檚 worth it!听
• Use study management software: Evernote or Microsoft鈥檚 OneNote are great note taking options. Larger project management platforms like Notion or Asana can work for planning out school related tasks including meetings, research or writing projects, and class assignments.
• What do you want to do electronically vs physically? Most textbooks are available electronically and can be found to be a bit cheaper than print versions. However, some students prefer a physical copy to read.听
• If you are an auditory learner, utilize Text-to-Speech technology. Consider using a page reader like or your computer or phone鈥檚 built in text reading accessibility software.听
• Watch this video on 听

Learning Resources at 天美视频

• Writing Center – full of resources to help you improve and fine tune your writing. Get helpful guidance related to writing standards, and schedule a call with one of 天美视频s great Writing Center Consultants!听
• Writing Workshop – This optional seminar style class provides foundational understanding of the writing process and standards at 天美视频. This is a great low-stakes option to help you dive into writing, without adding a ton of additional work onto your plate. Register for this class in Populi!
• First Year Frameworks Course – All incoming students are automatically registered for this non-credit course before fall term! It鈥檚 a great starting place to orient you towards the systems, resources and learning methods utilized here at 天美视频. If entering back into a formal learning environment feels daunting for you, this course will be helpful in orienting you both to graduate learning and to the systems that are particular to our context..
• Accessibility and Student Needs – For students who need accommodations assistance for academic disabilities, contact Daniel Tidwell-Davis (dtidwell@theseattleschool.edu). Daniel can walk you through the steps of documenting your accessibility needs and linking you with helpful resources.听
• Contact a member of the Student & Academic Services (SAS) team – see this page for information about the kinds of support that are available, and to schedule office hours with members of the SAS team.听
• Research & Library Assistance听 – The library is full of resources and tools to help you in your research process. Consider scheduling an appointment with one of our amazing librarians to answer particular questions or help orient you to the research and academic work available to you!听
• Instructional Assistants (IA) – For a few select courses, you鈥檒l have access to Instructional Assistants, and they鈥檙e like Teaching Assistants for 天美视频. These are oftentimes alumni听 of the school who are now working in the field, and also seek to continue to have a pulse on the academic threads of both theology and psychology. They understand what鈥檚 being asked of students, and have the heart and energy to provide support, clarity, and guidance, be it through particular assignments, or through broader questions about being a graduate student at 天美视频. They will list their office hours on the course syllabi, and / or offer up their contact information / calendar links. This is all to say: they are making themselves available to you because they deeply love and understand this work. Take advantage of their wisdom! Don鈥檛 be shy!听

Faculty – Somewhere the idea arose that faculty are 鈥渢oo busy鈥� or 鈥渦navailable鈥� for students, and this couldn鈥檛 be farther from the truth. Faculty are teachers because they love this work. Like IA鈥檚, they will provide their office hours and contact information on their course syllabi. If we can offer just ONE nugget of advice: TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FACULTY OFFICE HOURS. They are knowledgeable, experienced, and passionate. They are just waiting to get to know you, we promise.

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In spring 2024, the BIPOC, Access (students with neurodiversity, chronic pain, and/or disability), LGBTQIA+, and QT BIPOC student groups collaborated to create an on-campus art show with the theme of 鈥淟iminality.鈥澨� 天美视频 students and alumni who identify as underrepresented within the context of 天美视频 and/or within their profession had the opportunity to share their artistic and creative work together. The concept of the Underrepresented Voices art gallery began in 2023 when student groups co-sponsored the inaugural show.

Organizers described this year鈥檚 theme: 鈥�鈥楲iminality鈥� could be as broad as anything you, as an underrepresented student, would like to express about yourself. Or, it could be as specific as invisibility, minoritized experiences, subjugated knowledge, or beauty in the margins, the sacred mystery in your culture or identity, etc.鈥� In addition to representing the BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, QT BIPOC, and Access student groups, the students who participated were also representative of the three degree programs: Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology (MACP), Master of Arts in Theology & Culture (MATC), and Master of Divinity (MDiv).听

As artist Roy Mong commented, the diversity expressed within the 鈥淟iminality鈥� show extended to the wide variety of media and art forms represented as well.听 Artists displayed works with acrylic paint, oil paint, oil pastels, gold leaf, watercolors, cardboard, wood, and various fabrics. Some of the pieces in the show had been created as final projects for the Winter 2024 course titled 鈥淣arrative, Identity & Asian American Experiences,鈥� taught by Dr. Jermaine Ma.

The 鈥淟iminality鈥� show launched during spring residency, and the artists had the opportunity on Friday afternoon to share their experiences and insights with their classmates, both related to making the pieces as well as sharing them publicly. Students discussed themes such as courage and vulnerability. Artists shared their anxieties about visible imperfections, and wrestling with the felt need to justify or explain their work. They also described how they challenged themselves and learned through the creative process from exploring cultural identities to understanding and practicing new techniques. For example, Sunghee Kim used watercolor painting to display Jo-kak-bo, a traditional Korean patchwork technique, and Ryan Ho shaped bass and walnut wood into Kumiko patterns, a Japanese art style from the 7th century. Roy Mong described how the use of different colors helped him to integrate and appreciate different aspects of himself and his experiences.

Inspiration was another theme. The 2023 gallery had encouraged this year鈥檚 artists: in seeing the work of others they were inspired to share their work as well, to continue inspiration and conversation for future generations of students. The 2024 show also continued the themes of collaboration and engagement: two artists invited interaction and responses through a QR code while other artists invited sensory engagement through touch. Students at the reception expressed their gratitude and wonder to the artists for the depth of expansion and interconnection with the works.

Another theme that emerged was how uniqueness and individuality were expressed within the diversity of the art and media on display in the gallery. 鈥淏y being significantly and uniquely you, you can encourage and uplift others. You are helping further the conversation,鈥� said Roy Mong. As in 2023, belonging emerged as a theme as well. Natalie Ng described feeling 鈥�Not Chinese enough. Not white enough鈥ith liminality, I鈥檝e learned to somehow embrace it and be ok in the uncomfortable spots.鈥� Describing liminality, Mong shared, 鈥淭he edge is where you live.鈥� 鈥淢aking the unseen seen is the whole point of the gallery,鈥� said Ng.

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As we begin each academic year at 天美视频, we practice a number of communal rituals and rhythms that help us to prepare the relational spaces in which we will learn and grow together. Some of these rhythms are playful and fun while others invite deeper contemplation and engagement. Our own unique experiences and pathways will vary: some of us will be learning entirely on campus, while others will predominantly learn in online classrooms with seasonal campus visits. Meanwhile, from season to season and year to year, we will cultivate shared rhythms that grow our sense of connection to and belonging with one another as one learning community.

This week, Paul Steinke, who shepherds the student body along with the Office of Students & Alumni team, will send you an email inviting you to several events: (Re)Orientation, Community Dinners & Fall Vespers, and Convocation & Community Cookout. These community rhythms鈥攕hared by students, staff, faculty, alumni, and our families鈥攚ill be opportunities for us to pause, reflect, orient, and transition into the year together. Convocation & Community Cookout is a ritual by which we officially welcome incoming students into the fold of this learning community. See Paul鈥檚 email for more about these community-wide events, and RSVP for (Re)Orientation on the event page.

New Student Orientation for both low residency and on campus students will overlap with these wider community rhythms, and will provide distinct opportunities for you to arrive and orient together as new students within this learning community.

A reminder of all important dates, with Community Rhythms in bold:

August 25, 2021: Frameworks & Intersections online course begins – All members of the 2021 cohort

September 14, 2021: On campus orientation – 2021 on campus MACP cohort

September 15, 2021: (Re)Orientation – All students

September 29-October 2: Fall Residency – 2021 low-residency cohorts

September 30, 2021: Community Dinners & Fall Vespers – All students

October 2, 2021: Convocation & Community Cookout – All community

Looking forward to sharing these community rhythms and rituals with you!

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While asynchronous learning was well underway before the pandemic, the necessity of transitioning to online learning helped accelerate both our timeline and innovation among our faculty members. With no other choice but to teach online, our professors rose to the challenge in remarkable ways to deliver not only engaging but truly unique classroom experiences to students.

Incoming students who choose to pursue graduate school through our low-residency programs can expect to be engaged no less than those learning in person. Core to our mission is transforming relationships and we believe, particularly for those who want to pursue their calling in their current location, the ability to learn while rooted in your community is vital.

But what does innovative online learning look like in practice? Transitioning to teaching online was not without its challenges, but the ability to increase accessibility across formats and locations proved invaluable. We had the privilege of speaking with three faculty who shared with us how they were able to adapt their teaching styles to best engage students online.

Read how a few of our courses were taught in unique and collaborative approaches over this past year.

Lauren Sawyer, MA: Philosophy

鈥淚 find that philosophy is a subject that requires at least some teaching in the form of lectures. Especially for those who have not read philosophical texts recently鈥攐r at all鈥攊t鈥檚 hard to pick up a chapter from Immanuel Kant鈥檚 Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals and understand what the hell is going on, even with some engaging secondary sources.

I decided to record my lectures as podcast episodes for a few reasons. Some were practical: so that my students could listen听to the lecture on their own time and so that I didn鈥檛 have to stress about creating slides or looking bright-eyed on camera every week. But it also allowed me to present the content in more creative and different ways than I would have had I lectured synchronously, in-person, or on Zoom.

I rely on some of the strategies of my favorite podcasts: storytelling; intentional听pauses and slow-downs; clips, music, and sound effects; voice acting, and conversational interviews. In one episode, I give a 鈥淧eople鈥檚 History of the Enlightenment鈥� by telling a (mostly) historically accurate account of a witch-hunt in light of the major cultural and intellectual shifts of the 17th century.

In almost all the episodes, I interview content experts or include voice work done by my friends. This way I can include a diversity of voices and ideas that are not represented in the philosophers we鈥檙e studying (especially as we are reading mostly male Continental thinkers). I decided to use the podcasting platform, Anchor.fm, to enhance my students鈥� experience鈥攖hey can subscribe and access the podcast on their phones. Anchor provides me with data on how many students are listening and at what point in the episodes they tune out. I鈥檓 a bit of a data nerd; having this extra bit of information helps me fine tune the podcast for future courses. It has shown me, too, that I have an audience beyond the 16 students in my class! The podcast is called 鈥�,鈥� a borrowed line from Tertullian鈥檚 infamous text that asks, 鈥榳hat has Athens (philosophy) to do with Jerusalem (theology)?鈥欌��

Dr. Ron Ruthruff: Engaging Global Partnerships

Dr. Ron Ruthruff faced a unique challenge in needing to adapt a course that typically takes place on the ground in Guatemala to students’ homes. How does one replicate the sights, interactions, and in the moment learnings of being in a different country?

鈥淭he thought of going online with a class usually held in Guatemala seemed ridiculous, until I began to plot and plan with my Guatemalan Colleague. Dr, Joel Aguilar. Making this pivot to an online format intentionally grew us in at least three areas of the course: The uses of film study and required readings, student engagement and application, and faculty collaboration.

We folded the readings and film study that were part of pre-trip preparation into the course to serve as an asynchronous way to establish a solid understanding of the socio-political and religious history of Guatemala. Conversation via Zoom and online discussion boards were tethered more directly to the film study and required readings instead of being frontloaded on the trip, which helped us dissect and digest the material more effectively.

Students who wanted to engage with the material but had barriers to international travel have welcomed the opportunity to take an international course without needing to leave home. Moving the course online also afforded us the opportunity to bring the course 鈥榟ome鈥� as we were able to invite a panel of Pacific Northwest activists to talk about how they are serving local Latinx communities, allowing students to connect global wounds of colonialism to [events?] in their own backyards.

Perhaps most importantly, this format allowed me the opportunity to work more closely and collaboratively with my dear friend and colleague, Joel Aguilar, rather than me front-loading theoretical information to students and Joel planning a 7-day vision trip. We met every Friday via Zoom to plan for the following week. Needless to say the pandemic, quarantine, and the demand to pivot to online modalities was not easy, but we are learning and growing, and while I long to be back with my friends around the world, we are allowing what has been an incredible challenge to also be our teacher.鈥�

You can learn more about low-residency learning opportunities in our Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Theology & Culture, and Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology programs.

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Here you’ll find a reading list curated solely by published works of current faculty members of 天美视频 of Theology & Psychology. They range in topic from music and theology to trauma and modern culture, exemplifying the wide range of thought leadership in our school.

By Dr. Chelle Stearns, Associate Professor of Theology

Handling Dissonance beautifully shows how 鈥渕usic accompanies our thinking, demonstrating not only how theology can benefit the philosophy of music but also how the philosophy of music can enrich and augment theological discourse.鈥�

Dr. Stearns is also a violinist whose work focuses on the interaction between theology and music and the Christian imagination.

By Dr. Roy Barsness, Professor of Counseling Psychology

鈥淐ore Competencies of Relational Psychoanalysis provides a concise and clearly presented handbook for those who wish to study, practice, and teach the core competencies of Relational Psychoanalysis, offering primary skills in a straightforward and useable format.鈥�

Dr. Barsness has also been a therapist in private practice for more than 25 years and, in addition to his role at 天美视频, teaches at the Brookhaven Institute for Psychoanalysis & Christian Theology. He is also the founder and director of the Relationally Focused Psychodynamic Therapy Post-Graduate Certificate.

By Dr. Dwight J. Friesen, Associate Professor of Practical Theology

Along with Tom Sine, Dr. Dwight J. Friesen seeks 鈥渢o equip Christian leaders to anticipate some of the new challenges in the 2020s; discover God’s shalom purposes for our lives, the church, and God’s world; and create innovative new possibilities for our lives, communities, and congregations that both engage new opportunities and advance God’s purposes.鈥�

Dr. Friesen is a liturgical Anabaptist with progressively Evangelical and emergent sensibilities actively seeking to root his faith practice within place while linking globally with others who are seeking to live into their contexts and is co-founder of the Inhabit Conference. Other works by Dr. Dwight J. Friesen include The New Parish: How Neighborhood Churches Are Transforming Mission, Discipleship and Community.

By Dr. Ron Ruthruff

鈥淭hrough concrete detail, current statistics, and qualitative insights from more than 25 years living among and ministering globally to youth mired in tough and dangerous street life, Dr. Ron Ruthruff provides a model for serving not only troubled youth but others as well.鈥�

Dr. Ruthruff has served homeless and street-involved youth and their families for the past 30 years. He has provided case management services, designed programs, and educated the community on the issues that impact this vulnerable population, and his career goal is to empower persons to live lives of significance, to equip the church to love and serve their neighbors, and to engage communities in cross-cultural and global conversations. Other works by Dr. Ruthruff include Closer to the Edge: Walking with Jesus for the World鈥檚 Sake.

By Dr. Dan Allender, Professor of Counseling Psychology

Healing the Wounded Heart 鈥渙ffers hope for victims of rape, date rape, incest, molestation, sexting, sexual bullying, unwanted advances, pornography, and more, exposing the raw wounds that are left behind and clearing the path toward wholeness and healing. Never minimizing victims’ pain or offering pat spiritual answers that don’t truly address the problem, [this book] instead calls evil evil and lights the way to renewed joy.鈥�

Dr. Dan Allender has pioneered a unique and innovative approach to trauma and abuse therapy over the past 30 years and continues to serve as Professor of Counseling Psychology at 天美视频. He speaks extensively to present his unique perspective on sexual abuse recovery, love and forgiveness, intimacy and marriage, worship, and co-hosts The Allender Center鈥檚 weekly podcast. Other works by Dr. Allender include, To Be Told, Sabbath, Leading with a Limp, and The Wounded Heart.

By Dr. Celene Lillie, Adjunct Faculty

The Rape of Eve 鈥渆xamines core passages from three Gnostic texts from Nag Hammadi, On the Origin of the World, The Reality of the Rulers, and the Secret Revelation of John, in which Eve is portrayed as having been humiliated by the cosmic powers, yet experiencing restoration, and highlights the importance of the Nag Hammadi writings for our fuller appreciation of the currents of Christian response to the Roman Empire and the culture of rape pervasive within it.

Dr. Lillie is a scholar of the New Testament and the early Jesus movement who considers herself multi vocational, adjuncting and advising at several undergraduate and graduate institutions; lecturing and preaching nationally; and serving as the Direct of Adult Education and Spiritual Formation at First United Methodist Church in Boulder. She works at the intersections of ancient language and context and contemporary questions of gender, trauma, justice, and community to ask meaningful questions of early Christian texts.

By Dr. Steve Call, Affiliate Faculty

Reconnect 鈥渆xplains that when we become more aware of the myriad factors that contribute to disconnection, we can develop new understanding and strategies that promote deeper connection and healing interaction鈥� and is particularly suited towards those in relationships.

Dr. Call teaches in the realms of family systems, couples counseling, child and adolescent therapy, and is a licensed psychologist and a clinical member of the American Psychological Association. He has a private practice specializing in adolescents, couples, and families and provides consultation to healthcare and education professionals and provides clinical supervision to other therapists.

By Dr. Tremper Longman III, Adjunct Faculty

Confronting Old Testament Controversies helps to clarify questions often raised about the Old Testament, particularly by younger and modern audiences, through a well-reasoned approach. As noted in the description, 鈥渢he Old Testament is rife with controversial passages and events that make both belief and sharing our beliefs with others difficult. Often our solutions have tended toward the extremes鈥攊gnore problem passages and pretend they don’t matter or obsess over them and treat them as though they are the only thing that matters.鈥�

Dr. Longman is a Distinguished Scholar and Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at Westmont College who has written over 35 books that have been translated into seventeen different languages. He is also one of the main translators of the popular New Living Translation of the Bible. Other works by Dr. Longman includes The Fear of the Lord Is Wisdom: A Theological Introduction to Wisdom in Israel, How to Read Proverbs, and The Bible and the Ballot.

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