Anselm House Faculty Fellows
In the modern research university, it can sometimes be difficult to know how best to hold together one’s faith commitments with one’s academic vocation as a scholar and professor.
Anselm House faculty fellows are an interdisciplinary Christian faculty community at the University of Minnesota committed to pursuing the integration of faith and academic vocation in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and public engagement.
Interested in learning more? Send an email to Casie Szalapski, Associate Director of the Center for Faith & Learning.
What does participation in the program involve?
During their one-year (renewable) term, Faculty Fellows will participate in a vibrant intellectual community dedicated to exploring issues related to the integration of Christian faith and life with the vocation of scholarly inquiry and teaching—both broadly-understood and within their specific academic disciplines and fields of study.
Specifically, serving as a faculty fellow includes the following:
- Gathering monthly during the academic year for a 2-hour interdisciplinary discussion. Each meeting has a particular topic with reading(s) and a facilitator. Some of these meetings will only involve fellows; others may be open to other interested faculty. Topics and readings are chosen to be widely applicable across disciplines and apply to big questions related to the integration of faith with the academic mission of the U;
- Participating in the Anselm House community by (a) being involved in conversations about AH activities and potential public events, especially on topics within their domain of expertise, and (b) attending at least one Anselm House-sponsored event each semester;
- Over the course of the year, Faculty Fellows, in partnership with AH staff, will develop and implement a proposal integrating faith and academic life at UMN in at least one of the three following areas: Teaching, Scholarship, or Public Engagement. If implementation is not possible during the fellows year, AH will continue to support fellows in bringing their proposals to completion in subsequent years. (See next page for a list of possible initiatives and projects).
What are the benefits of the program?
Faculty fellows will be provided with all materials needed for discussions, as well as a discretionary resource budget (~$300 per year) to purchase books/materials that theologically enrich their academic work. Anselm House will also provide a modest stipend to all Faculty Fellows. (Fellows may forego the stipend if they desire to do so.)
How do I apply?
Take 2-3 minutes to fill out this short form, or send an email to hello@anselmhouse.org to let us know you are interested!
Our hope is that serving as an Anselm House faculty fellow will be a deeply enriching and stimulating experience, providing an opportunity for deeper reflection on faith, scholarship, and teaching, as well as opportunities to connect meaningfully with fellow Christian faculty at the U of M.
Faith-Integration Proposal Ideas*
Teaching
- Create a course or co-teach a course at UMN developing out of Faculty Fellows discussions
- Lead an “independent study” or reading group with Anselm House community members around an issue or topic of mutual interest
- Teach an Anselm House sponsored “short-course” or “summer session” integrating faith and your discipline/field
Scholarship
- Develop a conference paper, article for publication, research plan, or grant proposal related to the integration of faith and scholarship in your field of study
- Lead a reading group with faculty colleagues and/or graduate students from your department or school related to matters of mutual interest.
- Organize a conference or host a manuscript workshop related to the integration of faith and scholarship or related to Anselm House community interests
Public Engagement
- In partnership with Anselm House, organize a public lecture or roundtable event relating issues of faith to Fellow’s academic discipline (e.g., see this event moderated by Faculty Fellow Ruth DeFoster)
- Speak at Anselm House student event about issues related to the integration of faith and life
- Teach an adult education course at a local church, relating your field of expertise to matters of religious or theological concern
- Write an Op-Ed drawing on themes discussed in Faculty Fellows (e.g., this op-ed from Faculty Fellow Alan Love)
*This list is neither exhaustive nor prescriptive, but, rather, is meant to stimulate your own ideas. Projects or initiatives can be collaborative in nature, with multiple Faculty Fellows partnering together. Bear in mind that Anselm House staff is committed to supporting you in these endeavors!