The Colin MacLaurin Fellows Program offers University of Minnesota undergraduates and grad/professional students one of the most formative programs of faith-and-life integration available to students attending any public university. It combines rich community and conversation, Christian theological formation, and the historic resources of the Christian tradition, helping students to see their studies and callings in the light of the gospel.
As a fellow, you’ll be part of a small cohort of no more than 12 fellows who meet every other week during the academic year for a guided dinner discussion. These dinners are more like conversations with good friends on topics that matter than they are like formal classes. Over a meal, you’ll discuss with experienced Anselm House staff tutors carefully selected readings designed to help you understand what it means to live well in all of your various callings in life. Our discussions and readings aim to provide a grounding in the best of what the Christian tradition—the Bible, the early church fathers, and more recent Christian writers–says about what it means to bring our whole lives into God’s story for the world.
The cohorts are designed to build upon one another, so that you can continue in subsequent cohorts in future years. Fellows who complete all three cohorts of the program will be awarded a Certificate in Christian Studies, formally recognizing their training in the Christian tradition and exploration of Christian vocation. Each fellow will enter one of these cohorts based on their stage in academic career, prior preparation, and interests:
We also offer all fellows the opportunity to connect with a mentor—either a UMN Christian faculty member or a community member in their field of study—for further discussion of how faith shapes career and all of life.
MacLaurin Fellows is a community of students who are passionate about living out their Christian faith in all of life. The fellows program is an opportunity to develop close friendships with other UMN students who are seeking to pursue their college work and future careers in light of the good news of the Christian gospel. We’re a unique kind of Christian community on campus: “merely Christian,” in that we’re centered on core commitments to the Bible and the early Christian creeds, while learning from our various Christian traditions, whether Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox.
In addition to the cohort dinners, you’ll enjoy two all-expenses-paid retreats—one in the fall and one in the spring–that provide a context for deeper community and reflection. You’ll also have additional opportunities to gather with the entire fellows community, Anselm House staff, Christian faculty from the U of M, and local Christian professionals—and enjoy exclusive access to visiting Christian scholars.
In addition to books and resources for your cohort discussions, each fellow will receive a carefully curated selection of classic Christian works–a different selection for each cohort. By participating in all three cohorts, you’ll finish the program with a small library of rich, classic Christian works of literature and theology that you will return to throughout your life.
Here’s a selection of just a few of the books that you’ll receive as part of this library:
We recognize that bringing together faith and learning in a public university is, in many respects, swimming upstream against powerful currents. That’s why in addition to the many benefits of the program, we offer annual research and mentorship awards—the Dr. Fred Smith Awards. As a fellow, you can apply for these awards to support research, mentorship, or other opportunities that advance your learning and development as a Christian student—up to $1,000 per year.
Christian formation is not just about learning: it’s about life together. That’s why we’re excited to offer current fellows the possibility of Christian residential community here at UMN. In the university’s terms, River House is a Christian “living and learning community” that weaves together Christian formation, academic study, and daily life. It provides students with the opportunity to continue the Fellows experience as part of the fabric of their daily lives—through shared meals together, daily prayer as a community, everyday discussion on connecting faith and knowledge with all of life, and service to one another and the wider campus community.
Current fellows may apply to live in River House when the application window opens towards the end of the fall semester.
As a fellow, you’ll have access to many other Anselm House resources, including:
Our investment in our MacLaurin Fellows is significant: we estimate that it costs more than $2500 per year to support each fellow through this program. But thanks to a grant from generous donors, we’re currently able to offer our fellows program free of charge to all fellows who are admitted for the academic year.
Fellows is open to all UMN students (undergraduate or graduate), in any field or discipline. We are also accepting applications from spouses of UMN students, provided they’re applying for the program along with their spouse. During the academic year, fellows commit to:
To apply, please complete our online application form.
If you have questions or want to discuss the Fellows Program further, please contact us at 612.378.1935 or hello@anselmhouse.org. You can also fill out this form, and we will reach out to you.
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 141007, Minneapolis, MN 55414
Office Phone: 612-378-1935
