November 2023, Vol. 9, No. 4

How Can Colleges & Universities Attendto All Students' Worldviews/Beliefs & Practices, Including Paganism? Critical Conversations #35

Gordon Maples, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

In "Magick Circles in Ivy: A Phenomenological Content Analysis of Pagan College Student Organizations" (Journal of College & Character, vol. 24, no. 34 November 2023--upcoming), Gordan Maples examined the explicit missions and purposes for Pagan college student clubs, and how those articulations align with in-group or out-group foci in accordance with social identity theory (SIT)
and social categorization theory (SCT).  Read More.

On a Voyage Through the PhD Experience

Find Your People: Building Your Community as a PhD Student

Vic Massaglia, University of Minnesota School of Public Health
Abby Wilfer, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

As we continue our voyage en route to a PhD, we may notice ourselves humming the melody of Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors’ “Find Your People” (Rhoads & Holcomb, 2023). Its lyrics resonate with the community-building and socialization needs that are critical for our success. As emerging scholars, the people with which we choose to surround ourselves act as a north star guiding us through this thrilling and unpredictable odyssey.y. Read more.
New Spaces & Roles for Student Affairs Educators

What Are Your Flutter Kicks? Identifying and Honing Emergent Skill Sets

Michael J. Stebleton, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

I am not a strong swimmer; I can humbly admit this fact. Although I have fond memories of water-related activities as a young kid growing up in Southeast Wisconsin, organized swimming lessons remained an ongoing source of ambivalence for me. I enjoyed spending class time with my friends, yet my skill development over the years never fully aligned with my interest or potential. At best, I was very “mid” in my swimming endeavors, applying a term my kids like to use. This blog explores the idea of identifying areas of growth and then focusing on the development of these emerging skill sets. The honing of these skill sets can lead to fostering a greater sense of meaning and purpose. Read more.

The Big Why: The Importance of Teaching Ethics

Reimagining the Use of Strengths

Colm Fitzgerald, University College Dublin 

 I’m an economist and actuary by profession and hold a position in the School of Mathematics and Statistics in University College Dublin in Ireland. More usually, the primary determining cause in my recent journey was my experience as a trader and investment manager.  Read more.

Lessons in Moral Development Learned From a Sabbatical Adventure

 Embracing Circles in Higher Education  

Peter Mather, Ohio University

Early in my sabbatical adventure, I received a call from the manager of a campground where I was staying in South Dakota’s Badlands region. The manager informed me that my tent had blown and tumbled across the property. He shared the good news that the tent was chased down my campsite neighbors before it summersaulted into the depths of the unforgiving Badlands. I quickly returned to the campground to thank my neighbors and secure my tent. I discovered that my tent’s saviors were a church group from Indiana that were in the area to perform service at a Lakota tribal reservation. Read more.

Critical Religious Studies in Higher Education

Religious Accommodations in Schools and Colleges Getting Federal Attention

Gordon Maples, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

My dissertation, which I defended in March, expanded on that work, building on some gaps of the previous study with a larger sample and a more robust scorecard for determining the quality of policies. Unfortunately, I found some alarming things, which were ultimately covered in features in Inside Higher Ed and The Christian Post.  Read more.