The Newsletters for Chairs of Theological Schools
Vol. 4 No. 2
Understanding the times
How you can use our magazine to spur action
The author of 2 Chronicles describes leaders from the tribe of Issachar as those who “had understanding of the times” and knew what to do. Like the leaders of Issachar, today’s boards and presidents need to understand their times – and know how to respond.
At the In Trust Center, we help leaders of theological schools understand not only the times but also how to discern a faithful response. To deepen that work, we’re introducing a new resource – a reader’s guide to accompany the latest issue of In Trust magazine.
You can forward the email to the board or leadership team, or you can focus on one article for reflection. The goal: to spark a conversation to understand the times and then take action. Our first edition of the reader’s guide is below and offers three pieces selected from the magazine with discussion questions.
Field intelligence: The Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative has brought a wave of experimentation into the field. Schools are testing new models, aligning mission and market realities, and wrestling with evaluation and tensions. Discussion questions: What does mission clarity look like for your school? The piece notes that schools are identifying tensions, both internal and external, and market realities as challenges. What have you identified and how are you dealing with them?
Regulatory climate: Given all of the news about higher education and shifting federal policy, we have a discussion with a pair of experts in the field to distill how schools should consider issues including governance, business models, mission, and compliance. Discussion questions:How do we identify the pressures we’re facing? How can our governance structure help us understand the times and respond to them? How do we need to better clarify the language we use to support our mission?
Temptations: This piece argues that institutions face two temptations: to neglect honest self-assessment and leave their mission for something perceived to be better. Discussion questions: Do these temptations affect your school? How would you say your institution assesses its mission honestly? How can it assess it better?
I invite you to use these articles as guides for conversation to draw your board and senior leaders further into the good work you’re doing. We’d love to hear how this resource helps your board. Please share your feedback with our editorial team here. As well, you can see the whole magazine here: www.intrust.org/magazine. Thanks for all you do for theological education.
Thanks for all you do in theological education.
Amy Kardash
President
