The Rev. Heather Hartung, Ph.D., has been a student, minister, faculty member, dean, and member of a theological school board. She now serves as a director of accreditation with the Association of Theological Schools. In this episode of the podcast, she discusses how boards and leaders of theological schools can approach shared governance from various perspectives.

McCormick Theological Seminary is using a Lilly Endowment Inc. Pathways for Tomorrow grant to explore how to help people heal from trauma. The Heart-Work Rising Trauma Healing Initiative is exploring theological education that will help students to be trauma-informed. The Rev. Dr. Stephanie Crumpton and Dr. Jina Kang discuss the impact of trauma-informed education, the integration of restorative justice and biblical interpretation, and the transformative potential for theological institutions.

The Academy for Jewish Religion received a grant in Lilly Endowment Inc.'s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative and used the money to make a series of explanatory videos about Judaism. Ora Horn Prouser, Ph.D., the CEO and academic dean of the Academy for Jewish Religion, discusses how the project, "Mosaic Religion and the Religious Mosaic," contributes to theological education.

In Trust Center President Amy Kardash and the Rev. Dr. Frank Yamada, executive director of the Association of Theological Schools, open a new series, "Inside Theological Education," discussing current trends and what schools can understand about the field from them.

Lexington Theological Seminary is using a Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative grant to help create ways students can gain access to a theological education. The Rev. Dr. Loida Martell, vice president for academic affairs and dean, discusses how LTS incorporates prior learning assessments and other means to help students.

Acadia Divinity College is experimenting and discerning future paths for the Church and theological education in its Pathways for Tomorrow grant, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. Acadia President Dr. Anna Robbins and Dr. Jodi Porter, the project director, talk about creating a "sandbox," what it means to experiment, and how they're looking forward to the future.

There's a "trust gap" in the American workplace, according to Cory Scheer, Ed.D., the founder and CEO of TrustCentric. Scheer, a former pastor, academic administrator, and leader in business and nonprofits, studied trust as part of his doctoral work. The lessons can help theological schools learn how to improve performance and outcomes in their work.

The rise of conspiracy theories and a diminishing trust in societal institutions have given some church leaders pause to consider the impact. In this episode, Rob Saler, Ph.D., Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, suggests that theological institutions can contribute to addressing these challenges.

With any organizational plan, certain pivotal individuals – both internal and external – hold significant influence over our goals. To ensure the success of a program, initiative, or on-going strategy, we must prioritize these “Audiences of One” differently from larger audiences. Learn how the “Stakeholder Management Plan” tracks the status of these relationships to help boost overall success.

During his tenure as interim president of Lancaster Theological Seminary, Dr. David Rowe was challenged with merging the school while preserving its mission. Rowe and Elizabeth Palmer Bennett, former CFO at Lancaster, discuss the genesis of the merger, share their insights, and reflect on the lessons they learned in the process.

Dr. MaryKate Morse, former executive dean of Portland Seminary, discusses the key relationships she forged in an embedded seminary, and how she demonstrated the value to the school.

There has been considerable concern about AI and its use in theological higher education, particularly as it relates to cheating. But Greg Henson, president of Kairos University, and Ruth McGillivray, executive vice president of Northwest Seminary and College, believe there's more to it than that. In this episode, they discuss the opportunities for theological schools to explore with AI.