DePaul Interfaith Scholars (Lincoln Park-based)  2011-2012 Description and Application Link

Applications need to be submitted online by April 29th at 5pm: http://bit.ly/gqMvow

In the Spirit of St. Vincent de Paul and embedded in the Four Ways of Interfaith Dialogue at DePaul University, DePaul Interfaith Scholars create a culture that fosters interreligious dialogue and promotes multicultural awareness and a rich, lively, diverse faith life at DePaul.   They are leaders grounded in their own traditions who create a strong community of DePaul interfaith-engaged students who work together on mutual understanding and shared social action.

Scholars represent diverse religious communities and participate in regular formation, dialogue, interfaith programming and service.

A DePaul Interfaith Scholar:

• Is knowledgeable about his or her own tradition and able to articulate aspects of it to others
• Lives his or her faith/tradition by actively participating in a faith or spiritual community to which he or she is committed
• Is able to mutually communicate the needs and perspectives of his or her faith or spiritual community and educate the community about what happens in the Interfaith Scholars group
• Is open to and interested in dialogue and difference within his or her own tradition, and with other traditions as well
• Invites others to participate interfaith engagement
• Has basic leadership and program/administrative skills and follow through (i.e., is a responsible, committed student leader who does what he or she says they’ll do).
• Is able to learn and be flexible in the face of ambiguity and independent projects or responsibilities

Scholars will have the following responsibilities, with an average participation time of 6 hours/week:

Weekly:

• Meet with other Scholars for formation every week (theoretical and experiential), training, and dialogue.  Strongly considering:  Wednesday evenings from 9:15-11:00p.m.
• Establish/maintain predictable office hours and tabling/outreach efforts
• Update one’s Student Religious Organization’s or other group’s membership (if applicable) on interfaith issues, and solicit the group’s input as needed
• Every other week meet for one-on-one Supervision with UMIN staff member

Monthly:

• Organize monthly Scholar dinners with local spiritual leaders (open to all students)

Quarterly:

• Coordinate quarterly celebration of faith gathering that invites all religious students on campus to an evening of education, sharing, food, music (akin to Via Big 8)
• Spring Quarter: Participate in a non-credit capstone course that culminates in an end-of year international interfaith educational pilgrimage
• Contribute regularly to depaulinterfaith.org blog

Annually:

• Attend UMIN Vincentian leadership retreat with VCSO September 30th –October 2nd, 2011, (depart at 6p.m.-returning by early afternoon)
• Attend UMIN student leader retreat (two days in August)
• Attend Spring DePaul Interfaith Retreat, and periodically other retreats or conferences

Collaborative project work:

• Explore possibility of interfaith educational outreach to classes  (i.e., to Discover)
• Participate in DePaul’s President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge project during 2011-12 school year
• Collaborate with DePaul Interfaith student group on ad hoc projects
• Assigned research projects
• Collaborate with one’s Student Religious Organization on interfaith initiatives (if applicable)

DePaul Interfaith Scholars receive a $1,500 scholarship for the Academic Year ($500 per quarter).

To apply, please fill out our short online application at http://bit.ly/gqMvow

It will ask for demographic information and the answers to these short (one paragraph) questions.  Feel free to prepare these ahead of time and then paste into the application:

• What interests or moves you to apply as a DePaul Interfaith Scholar?
• What experience do you have that might prepare you to be a Scholar as outlined in the Scholars description/application sheet?
• What is something about your religion or tradition that you would like others to know, perhaps a favorite aspect or something that is often misunderstood?
  

Questions? Contact Chaplain Katie Brick at cbrick@depaul.edu