Opportunities for Faculty and Staff

The University Council for Jesuit Mission promotes opportunities for USF faculty, staff, and administrators to engage the mission, vision, and core values of the University. Following is a list of programs and activities available to faculty, staff, and administrators, coordinated by several different offices and departments at USF and covering areas, such as professional and leadership development, spirituality, the Jesuit tradition in higher education and social justice, Catholic social thought and theology, and immersion experiences. Past and current participants share a range of beliefs, religions, and spiritual traditions all of which contribute to a broad, rich, and inclusive understanding of the Jesuit Catholic mission and tradition at USF. Faculty and staff of all religious and spiritual beliefs are welcome.

Short-term and Drop-in Opportunities to Reflect on Mission

IGNATIAN HALF-DAY RETREATS FOR FACULTY AND STAFF

Half-day retreats include lunch, presentations on Ignatian spirituality, and the opportunity for reflection and conversation with colleagues. For more information, please email Donal Godfrey, S.J. at godfrey@usfca.edu.

LOYOLA LUNCHEONS

Join Donal Godfrey, S.J. and colleagues from across the university at the Loyola House Jesuit Community for lunch and conversation on various mission topics. People of all faith traditions and none are welcome. For more information, please email Donal Godfrey, S.J. at godfrey@usfca.edu.

IGNATIAN BOOK CLUB FOR FACULTY AND STAFF

Connect with faculty and staff through a book discussion group for people who are interested in our Jesuit mission. The book club meets in the fall and spring. This fall, the group will meet online from noon to 1 pm on September 4, Sept. 18, October 2, and Oct. 16 to discuss “The Time is Now: A Call to Uncommon Courage” by Joan Chittister. Visit the University Ministry Faculty and Staff Spirituality webpage for more information or contact Donal Godfrey, S.J. at godfrey@usfca.edu.

conversations on jesuit higher education

Once a semester, join members of the University Council for Jesuit Mission for lunch and discussion of the newest issue of Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education. Published each semester by the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, Conversations features articles by faculty, staff, and students on topics related to Jesuit mission. For more information, email lanecenter@usfca.edu.

FACULTY LECTURE SERIES

Past lecturers in this series have included Stephen Privett, S.J., and Dean Judith Karshmer discussing their personal spiritual journeys. Join the USF community over lunch and engage in spiritual dialogue spurred by great USF speakers. Faculty and staff of all faith traditions and none are welcome and encouraged to attend. For more information, please email Donal Godfrey, S.J. at godfrey@usfca.edu.

Longer-Term Formation and Development Programs

WESTERN CONVERSATIONS CONFERENCE

This is an annual gathering of faculty and staff of the Jesuit universities of the Western region of the US to discuss Jesuit education. USF group organized by the Lane Center; participants selected by the Provost.

IGNATIAN FACULTY FORUM

Inspired by a similar successful program in Santa Clara University, the Ignatian Faculty Forum began in 2014 with the objective to discover Ignatian Spirituality as it is lived by faculty— a spirituality that integrates Ignatian insight with the day to day struggles of teaching, scholarship, personal life, and university service. The Forum provides a small community of trust in which faculty share joys and struggles as they engage in reflective discernment. This program is a serious commitment to both the future of the University of San Francisco's Jesuit heritage and the development of faculty leaders. Faculty participants commit to attendance at each of the eight dialogues, careful reading of the shared assignments, and thoughtful Forum participation. Participants in IFF are chosen from faculty applicants from a variety of academic disciplines, at different career stages, and from multiple religious traditions. For more information, please contact Donal Godfrey, S.J. at godfrey@usfca.edu.

Annual lane center faculty Seminar

Sponsored by the Lane Center, the Jesuit Mission Seminar is an opportunity for faculty to become more familiar with Catholic Social Thought and USF’s Ignatian tradition and to collaboratively seek connections between these foundational resources and their own approaches to teaching and research. It is also an opportunity to witness and make connections with other faculty who take up the call to teach and research for the common good and to identify the possibilities for engagement and extension through the Jesuit and Catholic educational networks. Faculty who complete the program will receive a $500 stipend at the end of the semester. The experience also prepares faculty to be competitive for grants of up to $5,000 from USF’s Jesuit Foundation. Faculty who are interested should apply by September 1. For more information, contact Erin Brigham at embrigham@usfca.edu.

JESUIT FOUNDATION GRANT

Participating in the above mentioned seminar positions faculty to successfully apply for a Jesuit Foundation Grant.

Intensive Professional Development and Leadership Formation Experiences

THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES OF ST. IGNATIUS (19^TH ANNOTATION)

The Spiritual Exercises are a compilation of meditations, prayers, and contemplative practices developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola to help people deepen their relationship with God. University Ministry offers faculty and staff the opportunity to complete the exercises over the course of the academic year through weekly meetings with a spiritual director. Past participants describe the experience as rewarding and transformative personally and professionally. A prior conversation with Donal Godfrey, S.J. is required. He can be contacted at godfrey@usfca.edu. Register for 19th Annotation online.

SPIRITUAL DIRECTION

Spiritual direction is an ancient practice of meeting one-on-one with a trained person to discuss one’s spiritual life. Practiced by both lay and ordained women and men, spiritual direction is available to people of all faiths and spiritual traditions. Directors do not impose their own agendas or beliefs on others—rather they listen carefully in order to help others discern the ways in which God or the holy is leading them. For more information, please contact Fr. Donal directly at godfrey@usfca.edu.

IGNATIAN COLLEAGUES PROGRAM

This is an intensive, 18-month AJCU program designed to educate and form administrators and “animators of mission” more deeply in the Jesuit tradition of higher education. 2-4 leaders (faculty and staff) per university may participate annually. Permission from dean/VP is required. Please contact Erin Brigham at embrigham@usfca.edu if you are interested.

AJCU LEADERSHIP institute

This 5-day conference, held at Loyola Chicago in June, addresses issues facing current academic and administrative leaders and aims to develop leaders who will guide Jesuit institutions into the 21st century. Permission from dean/VP is required. Please contact Erin Brigham at embrigham@usfca.edu if you are interested.