This session will explore why developing interfaith competency on both staff and student levels is essential to the role of a student affairs practitioner in Catholic higher education. Participants will learn about the foundational document of the Catholic Church on interreligious dialogue (Nostra Aetate) and what it means for the work we do in student affairs and in promoting the common good. This session will explore how student affairs practitioners from various focus areas can benefit from developing programs and creating learning outcomes that incorporate an interfaith component. Lastly, this session will give participants time to develop one goal related to interfaith development and advocacy.

Five years ago, the University of Notre Dame launched Green Dot as its violence prevention program. Using the social theories underlying Green Dot and implementing the strategies of social norming and bystander intervention, Notre Dame has created a comprehensive violence prevention program to overcome apathy and promote student engagement in violence prevention particularly in athletics and residence life. This session will outline the process of launching greeNDot at Notre Dame; the structure of our program; strategies implemented to promote culture change; and the types of bystander trainings offered to students, faculty, and staff. We will share successes and challenges as well as next steps for greeNDot.

Allyship has contributed to positive change for LGBTQ+ people. However, thinking of ally only as an identity gives rise to conflict and perpetuated privilege, especially with increasingly complex models of identity. This session will explore the multidimensional nature of identity; evaluate pitfalls of ally-as-identity; and introduce an ally-as-verb framework. Participants will reflect on their own identities and discover ways to implement an action-based ally education framework.

“Reentry” refers to the transition faced by those returning to a university after being suspended due to their conduct. Those experiencing this reentry may describe themselves as feeling isolated, marginalized, and alone in their efforts to reestablish themselves. “Restorative reentry” seeks to apply the values and principle of “relational justice” (i.e., community and restorative justice) philosophy in ways that improve the odds of reentry success by providing ways to live in community safely, stably, and successfully. It offers constructive ways to address conflict, repair harm, and reconnect as a community. This session will provide an overview of restorative justice and then focus on how one Catholic university has implemented reentry circles in its work with students returning from suspension.

As increasing numbers of young adults identify as spiritual but not religious and as student bodies become increasingly religiously diverse, how do we at Catholic colleges and universities take seriously the call of the Church for greater attention to evangelization; the call of our institutions for rootedness in our Catholic charisms and commitment to diversity equity and inclusion; and the needs of our world for citizens who are (multi)religiously literate and sensitive? How might we contribute to these common goods and soar to greater heights through campus collaboration? This workshop will address these contemporary needs for campus ministry and partners at Catholic colleges and universities through utilizing ministry learning outcomes that are intentionally focused and pastorally flexible; a corresponding rubric that is developmental, formational, and accessible to our diverse populations; and corresponding assessment that guides program planning, shapes ministry, and helps us better understand students' connections to faith traditions.

At the core of Catholic Franciscan Education, St. Bonaventure University’s and Viterbo University’s mission is to provide students with an opportunity to explore their own spiritual development, consider the meaning of life, and engage in activities to promote the common good. Student veterans are the compass for building a Franciscan future at our Catholic Franciscan Higher Education Institutes. The Franciscan Pilgrimage program for veterans provides an approach for promoting and advocating for positive relationships in academic and social environments for our student veterans. Collaboration with student affairs, academics, and support services has resulted in a model for facilitating the mentorship of future student veteran servant leaders. This program empowers students to choose new living-learning communities and engage in campus leadership programs. This mentoring program will demonstrate how to transform students’ lives to be the moral compass of campus life.

A comprehensive education consists of enlightening the mind, building character, and teaching traditional-age undergraduate students to make sound, healthy decisions with respect to romantic relationships. However, at many higher education institutions, a major shift has occurred regarding this type of education. Cognition has taken precedence over character formation, and what once was a seamless connection between the two values is no longer a priority. Currently, one of many issues facing administrators at institutions of higher education is student decision making about healthy romantic relationships. Therefore, this session will share strategies currently employed at Catholic colleges in the Northeast to teach traditional-age undergraduate college students about healthy romantic relationships.

Peer education at the Gender Relations Center, University of Notre Dame, is done by peer educators called FIRE Starters (Finding Identity and Equality in Relationships). FIRE Starters assist in developing and implementing programs that foster dialogue on identity, gender, and healthy relationships. They promote open and inclusive discussion and encourage their peers to respect the inherent dignity and equality of every member of the Notre Dame family. Over the past three years, the staff has had to respond to the changing profile of our students (Millennial to Generation Z) and the increasing demands for intersectional programming. As a result, the GRC developed a leadership model based on Catholic Social Teaching and the Readiness for Change social theory, which integrates different phases of leadership that promote ongoing formation and increased opportunities for engagement about challenging topics such as authenticity, LGBTQ inclusion, and violence prevention.

The Assumption College Office of Residential Life in 2012, at the direction of the College president, was tasked with enhancing resident assistant (RA) education surrounding Catholic faith tradition. In learning Roman Catholic concepts and teaching, the RAs would gain a deeper understanding of the mission of the College. A yearlong series, developed by senior residential life staff, focused on the moral and ethical teachings of the Catholic Church. The initial program sessions, called “Foundation Fridays," were developed around the documentary series Catholicism hosted by Bishop Robert Barron. Over the last several years of the Foundation Friday training series, RAs shared critical feedback that guided future sessions to include small group interaction, reflection, and content with practical implications for their daily work as RAs. This presentation will highlight the history of the Foundation Friday program, discuss session content from the 2017-18 series, and review what was learned from the assessment data.

In response to survey data and student feedback regarding deficiencies in diversity and inclusion education and experiences on campus, Viterbo University’s Office of Student Life collaborated with campus and community partners to create the Identities Project in fall 2017 to promote civil and constructive dialogue and provide education regarding identity, including but not limited to gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, and social class. Session participants will walk away with a roadmap on how to create a similar program; information regarding a civil dialogue model; a basic understanding of identities, intersectionality, and the Identity Wheel; potential pitfalls and challenges. The Identities Project is firmly rooted in, informed by, and assessed via the lenses of the mission and values of Viterbo University, Catholic social teaching, and student development theory.

Siena College recently embarked on a new strategic plan: Tradition. Transformed. 2017 - 2022. One of the five goals is "Distinctive Value; Enhance our value and brand and broadcast to all stakeholders while maximizing our Franciscan, liberal arts advantage." During this time, the college also developed five core values, one of which is compassionate leadership: We lead by putting others first, through our commitment to social justice, service with others, and concern for the poor and vulnerable. A college-wide tactic under Distinctive Value is to implement delivery of programs through student activities to advance the development of the whole person. Our division enthusiastically responded with the following key action: Create an integrated programming model for the development of the whole person based upon six pillars. This session will review our process and journey to success.

Colleges and universities are called to meet the changing needs of the modern college student and to reduce barriers to success. Using advocacy and intervention techniques, the Dean of Students Office at the University of Dayton utilizes a case management model, rooted in student development theory, to support students in navigating a complex University environment. The Dean of Students Office uses an individualized approach to assess needs and level of distress and offers resources and services to promote student retention and success. This presentation will provide an overview of case management services and share how it can be implemented at our peer institutions.