University of Dayton Launches New Scholarships for International Students

The University of Dayton along with 57 other colleges nationwide has pledged to create new scholarships for international students to study in the U.S., as part of the #YouAreWelcomeHere scholarship program. Beginning in fall 2019, the Marianist university will offer two annual scholarships, that will cover at least half of the receiving student’s tuition. Christine DeLisio Kremer, director of international and graduate admission at UD, a university that was itself founded by immigrants, says the “The University of Dayton is proud to help launch this scholarship program as part of our commitment to the common good.” The scholarships will be renewable and will hopefully further the efforts of bringing about intercultural understanding among participating campuses. The university hopes that through this program, eligible international and refugee students will find support in their inclusive learning environment and see their path to a University of Dayton degree.

For more information regarding the #YouAreWelcomeHere scholarship at the University of Dayton, visit their website here.

 

Saint Joseph’s College Begins International Graduate Certificate in Christianity and Integral Ecology

The International Graduate Certificate in Christianity and an Integral Ecology:   A World to Live and a Life to Love is a joint venture between the Laudato Si’ Institute of the Archdiocese of Granada, Spain and Saint Joseph’s College. This program enables students to take as their own by understanding deeply Pope Francis’ teaching that each person’s vocation is to be a protector of God’s earth.

On their program website, Saint Joseph’s College explains the purpose of the program to communicate “to students the knowledge and skills needed to develop theological and ecological literacy appropriate to the intent and mandate of Laudato Si’, to apprehend the vocation to protect and respect, and to actualize that vocation as they discern it according to their states in life, their professional goals, and their own spiritual journeys as theologically literate Catholics within the dynamics of the New Evangelization.”

The graduate certificate consists of five (5) 3-credit courses: three fully online and two hybrid with a week each on site in Standish, Maine, USA, and Granada, Spain. The program is completed over a 17-month period: April 2017 through September 2018 with a 3-month break January through March 2018.

For more information, visit the program website.

 

Ford Foundation Study Shows Link Between Higher Education and Social Justice

The Ford Foundation, a secular philanthropic organization that seeks to promote the full human dignity of all persons through equitable sharing in knowledge, wealth, and resources, recently released a report studying the impact of their International Fellowship Program, finding that many of the IFP alumni returned to their home countries to either begin a new social justice program organization or expand upon the work of existing organizations.

In the report, entitled Social Justice and Sustainable Change: The Impacts of Higher Education, the Foundation shows their findings from their 2015 International Fellowships Program Alumni Tracking Study Report. The International Fellowships Program (IFP) supported “advanced studies for social change leaders from the worlds’ most vulnerable populations” through scholarships for higher education, offering fellowships to students from 2001 – 2013.  Some of these students studied at Catholic higher education institutions, including Boston College and Georgetown University.

Read more about the key findings here.

What does your college or university do to increase access to higher education and social justice around the world? Let us know! 

Catholic Institutions Commit to Pope Francis’ Call to Action

Following the release of the encyclical, Laudato Si’, Catholic higher education institutions from around the world have responded to Pope Francis’ urgent call to action by signing the letter, Statement of Leaders in Catholic Higher Education Globally. A number of leaders from Catholic higher education around the world, including many ACCU members, have declared their commitment to addressing the climate and justice crises that threaten our planet.  Read the statement here and see which ACCU members have already signed.

 

Scholarships for Peace Studies Available

The application period for El-Hibri Foundation’s annual graduate Peace Education Scholarships is now open.  Three $5,000 graduate scholarships will be awarded to first-year U.S. or international graduate students enrolled in a U.S. program to study peace education, conflict resolution, or related fields. Click here for more information on the Peace Studies Scholarships and how to apply.

Internship Opportunity in DC

The Office of International Justice and Peace of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has an opening for a full-time intern beginning immediately. This opportunity will allow the intern to explore the intersection of Catholic social teaching and international issues of justice and peace.

The intern will have opportunities to enrich his or her academic program or career preparation through engaging in research and working with policy advisors on a range of international issues. Interns are paid a modest stipend.

Find a position description on USCCB’s website or by clicking here. To apply, applicants can visit this webpage.

Applicants can do an internship with in this position as part of their academic program, shortly after graduation to prepare for a career, or in preparation for graduate study.

Please share this information with your students and colleagues, and please encourage qualified applicants to apply.

Courageous Voices: Considering a New Perspective

The Catholic University Institute of Buea, Cameroon, graduated its first class in December 2014. CUIB, which calls itself “The Entrepreneurial University,” prepares graduates to be job creators, not just job seekers. Its aim is to train young Cameroonians to be Christian business leaders who will begin their own business in the region, thereby directly addressing – and helping solve – the problems of unemployment and poverty in Cameroon.

Over the next few weeks, we will continue to release short stories about the courageous voices of our member colleges and universities.  Stay tuned to hear about how students, faculty, and staff are responding to Pope Francis’s call to social justice and a culture of encounter.  If you are still curious about how Catholic colleges and universities are promoting social justice on campus, read the original blog post on the Courageous Voices series, or check out ACCU’s inventory of promising practices, which includes many examples of our members engaging with Catholic Social Teaching.

CRS Seeks Research Consultant

Catholic Relief Services’ five year strategic plan features a goal of engaging 10 million Catholics in the United States by 2018.  Our college/university audience is a key segment of focus within this strategy.  While our CRS University outreach (http://university.crs.org/) offers an array of programs/resources to engage faculty, students and administrators, there continues to be an expressed desire for a deeper, first-hand encounter with our overseas work. CRS would like to be able to respond to these multiple requests, but only if the encounter with overseas work leads to concrete results that support and are in alignment with the overall CRS strategy.

CRS proposes to examine the feasibility of this concept with the intent to develop a model of a short-term, outcomes-intensive international field study/immersion program for the academic audience we serve.  The program will be designed with faculty participants in mind; however it should also be designed with some flexibility so that the model could be used for other university participants, such as staff, administration, and select students.

To accomplish this, CRS seeks a highly qualified and experienced consultant who can conduct this research, design a proposed program for a potential Solidarity Bootcamp Initiative (SBI/A), participate in the pilot immersion experience to test and refine the proposal, and revise the proposal accordingly.

The primary outputs from this consultancy would be:

•  A proposed design of a recommended program model that would provide a cost-benefit analysis to CRS agency leadership and examine the capacity, resources, and staffing  required to support this program.
• A summer 2015 pilot immersion experience based on the proposed program model for the consultant and selected academics to an overseas CRS program-site (likely Ghana, West Africa).

Please share this Scope of Work with those you think might have an interest and ability to might be a good fit for this temporary contract position. Click here for more information.

Please direct candidates to send a statement of interest and their resume or CV to louis.charest@crs.org by December 1^st, 2014.

Celebrating Food in October

October is a time when many begin thinking of pumpkins, apples, and other fruits of a bountiful harvest. Food advocates in the US promote educational resources on our national food issues, but how can students learn more about sustainable agriculture around the world? Catholic Relief Services provides resources to farmers internationally, and they’re sharing their stories with interested supporters in the US. CRS’s approach to agriculture encourages farmers and communities to work together so everyone can prosper. Read the full story on their website.

October is also National “Farm to School” month! There are a lot of ways you can involve your university in learning about food sustainability and environmental justice. Food Day is on October 24 – it’s a nationwide celebration and a movement for healthy, affordable and sustainable food. Catholic Rural Life recommends visiting the dedicated Food Day website to see a variety of resources to download. These include tips on planning an event, free tools to publicize your event, helpful fact sheets, or simply tips on how you can eat good, healthy foods. It even includes resources for college campuses and faith organizers! National Catholic Rural Life is mentioned in those resources with specific reference to their helpful Food and Justice study guide.

For more university-specific resources, check out ACCU’s Food Security page.