JCU Undergraduate Bulletin 2005-2007: Centers/Institutes -- Institutes

Institutes

Ignatian Spirituality Institute

The Ignatian Spirituality Institute (ISI) offers an educational program for the training of spiritual directors in the tradition of the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola. It is ideally suited to those interested in the ministry of spiritual direction and/or retreat work. More generally, the ISI offers adult Christians of any denomination theological and spiritual tools for deepening Christian life and ministry, whether in the home, parish, congregation, or workplace. Since the ISI is an affiliate program of the Department of Religious Studies, all of its courses are conducted at John Carroll University.

The ISI is a non-credit, non-degree certificate program running concurrently with the fall-spring academic calendar at the university. It is designed around three areas of study: theology/scripture, spirituality, and psychology/communication skills. Year I is academically focused; classes meet twice a month in the evenings along with occasional weekend workshops. Year II is focused on the supervised practicum in spiritual direction.

Requirements for admission include a written spiritual autobiography, three letters of recommendation, a record of education and work history, and an interview with the ISI Admissions Committee. Generally it is expected that the ISI candidates will have completed a college degree, have several years of steady work and a variety of life experiences. The ISI Admissions Committee may make exceptions to these general criteria.

Presently, the ISI is endowed by a generous grant from the F. J. O'Neill Charitable Corporation and by additional gifts from a variety of donors.

For further information, contact the Ignatian Spirituality Institute office at 397-1599. Director: Dr. Joan Nuth, Department of Religious Studies.

Institute for Educational Renewal (IER)

The Institute for Educational Renewal (IER) is a literacy and school change initiative established in 1991 to work primarily with teachers and principals of selected K-5 and K-8 schools in the Cleveland Municipal School District (CMSD). IER has found that school-based professional development and on-site consulting/coaching are effective catalysts for improving teaching, learning, and leadership. IER's goal is for participating schools to become self-sustaining communities of learners. Its mission is to improve the quality of school life for children in the city of Cleveland and to foster the development of child-centered communities of learners.

IER's program is based on a balanced literacy approach to classroom teaching and learning (reading, writing, and language/word study). Using the CMSD English Language Arts Standards as part of their framework, consultants work one-on-one with teachers and with grade-level teams and leadership groups within each school. Among IER's supporting activities are grant opportunities to IER teachers to develop classroom libraries and informal networks for teachers and principals to meet and collaborate.

IER is governed by a board of trustees with expertise in non-profit leadership, education, business, human resources, law, marketing, and public relations. The executive director works closely with the board and staff in guiding IER's activities. John Carroll serves as IER's fiscal/administrative agent, and members of John Carroll's faculty and administration serve on its board. Executive Director: Dr. Deborah G. Zawislan.

Institute of Catholic Studies

Over centuries the Catholic tradition has encountered many opportunities to formulate faith in the context of the intellectual and scientific climate of the age. The Institute of Catholic Studies examines this interaction through a variety of initiatives: an undergraduate interdisciplinary concentration in Catholic Studies (see page 82); faculty development workshops and seminars; sponsorship of a public lecture series; offering course development grants; and publication of Prism magazine. Each of these programs seeks to highlight, within the history of ideas, the contribution of Catholic intellectuals and scholars from a variety of disciplines. The institute also promotes the investigation of the interaction between the Church and society. In addition, the institute is the home of the international scholarly journal, Archivum Historicum Societatis Ieus, which publishes multilingual scholarly articles on various aspects of the history of the Society of Jesus. Director: Dr. Paul V. Murphy, Department of History.