Presenter and Affiliation: Rick Olsen, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor and Dept. Chair, University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Presentation Title: “In It with Them”: Embracing Process and Authenticity as Transformational Points of Connection
Date and Time: Tuesday, October 31, 7-8 pm EST
Cost: free and open to the public
Description: In this presentation I share my account of integrating and negotiating my personal faith journey with what I believe is my calling to teach at a public university. I have been bold at times and enjoyed support. Other times, I have experienced prejudice because of my faith. Ultimately, I feel my contribution as a Christian faculty member on a public campus has been to present the reasonableness of a Christian worldview and the ability to be fully human and fully Christian at the same time. Put another way, I have been as much of a witness in my authenticity and vulnerabilities as in my accomplishments and competencies. During this presentation I explain how living “in between” different groups throughout my life creates a healthy tension that has informed my approach to integration as a type of invitational pedagogy that results in transformational encounters inside and outside the classroom. I will then share several specific integration strategies stemming from this “in between-ness” that help to cultivate a hospitable environment and invite redemptive reflection.
Recorded Webinar Link: https://vimeo.com/241084404
Additional Link: http://www.uncw.edu/com/about/olsen.html