HE Bulletin July 2010

Higher Education Bulletin
July 2010

The Higher Education staff in the Education Division at Church House (Stephen
Heap and Gabriella Di Salvo) produce this Bulletin to support the network of
Anglican Higher Education Chaplains in England by providing accessible and
relevant information for Chaplains and other interested parties. We are happy to
make it available to others also. Please contact Gabriella or Stephen to go on the
mailing list. If there is something you would like considered for inclusion, please e-
mail gabriella.disalvo@c-of-e.org.uk. We hope to have the next bulletin out on
August 23rd. Please let us have material for inclusion by Monday 16th August.
Thanks!

To contact the National Adviser, Stephen Heap, please e-mail stephen.heap@c-of-
e.org.uk or phone 020 7898 1513 or write to The Revd Dr Stephen Heap, Higher
Education Adviser, Church House, Great Smith St, Westminster SW1P 3NZ

In this bulletin:

1. Inter-Faith Matters
2. HE Issues
3. Forthcoming Events
4. Training
5. Pastoral
6. Vacancy
7. Students and Christianity

1. INTER- FAITH MATTERS

1.1 Yad Washem Seminar - 4-15 October 2010
The Council of Christians and Jews has written: we are the UK’s leading agency for the
Church’s relationship with the Jewish people. Since 1942 we have pioneered Christian and
Jewish dialogue, making great headway in theological, community and cultural understanding.

Higher Education Bulletin – June 2010
The Seminar comprises an intensive 10 days of lectures, seminars and workshops specifically for
clergy and lay leaders. The programme is designed jointly by the Head of the British Desk at
Yad Vashem, and Dr Jane Clements, CCJ consultant. It features lectures from international
scholars and opportunities to engage with rabbis exploring religious and theological
perspectives. The topics covered include Jewish life before the Holocaust,
communities, the history of Jewish/Christian relations, art, the Final
Solution, survivor stories and theological issues.

Places are extremely limited and are taken up very quickly.
More information and application form can be found http://www.ccj.org.uk/Yadvashem-Seminar
The cost is just £832 which includes flights, in-country transport, all taxes, full board,
excursions, entry fees, tours. Please complete the on-line application form and send to:
cjrelations@ccj.org.uk marked Yad Vashem Seminar

1.2 Inter Faith Week 2010: 21-27 November
Inter Faith Week will run from Sunday 21 to Saturday 27 November 2010. Its aims are:
• to strengthen good inter faith relations at all levels;
• to increase awareness of the different and distinct faith communities in the UK, in
particular celebrating and building on the contribution which their members make to
their neighbourhoods and to wider society;
• to increase understanding between people of religious and non-religious belief.
The Week is being led by the Inter Faith Network for the UK, working with its member bodies.
It will be community-led, with local people and groups of different backgrounds holding their
own events and highlighting work going on to promote understanding between people of
different faiths and beliefs.
Please follow the link below:
http://www.interfaithweek.org/

1.3 Multi- faith Spaces in Higher Education Institutions
Terry Biddington has sent us this to introduce the recently-launched research project: 'Multi-
Faith Spaces: Symptoms and Agents of Social and Political Change' - an assessment of the design,
maintenance, perception and effects of Multi-Faith Spaces (henceforth, MFS).

Terry is a member of the group working on this and says: We are in the early stages of our
investigation and are currently seeking to:

(1) Locate a wide range of MFS to visit and survey.
(2) Speak with individuals who are (or have been) involved in their design and management.
(3) Locate and evaluate key documents and materials.

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We are very aware of the relevance of this project to the work of HE chaplaincy, of the steady
growth in MFS on HE campuses, and of the profile of MFS within the development strategies of
the HEIs.

We would like to enlist your interest and support.

Please email us if you would like to take part in this research or require any further information.
We will then contact you to arrange a conversation, interview, or visit (as appropriate).

Additionally, if you could send us any the following it would be greatly appreciated:

(1) Nominations for MFS that could be included in this research (including your own)
(2) An indication of whether you wish to receive further updates about this project (or if you
wish to be removed from our database).
(3) Any documents or photographs you think may be of interest to our research team.

Further information is available on our website at www.manchester.ac.uk/mfs where we outline
the project and our dissemination strategy in more detail. Full contact details (alongside Twitter
and Blog Feeds) can also be found on the site.

If you would prefer an initial informal conversation, please contact Terry Biddington, Co-
ordinating Chaplain to the Manchester HE Community on 0161 275 2894 or via email
terry.biddington@manchester.ac.uk

2. HE ISSUES
2.1 Vince Cable’s speech
IMPORTANT SPEECH!!!!! Vince Cable, minister at the Department of Business, Innovation and
Skills, made a speech on July 15th which I think will turn out to be a key one for the guidance of
the development of the sector during the present government. It can be found at

http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=414467&NewsAreaID=2

This really is one to read in full if you are at all interested in the context within which we do
our work.

3. FORTHCOMING EVENTS

3.1 Anglican and Methodist Chaplains conference (includes those serving
in ecumenical chaplaincies linked to either or both denomination). This will be held in High

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Leigh from September 6 to 9 2010. Contributors include John Newling, the Applecart
th th

Theatre company in ‘Telling the Gospel for lost for lost generations’ (workshop) and
‘Applecart... In Which There’ll be Hocus-Pocus and Mumbo Jumbo’ (performance)
http://www.applecartlive.org/welcome.htm, . The programme includes the Vivace Quartet as
well.
Steve Egan (Deputy Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England) and
Bishop John Saxbee, (Chair of Church of England Board of Education and author of No Faith in
Religion). The theme is ‘Dreams and Realities’. Music, literature and art will help us to dream,
including about what we are about in higher education …… and we will face some realities
about the place of religion in society and about the funding constraints of the present days. To
book, please complete the form below.

Anglican Methodist
Sept 2010- ...

3.2 In Bad Faith –Workshops
Speaker - Christian Szurko
Othona Community in Essex
Saturday 28th August to Saturday 4th September

Workshops examining the nature of what the organisers of the workshops call extremist
authoritarian sects and the needs of people harmed by involvement with them. Organised by
the Dialog Centre UK, which has worked in this field for over 30 years.

Link: http://www.dialogcentre.org.uk/
Link: http://www.bos.othona.org/

3.3 New Chaplains Training
The Churches Higher Education Liaison Group offers training to all new to chaplaincy (chaplains
and chaplaincy assistants). ‘New’ is interpreted widely to mean those who have been in post for
up to a year (or more if you want to come), those about to start, and those thinking they might
want to go into HE chaplaincy at some point and want to explore what it is about. The training
begins on 22nd July 2010 with a day session at Methodist Church House in Marylebone Rd,
London. There is then a residential session January 19th to 21st, 2011. The day in July will help
to ‘map out the territory’, looking at some of the issues people commonly face when moving
into chaplaincy and beginning to think about how to face them. The January residential includes
a visit to two chaplaincies, theological reflection on the models of chaplaincy at work in them,
and other sessions which we will decide on in the light of the day in July. Subjects typically
covered are working ecumenically, working in a multi-faith context, handling religion in the
public sphere, the spirituality of young adults, what are the key issues in higher education?

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To book, please complete the form below:

New Chaplains Conf
Booking For...

3.4 Awareness Foundation course
Here are details of a course from the Foundation which they say is aimed at helping Christians
engage more confidently with people whose faith is different from their own and with such
issues as fundamentalism, the impact of globalisation and secularism.
The first module, called 'Citizens of Two Kingdoms' is now ready to go out on the road,
as it were. There will be others to follow. It would be ideal for student groups. Basically, the
Awareness Course:

• Looks at Christianity in the context of the 21st century
• Includes Islamic and Jewish perspectives to promote better self
understanding and broaden horizons
• Does not assume prior knowledge
• Is versatile and easy to teach

Each module consists of 8 sessions. Each session comprises a mix of teaching and group
activities and discussion, both aimed at relating the material to people’s own life experiences
and to the context in which they live and work. Total time 80-90 minutes including a teaching
DVD and up to 40 minutes for activities and discussion. The role of the course leader is
that of facilitator and motivator. Each course pack contains:

• A course book
• 20 study packs for participants
• A DVD with 16 core teaching segments which are interspersed throughout
the session.

Cost £99 with extra packs available at low cost.

Support for course leaders is available via e-mail:
education@awareness-foundation.com and phone 020 7730 8830.
www.awareness-foundation.com

3.5 Religious Literacy Leadership in Higher Education
Universities face many challenges in the coming years of economic pressure and difficult social
choices. The Religious Literacy Leadership in Higher Education programme supports universities to
make the most of what faith can offer in addressing these challenges in important practical ways

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including: Equalities and Diversity; Widening Participation and Social Mobility; Good Campus
Relations; and Student Experience.

Religious Literacy Leadership workshops

Participants will engage with critically rooted input from leading thinkers on religion in the public sphere, and
work through carefully researched case study materials to think through concrete responses to real-life
practical challenges in HEIs.

York: Workshop A - 13 September 2010
Workshop B - 18 October 2010

London: Workshop A - 17 September 2010
Workshop B - 22 October 2010

These two-part Religious Literacy Leadership workshops are FREE OF CHARGE.
For more details, and to reserve your place please call 01904876272 or email: info@religiousliteracyHE.org or
visit the website www.religiousliteracyHE.org

Play a leading role in society with regard to matters of religion and belief

Workshops for SM RLLP Leaflet (small
and HE Leaders leaflet.pdf size).pdf

3.6 CEUC
Next year’s conference is in Hungary 11-18 June 2011
Allan Smith was elected as the new CEUC rep for the UK & Ireland

3.7 Student Linkup
Luke Smith of Fusion has sent us this:

Student Linkup. Every year, thousands of young people leave a church and go off to university.
Sadly, most of them don't find a church when they get to university. We need to change this
and Student Linkup is one way of doing that. Go to www.studentlinkup.org and you will see
how a young person can register and say where they are expecting to go to university and
Fusion will connect them to churches in university location. Please send this on to anyone you
know going to university this year.
It is also worth sending them this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2ob_Y7tohU about
starting university. Made by Miriam, a current student. Share it on Facebook. Its so important
we get this message out there.
Also please 'like' student linkup on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/student-linkup/
117734187867?ref=ts

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3.8 National Inter-Faith Forum
Kat Luckock is the NUS's faiths worker and has sent this. I know Kat would appreciate it if you
encouraged any participation you can!

INFORMATION
SHEET_National Int...

4. TRAINING
4.1Ecumenical Course
A leaflet given out at CEUC gives details of courses at St Philip's Centre in Leicester, which
works with 'Study and Engagement in a multi faith society'. One course is an 'Ecumenical Course
for Chaplains in HE and FE'. See www.stphilipscentre.co.uk

5. PASTORAL

5.1 Suicide and Young People
Sadly,many chaplains have to deal with student suicides from time to time. The attached briefing
note from the National Children's Bureau might be of interest.

Suicide and young
people.pdf

6. VACANCIES

6.1 Internship Advert

Internship Advert
June 2010 - long version.doc

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7 STUDENTS AND CHRISTIANITY

Dr Sonia Sharma writes: -

Christianity and the University Experience in Contemporary England is a groundbreaking, 3-year
study conducted collaboratively by academics from the universities of Durham, Derby and
Chester. It is funded by the AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society Programme, Religion and Youth
Scheme.

University is an important stage of personal development, where students’ attitudes and values,
including religious ones, can be questioned, abandoned, modified or strengthened. Christians are
the largest student faith group, and chaplaincies and other Christian activities have always been
present on English university campuses. Nonetheless, there is almost no empirical research on
Christianity amongst university students in England.

Our project will take place in two phases: (i) a national survey of undergraduates – including
those who see themselves as Christians and those who do not - across a selection of
universities across England, and (ii) 3 in-depth case studies, involving qualitative interviews and
focus groups with a sample of undergraduate students in 3 English universities.

Our overall aim is to paint a picture of Christianity on the university campus, including the
beliefs and values of Christians when compared with non-Christians, the convictions they bring
with them to university and those they take from the university context, and how religious
identities are affected by experiences of teaching, learning and involvement in social networks.

This will be the first in-depth study of Christianity among undergraduates at English universities
and will examine not just the religious and moral values of students but also their implications
for social difference and cohesion among the student body.

For more information please visit our website at www.cueproject.org.uk or email Dr. Sonya
Sharma at sonya.sharma@durham.ac.uk

-------------------------------------

With best wishes,
Gabriella
Gabriella Di Salvo – Executive Assistant, Lifelong Learning Team, Education Division

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HE Bulletin July 2010

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