Shenandoah University has been awarded a $10,000 grant by Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) and the Teagle Foundation to develop a four-course, 12-credit certificate program in Interreligious Leadership for the Professions at Shenandoah University. The program will be led by Assistant Professor of Religion Kevin Minister, Ph.D.
“I am excited for the new Interreligious Leadership for the Professions certificate program, because it will enable our religion program to better collaborate with our undergraduate pre-professional programs in preparing students to work and live in a religiously diverse world,” said Dr. Minister.
Students pursuing the certificate will take two courses in the religion program that focus on developing transferable skills for navigating religious diversity and two courses in a student’s pre-professional area of study that reflect on the unique ways religious diversity shapes their professional field.
“It has never been clearer that our students need the knowledge, skills and practical experience to navigate religious diversity and promote interreligious cooperation in order to be global citizens and successful professionals in the 21st-century workforce,” said Minister. “Whether working in private business, the health professions, or performing arts, the ability to engage with people from different religious traditions has become essential to cooperating with colleagues, serving clients and developing relevant products.”
In addition to the new certificate program, a workshop and mini-grants will be provided to pre-professional faculty in order to develop courses that meet the learning objectives of the certificate program. A pre-professional student leadership team will be developed in order to advise on how to make the certificate program accessible and relevant to students, as well as to promote the program to their peers and faculty.
“I am grateful for the support that deans and faculty members from undergraduate professional programs across the campus gave to this grant proposal,” said Minister. “Their interest and encouragement made the Interreligious Leadership for the Professions program possible, and I look forward to working with them this year as we develop the curriculum.”