Arrupe Seminar an opportunity to learn more about Jesuit education

In an e-mail today, President Stephen Sundborg, S.J., invited faculty and staff to participate in the Arrupe Seminar. His full message follows.

Dear Members of the University Community:

Sixteen years ago, I wrote to encourage participation in a new initiative, the Arrupe Seminar on the Foundations and Vision of Jesuit Education. During these years, over 400 faculty and staff have completed the program and I write once again to encourage your participation this coming academic year. You have by now received a message from Jen Tilghman-Havens, Donna Teevan and Jesuit Rector Fr. Arturo Araujo, S.J., describing the Seminar and inviting individuals from the Seattle University community to apply. This project, initiated by the Jesuit Community in collaboration with the university, is a partnership between Jesuits and lay colleagues. Fr. Peter Ely, S.J., of beloved memory, was one of the founders and longtime animators of the program. As President, I want to underscore the importance of this project and encourage your participation.

Our Vision of the Future as articulated in our Strategic Directions, says: “We will be one of the most innovative and progressive Jesuit and Catholic universities in the world…” The Arrupe Seminar, requiring as it does an extended and serious commitment on the part of participants, can be a particularly effective way for faculty, staff and administrators of the university to explore the foundations of this vision. The responsibility for the Jesuit and Catholic character of Seattle University falls on all of its members – staff, faculty, trustees and administrators. The more deeply we all understand the tradition, the better we can incorporate its elements into our own role at the university and the more committed we will feel to sustaining it and passing it on to our students.

I urge you to give careful consideration to participating in the Seminar. Please send an email to arrupeseminar@seattleu.edu with questions or to register. If it does not fit your schedule during this coming year, you may consider it another year. Because it has been so well-received by our faculty and staff, the Arrupe Seminar has become a regular offering on the part of the Jesuits and the university, and I am grateful for those who lead it.

I commend the Jesuits and their colleagues who have made this opportunity available and the faculty and staff who have completed the Arrupe Seminar.

Sincerely, 

Father Steve