A highlight this past academic year was the Faculty Commons quarterly lunch panel discussions. Open to interested faculty from any background, these were opportunities for to meet together and discuss how Christianity impacts both teaching and research.
Topics this past year included the challenges of ChatGPT and teaching, the tension of extending justice and grace in cheating or plagiarism, and how faith impacts classroom content.
We’re looking forward to continuing this series again in the 2023-2024 academic year.
Our next lunch is tentatively scheduled for Thursday November 9th 11:10am-12:00pm. Providing a space to discuss how Christianity can be lived out in the classroom, all faculty are welcome. We hope you can join us.
As we move into the Fall, a highlight this past summer was helping faculty engage their faith in both gospel service and gospel proclamation.
Working with Filter of Hope Guatemala, our team of 15 faculty, PhD students, spouses and kids, and Cru staff served alongside two local churches working to meet the physical and spiritual needs of their communities.
Access to clean drinking water is a huge issue throughout much of the developing world, and we had the opportunity to both install portable water filters and to share the gospel at over 40 homes.
Yanping, originally from China, sharing her faith via translator with two families
Marisela and her family were just one of the many homes we visited. She is a believer and had been praying for years for her two older daughters, who were not yet Christians. With limited access to clean drinking water, Marisela was excited to receive a filter. More importantly, she wanted her daughters to hear the gospel. After an hour or so installing and demonstrating how the filter works, we took time to share what we called the “second gift” — God’s free gift of salvation.
The filter is an incredible illustration of the gospel: our lives representing the dirty water, and that only through Christ – God’s “filter” or mediator – can our lives become clean. What a privilege – and an answer to a mother’s prayer – to see both of these young women indicate a decision to place their faith Christ for the forgiveness of their sins.
We love this feedback from Professor Yan Whisler:
“This trip provided a great entry to families with a physical need for clean water and a natural way to transition into conversation about faith in Jesus Christ … This trip has been life-transforming and has unleashed them for God’s Kingdom work.
“On a personal note, as a believer from China, a country that has been on the receiving end of the gospel message, I made a commitment to God four years ago that I would share the gospel with people groups other than my own. God used this trip to show me a glimpse of what that might look like. This trip is my first international mission trip and I consider it a milestone of my participation in God’s global Mission. I look forward to the day as described in Psalm 86:9. “All the nations you have made will come and worship before You, Lord; they will bring glory to Your Name.”
Alberto, originally from Colombia, explaining (in Spanish) at a home how the filter works
A unique part of this trip was that fully half of our team were fluent in Spanish. It was incredible having faculty and PhD students originally from Colombia, Peru, and Chile serving families and being able to communicate in their heart language. It was such a reminder of the global impact of the gospel.
Claudia, originally from Chile, shared “I learned how to share the gospel in a simple way…trusting in how God will act in each person. The trip was a necessary step to practice my faith and know more about who God is.”
Ericka, originally from Peru, shared “this mission trip was an eye opening for me. I can see how the Lord has been preparing me through all my previous experiences to be an instrument of His word. He has made me a living testimony of what He can do in people’s lives. Seeing this people struggling badly with things I enjoy at home, touched my heart and made me realized He wants me to do His work in unknown places for me with unknown people, because He is everywhere.”
Here’s a link to a short video from Filter of Hope and an overview of their ministry.
A similar trip – with faculty serving alongside a team of Cal Poly students – is tentatively planned during Spring Break 2024. Please let us know if you’d like more information about this opportunity.
Recently, some colleagues with Faculty Commons passed along this link to University of North Carolina History Professor Molly Worthen sharing about her spiritual journey. Professor Worthen received both her undergraduate degree and PhD from Yale University, and her testimony of coming to Christ as both an adult and an academic is encouraging.
We realize that – yes – this is a long podcast, but definitely worth listening to, in our opinion. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we did.
Save the date for a special Faculty Commons lunch event.
When: Thursday, May 18, 2023 11:10am – 12:00 pm
Where: Bldg 10, Rm 100
What: Pizza lunch, panelists, and round-table discussion
Topic: ChatGPT & Teaching
As a freely-available AI, ChatGPT can write your students’ essays, code, and graphics. How do we respond in our teaching? Should we allow our students to use ChatGPT? How and when can we use it in our teaching?
Come hear the thoughts from a panel of fellow Christian faculty and then discuss your ideas too.
Please RSVP on the calendar invite by the night before to help order the right amount of food. But please come even if you did not RSVP.
Please save the date for a special Faculty Commons lunch event.
When: Thursday, Feb 23rd from 11:10 – 12:00 pm
Where: Bldg 10, Rm 100
What: Pizza lunch, panelists, and round-table discussion
Topic: Incorporating Christianity into your class content
Our Christian faith interacts with every part of us—including the subjects we love to teach. What does it look like to integrate Christian beliefs, teachings, principles, or stories into the material we teach in the classroom?
Come hear some examples from a panel of fellow Christian faculty and then discuss your ideas too.
Please RSVP on the calendar invite by the night before to help order the right amount of food. But please come even if you did not RSVP.
You are invited to join other professors and future professors at the 15th annual Winds of Change event. We hope you will be encouraged, inspired and have the opportunity to network with others who seek to fulfill God’s calling on their lives.
Saturday, March 4, 2023 9:00 am – 3:00 pm Pacific Time
Speakers: Charles M.C. Lee, Professor Emeritus, Accounting, Stanford University and his wife Lily
After Dr. Lee spoke at a webinar on “What is Success?” in February 2022, we invited him to speak on “What is success for a Christian professor?”
What are ways to navigate our individual calling and corporate calling as Christian professors? What does it look like to be fulfilled?
You can view a recording of Dr. Lee’s webinar on the Veritas Forum site: What is Success? A behavioral economist reflects on faith & career | Dr. Charles Lee
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Early registration: In-person $75/person, Virtual $30/person
Many thanks to everyone who took time to participate in the Faculty Commons “Grace and Justice in Teaching” lunch event last week. It was wonderful to hear different Christian perspectives on dealing with issues like cheating, plagiarism, and late assignments, and how to help students struggling academically. And – after almost a three year absence – to enjoy some face to face connection together. We look forward to future events.
Save the date for a special Faculty Commons lunch event.
When: Thursday, Nov 3rd from 11:10am – 12:00 pm
Where: Bldg 10, Rm 100
What: Pizza lunch, panelists, and round-table discussion
Topic: Balancing grace and justice in our teaching
As Christians we serve a just God who is also full of graces. What does it look like to emulate this balance of justice and grace in our teaching? How should we respond to cheating or plagiarism? Late assignments or struggling students?
Come hear some practical ideas from a panel of fellow Christian faculty and then discuss your ideas too.
Please RSVP on the calendar invite by the night before to help order the right amount of food. But please come even if you did not RSVP.
On behalf of Faculty Commons, we’d like to welcome each new faculty member to Cal Poly. We hope your experience here is successful and enjoyable. Please let us know if we can serve as a resource, either professionally or personally.
It’s our hope to drop off a small welcome gift before the end of the quarter. Please let us know if for some reason you haven’t received one yet — we’ll be sure and get one to you.
G3 groups are groups of 4-5 faculty members meeting for 50 minutes every other week for for community, growth, and prayer. The groups are committed to:
• building community: a chance to share with a few others about life – challenges and opportunities, both on and off campus.
• growing faith: taking time to discuss a passage of Scripture or short article together, and pray for each other.
• living out our faith: why has God called each of us to a public university? What does it mean to live out our faith on campus with our colleagues and students, to to love and serve those around us?
G3’s are open to faculty wherever they are at in their spiritual journey: whether interested in exploring Christianity or growing in their faith.
The groups are are scheduled around faculty member’s availability, and the small group format makes it easier to find a time when a group can meet. If you’d like to be in a group, you can let us know your availability here.
For the 2022-2023 academic year, we’ll have groups meeting both in person on campus, and virtually.
Please contact us if you’d like to be in a group, or have any questions.
Faculty Commons SLO 