Kenrick-Glennon Seminary Revised Assessment Program
Note: The following assessment plan was updated in 2021.
Assessment Program for the MDiv Degree
Seminary Mission
Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and to the glory of God the Father, we seek each seminarian’s configuration to the Heart of Jesus Christ, High Priest and Shepherd, so that he can shepherd wholeheartedly with Christ’s pastoral charity.
M.Div. Program Purpose
The MDIV is a graduate professional degree. It aims to prepare seminarians for ordained ministry and pastoral leadership through an integration of human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral dimensions of formation.
M.Div. Student Learning Outcomes
Note: The principal goal of each of the following sections is taken from the Program for Priestly Formation, 6th edition. Further specifications say, in effect, “and this is how we look for evidence of the achievement of that goal at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary.”
Human Formation: the seminarian is to become an apt instrument of Christ’s grace to others – his human personality will be a bridge and not an obstacle for others in their meeting with Jesus Christ. (PPF6, #177)
1. Seminarians will give evidence of affective maturity (they are secure in themselves) through:
Taking positive, concrete steps in response to formational input. (Docility)
Showing knowledge and acceptance of personal strengths and weaknesses. (Self-awareness, self-possession)
Showing generosity with personal and material resources. (Self-gift)
Demonstrating resilience in the face of the demands of ordinary parish and seminary life, including challenges and setbacks. (Perseverence)
Artifacts: 1) Direct: Cohort Data aggregated over time. 2) Indirect: Survey (quantifiable data) + Focus Groups Discussion (qualitative data). (There will also be general institutional assessment through the yearly Community Survey.)
2. Seminarians will give evidence of being a bridge, not an obstacle, to others in their meeting with God through:
Showing empathy and/or sympathy.
Showing a capacity to understand others, and to be understood.
Artifacts: 1) Direct: Cohort Data + Theological Reflections and/or Homilies, scored with a rubric specified for these outcomes. 2) Indirect: Focus Groups Discussion. (There will also be general institutional assessment through the yearly Community Survey.)
Spiritual Formation: Learning to live in intimate and unceasing union with the Trinity. (PPF6, #219)
Seminarians will be conformed to Christ, the priest, in his intimate and unceasing union with the Father and the Holy Spirit, in:
- Prayer: Sustaining a personal and sacramental prayer life that will nourish ministry.
- Living the Paschal Mystery: Knowing himself as a sinner, and as a recipient of grace, and making a concerted effort to remain in a state of grace.
- Reflection: Reflecting on human experience in the context of faith.
- Leadership: Leading others into a personal prayer life.
Artifacts: 1) Direct: Theological Reflections (with rubric specified for these outcomes). 2) Indirect: Focus Groups Discussion. (There will also be general institutional assessment through the yearly Community Survey.) 3) Summary of growth and blessings (if they did one).
Intellectual Formation: the seminarian is to become widely knowledgeable about the human condition, deeply engaged in a process of understanding divine revelation, and adequately skilled in communicating his knowledge to as many people as possible. (PPF6, #256)
Seminarians will:
- Understand: Understand Revelation in the Tradition of the Church.
- Know: Demonstrate knowledge of the basic content and structure of the faith.
- Interpret: Faithfully interpret Scripture, Tradition, and Magisterial teaching.
- Synthesize: Synthesize and organize the presentation of the faith.
- Communicate: Communicate in a way that is clear, accurate, accessible (relates Catholic faith and tradition effectively to human experience), and provides hope.
Artifacts: 1) Direct: MDiv Summative Evaluations (papers, exams), Homilies (with a rubric specified for these outcomes). 2) Indirect: Focus Groups Discussion. (There will also be general institutional assessment through the yearly Community Survey.)
Pastoral Formation: the seminarian is to become a shepherd with the knowledge and skill to teach and preach well (teach), to celebrate the sacraments properly and prayerfully (sanctify), and to respond to people’s needs as well as take initiatives in the community (govern). (PPF6, #351)
Seminarians will show:
1. Leadership:
Liturgical leadership. Preside at liturgical celebrations: a) in accordance with the Church’s liturgical rubrics; b) in a way that is consonant with the scriptural, theological, and traditional meaning of the rites; c) in a manner that draws people into active participation.
Pastoral leadership. Provide leadership that shows: a) creativity – the ability to see what isn’t there, and how to make new things happen; b) collaboration – the ability to work with a variety of people, in a variety of pastoral situations, calling forth the gifts of others in the community, c) initiative – outreach to and engagement with others; d) vision – the capacity of articulate a vision; e) orientation toward mission – knowing what the end is, and how to get there without distraction.
2. Resilience, the ability to “live in the tension” with sensitivity, boldness, and courage:
Handle complex parish situations in a way that bears witness to the truth lived in charity, and fosters harmony as much as possible
Engage in individual accompaniment in a way that bears witness to the truth lived in charity, and respects the capacity of the receiver as much as possible.
Respond to criticism and calls for accountability with humility, patience, and confidence.
3. Application, the ability to apply the faith in pastoral contexts:
Communicate the truths of the faith in a way that is adapted to the needs of the audience.
Show insight into how people struggle to understand and live the faith.
Show how Catholic faith, tradition, and theology illuminate the meaning and purpose of human experience.
Guide people to discern the demands of the Gospel in the particular circumstances of their lives.
Artifacts: 1) Direct: Alumni Survey, Pastor of Alumni Survey (or Vicar for Priests). 2) Indirect: Focus Groups Discussion. (There will also be general institutional assessment through the yearly Community Survey.)
Note: Non-specific language in the outcomes will be clarified and specified in the rubric. (E.g.: What is a “complex parish situation”? What is the tension with regard to respecting “the capacity of the receiver”?)
Process:
General institutional assessment takes place every year through the Community Survey.
Each component of the overall formation program is assessed on a three-year cycle. (Pastoral formation is the focus one year. Intellectual formation is the focus one year. Spiritual and human formation are the focus one year.)
Each spring: assessment data is gathered on “Spring Assessment Day.” (This includes both general institutional data and data specific to the formation program under review that year.) Direct measure artifacts are scored on Assessment Day, and focus group discussions are held on Assessment Day.
Each summer: the Coordinator of Assessment compiles the data from Assessment Day into one Assessment Report.
Each fall: 1) The Assessment Report is given to the faculty and the Board of Trustees. 2) Faculty members discuss the Assessment Report on “Fall Assessment Day.” 3) Initial discussion and possible recommendations are recorded by the Academic Dean, and brought to the Programs and Policies Committee for prioritization: what are the top 3-5 recommendations? 4) The top recommendations of Programs and Policies are brought back to the faculty for ratification. A plan is made for implementing recommended changes.
Closing the Loop: implementation of recommended changes is reviewed the following year, during the faculty assessment discussion. (How did we do? What difference has it made?)
Assessment Program: MA in Theology
Seminary Mission
Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and to the glory of God the Father, we seek each seminarian’s configuration to the Heart of Jesus Christ, High Priest and Shepherd, so that he can shepherd wholeheartedly with Christ’s pastoral charity.
MA Program Purpose
The MA in Theology is a graduate academic degree. In preparation for the possibility of ordained ministry and pastoral leadership, it aims to prepare seminarians to research, communicate, and debate – in a scholarly and rigorous way – the Church’s theological tradition.
MA Student Learning Outcomes
Note: Because all MA students are already enrolled in the MDiv program, the MA Assessment Program only looks at those SLO’s that are unique to the MA degree.
Seminarian will:
Conduct in-depth research on a particular topic.
Explain the faith in a way that is scholarly and rigorous, ready for:
Teaching
Communication
Continuing Studies
Communicate the truths of the faith in a way that: a) shows the internal coherence of individual elements of the faith; b) shows the connection of different elements of the faith to each other; c) shows the link between the faith and lived experience.
Appreciate and evaluate nuanced perspectives
Artifacts: 1) Direct: MA Thesis (with a rubric specified for these outcomes). 2) Indirect: Focus Groups Discussion. (There will also be general institutional assessment through the yearly Community Survey.)
Process:
General institutional assessment takes place every year through the Community Survey.
The Human, Spiritual, and Pastoral experiences of the MA students are assessed as part of the MDiv assessment program, since all MA students are also enrolled in the MDiv.
The MA program is assessed on a three year cycle – so as to coordinate with the Intellectual Formation cycle of MDiv program.
In the spring: assessment data is gathered on “Spring Assessment Day.” (This includes both general institutional data and data specific to the MA program.) Direct measure artifacts are scored on Assessment Day, and focus group discussions are held on Assessment Day.
In the summer: the Coordinator of Assessment compiles the data from Assessment Day into one Assessment Report.
In the fall: 1) The Assessment Report is given to the faculty and the Board of Trustees. 2) Faculty members discuss the Assessment Report on “Fall Assessment Day.” 3) Initial discussion and possible recommendations are recorded by the Academic Dean, and brought to the Programs and Policies Committee for prioritization: what are the top 3-5 recommendations? 4) The top recommendations of Programs and Policies are brought back to the faculty for ratification. A plan is made for implementing recommended changes.
Closing the Loop: implementation of recommended changes is reviewed the following year, during the faculty assessment discussion. (How did we do? What difference has it made?)
