Abstract
The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University (CSB/SJU) are historically white, Catholic, and Benedictine residential liberal arts colleges in central Minnesota. The institutions define eleven dispositions as “Our Benedictine Values”: Awareness of God, Community Living, Dignity of Work, Hospitality, Justice, Listening, Moderation, Peace, Respect for Persons, Stability, and Stewardship. If practiced intentionally, the Benedictine values may help instructors and students create inclusive learning environments in which all persons have the opportunity to learn and thrive. In addition, incorporating aspects of the Benedictine values into their pedagogy may help instructors at CSB/SJU strengthen their “academic commitments to the mission.” This essay shares my attempts to incorporate the Benedictine values into my pedagogy, how I invited and encouraged students in my 2016 fall semester first-year seminar section to practice these values, our reflections on our attempts to practice the values, and observations on the effectiveness of practicing these values to create an inclusive learning environment.
Recommended Citation
Nash, Jonathan
(2017)
"Practicing Benedictine Values to Create an Inclusive Learning Environment,"
Headwaters:
Vol. 30, 223-241.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/headwaters/vol30/iss1/1