In my role as Student Engagement Staff in the Philosophy and Religious Studies Department I often get to interact with students in need of direction and guidance. With one recent encounter I used a method of personal analysis based on the work of the late USC philosopher, Dallas Willard. He called it the VIM method. I outline some of what I shared with the student below. What I particularly like about this approach is that recognizes the critical importance of “vision.” This is to acknowledge that people cannot be forced into human flourishing or that which is good for them. What we can do is to paint a vision of the good life that they might find alluring and motivating. As I interacted with this student I tried to guide the discussion with questions that would bring this student face-to-face with their ultimate goals and their understanding of the “good life.” I think “vision” is the key component and the other two (intention and means) can fall into fall rather nicely under the guidance of a wise counselor.
VISION
What is your vision for the “good life”?
Physically, emotionally, spiritually
Relationships
Vocation, life-work
If the desires of my heart came true, what would it look like? (Try to be specific)
What do you want to be doing/experiencing in …
One year?
Two years?
Five years?
Ten years?
INTENTION
Vision is not enough. We need to intend by an act of the will (actually, repeated acts of the will) to move toward the Vision set before us.
We cannot merely dream—we must act!
Clarifying vision can help motivate intention. As I see clearly the good life, my desires for it increase and I’m more and more willing to move my will toward it.
Have I really intended to pursue the Vision before me?
Am I willing to begin to make the changes necessary to begin to see the Vision fulfilled?
If not, why? What is holding me up?
MEANS
What are the tools, resources, people, and practices that I will need to see Vision fulfilled?
Tools, resources: Technologies, Services (counseling, professional organizations)
People: Counselors (professional, wise family and friends), family, friends
Practices: Study habits, time management, focused “free-time,”
Question: What one thing do I need to do today to pursue VIM?
Why is it I find myself humming the theme song from the 1980s sitcom “Cheers?”
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name
And they’re always glad you came
You want to be where you can see
Our troubles are all the same
You want to be where everybody knows your name
Ah… the hunger and quest for community. To be known by name by those who are glad you came—finding such a place is a great human good!
Here at GCC, there are two communities that I am a part of that have allowed me to participate in this “great human good.” The one is relatively new, and the other is a longer-term community that is producing deep and lasting relational effects.
The first, and newer, community is a Christian Professors Group. As the name would imply, this group is a community of like-minded individuals that gather regularly for discussion on how our mutual faith-commitment can stimulate us in our role as educators. This is a shared comradery that seeks to inculcate and sustain serious reflection on how the Christian knowledge tradition can influence us as participants in our various disciplines as well as move us to “love our neighbor” inside and outside the classroom. It is exciting to be challenged to think about the intellectual virtues needed in the academic context and how these might be modeled in our GCC context. One such intellectual virtue is that of being “fair-minded.” In his book The Outrageous Idea of the Missional Professor, Paul Gould helpful notes:
“The virtue of intellectual fair-mindedness requires that we willingly listen in an even-handed way to those with whom we disagree. It is to strive to understand another’s position and to resist erecting simplistic straw man arguments against our opponents which in turn are quickly (and often smugly) refuted. Perhaps the worry is that being open to another’s viewpoint in a fair-minded way leads to relativism. Alternatively, perhaps the worry is that such fair-mindedness is not possible given our psychological biases. Neither worry is legitimate. Being fair-minded is consistent with the belief that there is an objective truth to be found. Further, one can be psychologically biased and maintain rational objectivity. Our biases don’t stand as an insurmountable wall between our minds and the objective world. Being fair-minded is one application of the golden rule: we would want others to treat us and the views we hold with fairness and charity, and we should do likewise in return.”
Engaging with fellow travelers in the Way as we seek to bring truth, value, and charity to our students and institution has been rewarding.
The second community is one which I have had a longer tenure with—six years—and in which I have found on-going friendship as well as intellectual challenge. I’m speaking of the GCC Philosophy Club. The wonderful community provided by this group of individuals is due, in large part, to the pioneering efforts and ongoing activity of the head of the Philosophy and Religious Studies Department, Peter Lupu. He is the community-builder behind the community we enjoy.
Peter and I on a panel discussion in 2019
Over the years the GCC Philosophy Club has had many students participate in its activities. Every Friday at 1 pm we can be found outside the LA building under the “Tree of Knowledge” discussing, debating, laughing, and, just in general, having a good time. We even have doughnuts occasionally. There is an exciting energy in having 6-12 students and faculty engaged in topics of keen importance (and some which are frivolous but fun). Our end of the semester meals at a local restaurant are memorable. There’s nothing like experiencing a student committed to communism have to courageously defend his views over a plate of gyros and fries!
One measure of the power of this community is how many students who have graduated from GCC continue to come back and join our discussions. During the peak time of Covid when we were meeting virtually, we sometimes had more former students joining us for our Zoom calls than current students. Personally, I have made friendships with students that have continued beyond their time at GCC. I know students pursuing degrees in philosophy who are now at ASU and U of A, and we continue to stay in contact, trading articles back-and-forth and catching a lunch together when we can. In fact, last summer I met with a group of former GCC students every Friday for lunch at our favorite pizza place—well, it was my favorite. We would discuss philosophy articles and current events. And, of course, all of this was punctuated by tons of laughter, Pepsi and pizza.
Community… the word speaks of the safety and the goodness of friendship. To find it is to find something precious. I’m thankful of the places where everybody knows my name (and I theirs) and they are glad to include me in their number.
Along with some time here in this wonderful 6×6 space, I am also part of one of the learning communities on the Bothell campus at the University of Washington. Each year staff and faculty can choose to join one of the many communities offered, and for the last five years I have elected to participate in the same one: Teaching and Learning on the Open Web. Several others have as well and we rely on each other for help. You know, like friends. My post for this week is about that community.
It feels good to have a sense of community, and all of the things that go with it. Trust. Continuity. Common ground and common goals. Shared values. We are fortunate.
In November of last year, we wondered about how to best fulfill our mission of learning about and practicing “Teaching and Learning on the Open Web.” We had read articles in the past and discussed them. We have gone to conferences and shared our learnings. We have ordered and read books. We have retreated together and explored new tools and teaching practices. We have done good things. But in November, we pondered another way to be with our groups and shape our community. We wondered what it would be like to bring in a guest speaker to our monthly meetings and have them share a story with us. It seemed reasonable. Maybe it would work?
So, we looked for some people in the field of teaching and learning to tell us a story. An epiphany even! In December, we had Robin DeRosa hare a story about her discovery of Pressbooks. In January, we had Lisa Young share her story of the inception of the Maricopa Millions project. And just last week we had Jim Groom tell us about the origins of the digital storytelling class, ds106. In April, we have Claire Howell Major sharing her story of a book she crafted with the help of many others titled, Teaching Online.
So that is what we did and where we are. For each of the “campfire visits” we have a notes document that gets turned into a post on our website.
The one about Jim will be posted there by Wednesday. For today, here is the recording if you have an hour
This new idea, and the incredible amount of wisdom and opportunity generated within us the desire to meet twice a month as a community! The new meeting is scheduled a week after the “fireside guest” visit and we debrief and ponder our futures. It also gives us some dedicated time to write. If only all of our vibrant discussions were reality! We would have an amazing effect on the campus and our students! We have been in the presence of visionaries and we have been inspired!
For me, the next level up is to take our combined funding for the learning community and invest it back in professional development opportunities for the whole campus. I am going to ask our community to buy 1,500 dollars work of books about teaching and learning so that our small campus will have a learning library. Currently, the plan is to spend it on a conference… I imagine our work will be to push the books out to the community and hopefully get some others to read about teaching and learning. We will see.
Anyway, that is the story for the week. I am off to Scotland and Ireland for a couple weeks so my next two posts will be a bit different. I am going to try to do them using only my phone and my voice! I hope.
Lastly, how exciting that this is beginning at the start of Open Education Week! Sharing our knowledge, our stories, our hopes. This is good. Check them out on Twitter here and maybe attend a workshop from one of the universities participating in open shared work!
