University of the Pacific
The President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge
Advancing Interfaith Cooperation and Community Service
in Higher Education
The following is the planning template for the President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus
Challenge. Campuses submitting service plans should answer the following questions within the word
limits outlined below. The White House is looking forward to the creativity of institutions in designing
their plans, including those that will expand and innovate upon existing programming.
Interested institutions should indicate their intent to participate in the President’s Interfaith and
Community Service Campus Challenge by emailing whpartnerships@who.eop.gov by May 13, 2011.
Service Plans should be submitted to whpartnerships@who.eop.gov by no later than June 24, 2011.
Part I: Institutional Overview
1. Institution Name:
University of the Pacific
2. Institution City/State:
Stockton, CA
3. President’s Name and Contact Information:
Dr. Pamela Eibeck, President@Pacific.edu
4. Institution’s Challenge Lead Name, Title and Contact Information:
Joanna Royce-Davis
Christine Osborne
Dean of Students
Chapel Programming Specialist
jroyce@pacific.edu
cosborne@pacific.edu
Part II: Student Leadership & Cross-Campus Partners
1. Lead Student(s) Name(s), contact information, academic concentration, graduation year, and any
relevant organizational affiliation:
Hamza Siddiqui
President
Shabana Khan
Member
Kelsey Negrete
Member
Lauren Bendik
Officer
Monica Schnapp
h_siddiqui@u.pacific.edu
Junior ‘13
Muslim Student Association
s_khan8@u.pacific.edu
Soph ‘14
Muslim Student Association
k_negrete@u.pacific.edu
Senior ’12
Hillel: Jewish Organization
l_bendik@u.pacific.edu
Senior ’12
Hillel: Jewish Organization
m_schnapp@u.pacific.edu
Soph ’14
Hillel: Jewish Organization
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University of the Pacific
President
Trust Hilton
Jeremy
President
Catherine Vo
Member
Husna Mohammadi
Member
t_hilton@u.pacific.edu
Soph ’14
PRIDE Officer
Secular Student Alliance
c_vo4@u.pacific.edu
Grad
Newman Catholic Community
h_mohammadi@u.pacific.edu Grad
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Interfaith Community/MSA
2. Please list, in as much detail as possible, partner offices or organizations that will be involved in
this program. (Examples include: President’s Office, Office of Multicultural Affairs, Office of Service
Learning, Office of Residential Education, Department of Religious Studies, Department of
Institutional Assessment and Review, Faculty of Arts & Sciences, etc.)
Campus:
Office of Multicultural Affairs
Office of the Chaplain
Department of Religious Studies
SUCCESS
Interfaith & Social Justice Living Learning Community
Office of Housing and Greek Life
Office of Student Leadership and Involvement
Center for Community Involvement
Department of Athletics
Student Life Office of Assessment
First Year Experience Committee (composed of student, staff, and faculty members)
Pacific graduate program in Educational Administration & Leadership with a Specialization in Student
Affairs
Community:
Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, Unitarian Universalist Church, Stockton, CA
Rev. Terri Miller, Valley Ministries Metropolitan Community Church, Stockton, CA
Basim Elkarra, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Sacramento, CA
Rabbi Jason Gwasdoff, Temple Israel, Stockton, CA
Jennifer Ajinga, Foster and Kinship Care Education/ Youth Empowerment Strategies for Success,
Stockton, CA
Cynthia Lederle, Human Services Agency, Stockton, CA
Sherrie Flores, Human Services Agency, Stockton, CA
Lonita Cordova, Independent Living Program, Stockton, CA
3. Please list, in as much detail as possible, partner student organizations that will be involved in this
program. (Examples include: Muslim Students Association, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Circle K,
Hindu Students Association, Secular Students Association, Student Government, etc.)
Muslim Student Association
Hillel: Jewish Organization
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Newman Catholic Community
Pacific Christian Fellowship (InterVarsity)
Secular Student Alliance
Black Campus Ministries
South Asian Student Association
First Generation Student Club
PRIDE: Promoting Respect In Diverse Environments
Social Justice and Interfaith Residential Learning community
Part III: Advancing Interfaith Service
All institutions are encouraged to select a national service priority or priorities to act upon during the
2011-2012 academic year. This section of the strategic plan describes a focus around a particular
service component, including what events will be enacted and how the action around this component
will contribute to the broader campus movement for interfaith cooperation.
1. Select service priority(s) your campus will engage through this initiative:
Educational access and Foster Care Awareness/ Support
A 2005 fact sheet published by Honoring Emancipated Youth documents the significant challenges that
face foster youth, particularly in regards to educational achievement. Foster youth are over-represented
in California with close to 20% of the nation’s foster youth living in the state and about 25% of those
who “age out” of the system residing in California. Educational achievement is of specific concern with
only 46% of youth graduating from high school and less then 1% of students who have been in the foster
care system graduating from college. For those who do make it to college, financial issues are a pressing
concern with many students who have been in foster care not having the finances necessary to purchase
basic school supplies and other resources that contribute to student success.
This issue is especially relevant to the Stockton community where many foster youth reside and where
there are a number of partners willing to invest in their potential and future success. By educating the
Pacific and local community about the challenges foster youth encounter in their pursuit of high school
graduation and access to college through shared work in addressing these issues, we hope to both affect
graduation rates and to deepen interfaith relationships and related dialogue.
2. Why is your institution uniquely committed to address this service priority? Please explain why this
service initiative is particularly relevant to your campus community. – 300 words or less. (i.e. ROTC is a
large percentage of campus, campus already has environmental sustainability within its strategic
plan, etc.)
Educational access and attainment is a pressing concern for California’s Central Valley as a whole. High
school graduation rates hover in a dismal range of 50-60%. The university is positioned and committed
to respond to both the pipeline and persistence issues that are shared with our regional community and
that affect the wellness of the community as a whole. These issues are named as presidential priority at
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the university and have resulted in the development of specific initiatives and programs in the local
elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as focused scholarship and bridge programs that have
been implemented at the university. Pacific also has a well developed partnership with San Joaquin
Delta College with the largest percentage of transfer students to Pacific coming from there and where
many local foster youth begin their educational careers. Pacific is also an active participant in local
interfaith collaborations focused on addressing key social issues facing the Stockton community.
Education is named as a shared priority.
Furthermore, in October of 2010, the Office of the Chaplain sent two students to the Interfaith Youth
Core Conference in Washington D.C. to be trained leaders in the Better Together Campaign. During the
2010-2011 academic year, these students developed and led a campaign to collect school supplies that
were then used to create care packages for current and former San Joaquin County foster youth
attending college. The campaign was a success, reaching all identified local students. The White House
initiative provides an opportunity to expand this project to our established and a number of new
partners who also identify educational access and attainment as a community priority and who may
bring greater financial resources to the table. There is a large population of foster youth in San Joaquin
County, and a very small percentage of these youth are told they can or should go to college, and even
smaller percentage graduate. It is the goal of this initiative to reach out to these youth and support
them in their pursuit of higher education while simultaneously strengthening partnerships across the
university and local region.
3. Please provide a brief overview of what you plan to do in your interfaith service initiative. -750
words or less.
Better Together Campaign and White House Interfaith Initiative Plan:
Continued collections of school supplies, household items and nonperishable foods for former foster
youth in higher education.
Students who brought the Better Together Campaign to Pacific will continue to recruit their peers to
encourage the Pacific community to donate new and gently used school and household items that
contribute to the educational resource needs of local former foster youth. These items will be placed in
care packages and delivered each semester to former foster youth of San Joaquin County. We will
continue our collaboration with the Human Services Agency in Stockton, who helped to identify former
foster youth as well as document the specific individual needs of these students. There is also an
emerging collaboration with the local Kiwanis club in Stockton. This club is currently working with local
foster youth organizations and raising money through fundraisers to financially support two local foster
youth who are beginning their first year of college. A member of the club has expressed interest in
combining our efforts to reach more students with the care packages and Kiwanis fundraising events.
Our partners on the local Interfaith Council have also indicated willingness to bring this campaign to the
faith communities that they lead and to possibly host related awareness raising events.
We will also send two more students to the Interfaith Youth Core Conference in Washington D.C., to be
trained to continue and sustain this portion of our Interfaith Initiative.
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Religious literacy and faith-based training.
We will improve religious literacy on campus through specific collaborations with the Department of
Religious studies, thus impacting learning in and beyond the classroom. The Department of Religious
Studies at Pacific is composed of faculty members with a depth of knowledge about various religious
traditions. Faculty members have historically served as planning partners, advisors, and participants for
key religious events on campus. Faculty within and beyond this department are also active members of
many local faith communities and, with the spiritual leaders of those communities, serve as points of
contact and partnership for those communities. Exposure to and learning about faith traditions
represented within the Pacific and Stockton communities will occur via invitations to participate in
religious events or services, through programming in the Interfaith and Social Justice Residential
Learning Community, through training for and participation in campus forums for intercultural dialogue,
and Chapel staff will become trained in the Visions intercultural dialogue model that is used at Pacific
and will work with other campus facilitators to develop and include specific training activities related to
religious literacy.
Likewise, common curriculum for students that takes the form of orientation experiences, a first year
and capstone seminar is closely aligned with the priority of this project. Orientation includes sessions
that focus on what it means to be a member of a diverse community and to understand and appreciate
both similarity and difference. These sessions introduce students to social identities, including religious
affiliation, and tools for intercultural dialogue. The first year seminar uses an interdisciplinary approach
to consider the question of “What is a good society?. Religious literacy is specifically addressed through
the course reader and the opportunities for service in community-based learning sections of the course.
The capstone course also addresses questions of religious identity and religious literacy through a focus
on the development of ethical reasoning and action. Finally, work on the newly approved universitywide learning outcomes, including an outcome focused on the development of intercultural
competence, will provide multiple opportunities for work on religious literacy.
Through Pacific’s relationship with leaders from a range of regional faith communities, we also hope to
co-host a series of events focused on shared attention to issues that matter to the region, in particular
educational attainment of foster youth. By using the opening provided by engaging together in service,
we expect to also purposefully create opportunities for co-education and dialogue related to
understanding one another’s belief systems and understandings of the world.
Collaborations with departments at Pacific.
Representatives from the departments listed in response to Part II Question 2, will be the core group of
individuals that will support our students in the creation and implementation of this Interfaith Initiative
at Pacific. This group, co-led by the Chaplain’s Office and The Multicultural Center, will be responsible
for faith focused intercultural development training and support of religious literacy on campus. The
Office of the Chaplain, and the Department of Religious Studies will be focusing on religious literacy in
the classroom and together with Multicultural Affairs, the Interfaith & Social Justice Living Learning
Community, and the Office of Student Leadership and Involvement, will focus on religious literacy
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through co-curricular learning opportunities, including co-planning and implementation of key events.
The Housing and Greek Life Office, SUCCESS, and Athletic Department will be key partners with some
directed programs such as Let’s Talk About Faith- a series of interfaith dialogue opportunities during
residence hall meetings and Foster Care Awareness Night during sporting events. The Center for
Community Involvement will help to inform us of the continuing needs of the Stockton community and
continue to provide weekly service opportunities for students.
Collaborations with Stockton organizations.
Representatives from various Stockton organizations will most likely have less day-to-day involvement
with the initiative, but will provide key opportunities for growth. Currently, a relationship with a social
worker at the Human Services Agency provides us with information about services and support that are
needed by former foster youth of San Joaquin County. Similarly, the relationship we have with the
director of the local Foster Care and Kinship Education, and Youth Empowerment Strategies for Success
coordinator provides an opportunity for personal interaction between Pacific students and current
foster youth. These are unique opportunities that will allow Pacific students to be more connected to
their service. Current foster youth working with Pacific students to create care packages will see first
hand that there is support for them after high school and may be encouraged to apply for college.
We also have an opportunity to educate foster youth between the ages of 16 and 21 in their
Independent Living courses at the local community college, San Joaquin Delta College. Currently,
students from the University of the Pacific’s graduate program in Student Affairs teach life skills courses
to these youth a few nights a week. We can take advantage of this relationship between Pacific
students and students in foster care, by bringing religious literacy to the classroom as a way of preparing
them for life in the community and providing ways to consider sources of strength and hope. Most, if
not all of these youth have had multiple placements, attended multiple schools, and may have had
foster parents with different religious beliefs or practices. We can provide a guest lecturer, or give the
teachers resources to facilitate religious dialogue in the classroom. There are not many “constants” in
the lives of foster youth, but perhaps religion and faith could be a constant for them and give them
access to a community of support. All these youth need is to be given the necessary resources and skills
so that they can access communities and people of faith and be able to hold a conversation about
various religious traditions and beliefs. Religious literacy related learning outcomes could possibly be
incorporated into this part of the program, because it is important for students to understand their
beliefs and how religion and faith are a part of their identities.
Advertisements on campus and in the community.
Advertisements for this initiative may include, but are not limited to university-wide emails, Facebook
groups, Twitter feeds, video, website, commercials (ProwlTV), radio (KPAC), campus orientations and
events. Campus and community newspaper articles and personal outreach to local areas of worship will
also strengthen the campaign. Further, we can use the already familiar What IF logo from the Better
Together Campaign as a way to catch attention with posters and banners that grace the front of the
University Center from week to week. Presentations can be given to local community members involved
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in various religious groups and organizations to increase potential community partners. Social media
such as Facebook, can also be a way that we can advertise this campaign both to Pacific students, and to
the public.
4. Please describe what you hope the immediate impact of this program will be on your campus
community. -300 words or less.
Our hope is that the impact of our program will be as follows:
Through participation in the collection and donation of supplies, students, faculty and staff will 1)
develop new and deeper relationships with Pacific and local community members of various faith and
non-faith traditions, and 2) participate in interfaith dialogue that results in greater awareness and
understanding of faith traditions represented in the community.
Through participation in faith-based trainings and increased religious literacy on campus, students,
faculty and staff will 1) be educated on the traditions and beliefs of members of the Pacific and Stockton
communities, 2) will be given the tools needed to dispel myths and stereotypes generally attributed to
people of faith and non-faith traditions, 3) will have a deeper respect for people who practice various
faith and non-faith traditions, and 4) will be presented with the skills necessary to be an interfaith
advocate on campus and in the community.
Through cross-department collaborations, students, faculty and staff will 1) develop a greater sense of
community, 2) develop a foundation to sustain the program, 3) encourage and initiate interfaith
dialogue with colleagues and peers.
Through collaborations and interactions with San Joaquin foster youth and organizations developed for
foster youth success, students, faculty and staff will 1) have an increased awareness about issues faced
by foster youth, 2) develop and maintain supportive relationships with local foster youth, 3) create a
positive impact in the lives of local foster youth, and 4) encourage foster youth to apply for college.
Through advertisements on campus and in the community, 1) students, faculty, staff and community
members will be drawn to participate in the program, 2) donated items will increase and 3) local
organizations such as the Human Services Agency, and Youth Empowerment Strategies for Success will
receive publicity.
Part IV: Advancing Interfaith Engagement
All institutions are encouraged to select at least one strategic interfaith engagement initiative to enact
alongside the service effort for the year. The goal of these initiatives is to cultivate a campus-wide
value of interfaith and inter-cultural cooperation (i.e., students, faculty and staff have positive
interactions with those of diverse religious and cultural backgrounds, do not display prejudice against
those of diverse religious and cultural backgrounds, etc.). These initiatives should leverage traditional
institutional structures like communications efforts, education and curricula, and training to improve
the campus’ capacity to positively engage religious and non-religious diversity.
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1. Please select (check) at least one interfaith engagement initiative that your campus will implement
in conjunction with the service initiative.
Communications: These initiatives demonstrate the institution’s public commitment to
interfaith cooperation on campus. Program examples include, but are not limited to, an address
by your college or university President on the importance of interfaith cooperation, a web-based
communications campaign on the importance of interfaith cooperation, or an interfaith
cooperation session incorporated into student orientation programs and materials.
Education: These initiatives cultivate appreciative knowledge about diverse religious and nonreligious identities, positively impacting attitudes and knowledge on diverse religious and nonreligious identities. Program examples include, but are not limited to, courses available for
students to further develop knowledge-base in interfaith cooperation and service, educational
panels and lectures delivered for large audiences on campus, and first year seminars
incorporating module(s) on interfaith cooperation.
Capacity Building: These initiatives provide students, faculty and staff with a baseline ability to
positively engage religious and non-religious diversity within their own spheres of influence.
Program examples include, but are not limited to, campus-wide staff training to appropriately
engage religious and non-religious identity on campus, faculty professional development
opportunities in the area of religious and cultural diversity, or training a core group of students
to lead interfaith service events.
2. Please provide a brief overview of your interfaith engagement initiative, including why you
selected this particular initiative and what you plan to do. -750 words or less.
Communications: Interfaith communication will include 1) updating the Pacific and Chaplain’s Office
websites to include in-depth information about various student religious organizations and events on
campus, 2) setting up information tables at new student orientations during the summer, 3) publishing
articles in the university newspaper, The Pacifican and 4) continuing to include Interfaith dialogue and
activities in VISIONs training during orientation and throughout the academic year.
This is an important way to engage students early on. We will provide one-on-one interaction as well as
an online source for information about avenues of involvement. Throughout the summer there are
three orientation sessions for incoming freshman that include activity fairs which promote various
student organizations and departments on campus that provide opportunities for students. We would
utilize this opportunity to set up an information table with information about our religious organizations
on campus, Interfaith Council, Better Together Campaign, and White House Initiative. Collaborations
with student writers of The Pacifican would give us an opportunity to create a bi-weekly or monthly
update on “Faith & Justice @ Pacific” which would provide information about upcoming religious
holidays, campaign updates, religious trivia and other event and program updates. Visions’ training is
already an exciting part of orientation, and is provided throughout the year by the Department of
Multicultural Affairs in collaboration with a wide range of campus partners, including the Multifaith
Chaplain’s Office. Currently the training includes preparing students to be open to interfaith dialogue
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and developing initial tools for intercultural engagement, and we would encourage this training to
continue and evaluate where improvements might be made.
Education: Interfaith education will include: (1) continued course offerings such as World Religions,
Asian Religious Traditions, Hebrew Bible, and New Testament and Christian Origin; (2) continuation of
our Interfaith Panel program which involves a panel of faculty and clergy representing various faith
traditions and their views and beliefs regarding a chosen topic and modeling respectful interfaith
dialogue; and (3) an introduction of the Better Together Campaign and Interfaith Initiative to all
incoming freshman in Pacific Seminar I, the common syllabus course that all first year students take that
focuses on the question, What is a good society?, and Pacific Seminar III, the capstone course focusing
on ethical decision making and ethical development; (4) Leadership U courses that focus on the
development of responsible, ethical leadership for all Pacific students: and (5) Purposeful visits and
shared events with local faith communities for shared work on this project and opportunities for shared
learning and dialogue.
This is an important and great way to educate our students, as well as the faculty and staff that work
closely with them. Courses such as the ones listed above are a core part of what is offered by the
Department of Religious Studies.
Capacity Building: Interfaith capacity building will include (1) continued interfaith services during Parent
& Family and Commencement weekends; (2) increased opportunities for worship on campus; (3)
campus-wide intercultural faith-based training,;(4) professional development opportunities in
collaboration with Human Resources; and (5) continued engagement with partners from regional faith
communities and non-profit organizations.
3. Please describe what you hope the immediate impact of this program will be on your campus
community. -300 words or less.
Impact of Communication: The intended impact of our communications plan includes 1) increased
social awareness, 2) increased knowledge and awareness of the diverse religious community at Pacific
and in the surrounding community, and 3) increased self awareness, and 4) increased participation in
interfaith and social justice events.
Impact of Education: The intended impact of our education plan includes 1) broader and more accurate
understanding of various faith and non-faith traditions, 2) greater facility in interfaith dialogue that
deepens understanding and relationships, 3) development of new relationships and deepening of
existing relationships, and 4) an increase in Interfaith Council membership and/or participation in
related events and service initiatives.
Impact of Capacity Building: The intended impact of our capacity building plan includes 1) sustainability
programs associated with and commitment to religious literacy learning outcomes, 2) an increase in the
number of students who feel comfortable expressing faith-based identities and/or worshiping on
campus resulting in a more consistently welcoming campus climate, 3) stronger campus and community
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interfaith partnerships, 4) a stronger interfaith community on campus and in the surrounding
community, and 5) a better understanding of religious literacy and related campus climate at Pacific.
Part V: Implementation, Documentation, Evaluation & Sustainability
Interfaith cooperation and community service has the potential to build social capital by bringing
diverse groups together in action, strengthen social cohesion by promoting inter-religious
understanding and civility, and solve social problems by acting on the shared value of service. All
campuses should demonstrate that their integrated programming would create measurable impact
against these goals. In addition, campuses should indicate how the implementation of this strategic
plan will contribute to an ongoing commitment to advancing interfaith and community service on
their campus.
1. Please provide a detailed and comprehensive timeline for these programs on campus. Your
timeline should demonstrate how these initiatives work in tandem to move towards your stated
outcomes. -750 words or less.
A visual representation of our timeline is attached.
May 23-an invitation is made to Human Resources to bring Interfaith Professional Development to
Pacific. The goal is that the professional development will be available to Pacific staff and faculty during
the 2011-2012 academic year.
May 30- outreach to faculty begins, as does the creation of a faith-based training.
June 22- as a part of our communications plan, we will table during Orientation Session I and participate
in VISIONS training.
June 25- as a part of our communications plan, we will table during Orientation Session II and
participate in VISIONS training.
August 13- as a part of our communications plan, we will table during Orientation Session III and
participate in VISIONS training
August 19-21- as a part of our communications plan, we will table during Welcome Weekend and bring
community partners to Pacific during our Interfaith & Social Justice Fair
August 22- as a part of our communications and education plan, we will visit all Pacific Seminar classes
during first two weeks of school to introduce them to Interfaith @ Pacific and the Better Together
Campaign. Religious literacy pre-survey administered.
August 30- collections of school supplies and non-perishable foods will begin. Residence halls will be
targeted during move in weekend.
September 1- we will write our first article for the Pacifican and will continue to write an article each
month to continue our communication and education plan.
September 15- we will begin to update our website with the help of our students. Updates will include
information about the Better Together Campaign, White House Interfaith Initiative, information about
Foster Care and Foster Youth, and Interfaith and Social Justice student biographies.
October TBD- to educate the Chaplain’s Office about the faith needs of Pacific students, a questionnaire
will be sent to students to explain what they are looking for in worship opportunities.
October 22-23- as a part of our communication and education plan, we will be tabling for Preview day,
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and provide an Interfaith Service for Parent and Family Weekend
October TBD – community kick off service and dialogue events
November TBD- last year our Interfaith Panel was a success and we will be continuing this event as a
part of our education plan.
December 3- each year we provide an Interfaith Service as a part of the University’s Festival of Lights.
We will continue to donate teddy bears to local foster youth in San Joaquin County; this will tie in
wonderfully with our service for former foster youth in higher education.
February TBD – second phase community dialogue and faith community visit events
April 14- as a part of our communication and education plan, we will table at Profile day. Students who
will be applying to college will be checking out the different activities that they can get involved in at
Pacific.
April TBD- Foster Care Awareness Month is during the month of May, but with the academic year
ending the first week of May, collaborations with the Youth Success Collaborative and their annual
Foster Care Awareness events will need to take place in April. Typically their event includes
acknowledgment at the local Stockton Ports (Baseball) game, so collaborations would also include our
Pacific Athletics Department.
April TBD- also in April, we will be putting together the care packages for former foster youth in college,
using the school supplies and other donations collected throughout the year.
April TBD – religious literacy post –survey administered in Pacific Seminar II
April 25- an End of the Year Interfaith and Social Justice Banquet will be provided for students, faculty,
and staff involved in Interfaith and Social Justice work on campus. Community partners who
collaborated on the White House Initiative will be invited to participate and be recognized for their
partnerships.
May TBD- care packages will be delivered to the Human Services Agency, where they will then be sent
to foster youth in college.
May 4- Baccalaureate Interfaith Service with student stories themed around religious literacy and
interfaith understandings gained through college experience.
2. Please provide a plan for documenting your yearlong service initiative. Please describe what kind
of tools you will use to document your progress, including online tools, video, written or printed
materials, etc. -500 words or less.
Staff and faculty departments and student groups will be challenged to donate the greatest number of
school supplies and non-perishable foods for the Better Together Campaign. These donations will be
recorded as they come in, and individuals can choose which group or department they wish to be
affiliated with. Involvement in the service initiative will be documented through sign-in sheets for
meetings and small events, and a general head count for larger events. A student or staff photographer
or videographer, perhaps via collaboration with a film studies student, will document events. Students,
faculty, and staff who are trained will have the option to sign a form stating their commitment to be an
advocate for interfaith cooperation on campus. These commitment forms will be collected after each
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intercultural development training is completed. Events co-hosted with local communities of faith will
be photographed and, where appropriate, local media may also be invited to document.
3. Please describe what evaluation method(s) your campus will utilize to indicate that this program
will have a sustainable impact. Metrics should include measurement in each of the following impact
areas as is appropriate per your stated interfaith engagement initiative. Resources for evaluation are
available online through White House partner institutions- 750 words or less:





Knowledge: knowledge of the positive history of religious diversity in the United States, literacy
of diverse religious and philosophical traditions, etc.
1) Short learning outcome assessments will be filled out by participants after each event. These
assessments will focus on the specific expected religious literacy outcomes expected from each
individual event.
2) Because freshmen will have the most opportunity for exposure to both the curricular and cocurricular learning designed to address religious literacy outcomes, a baseline assessment of
religious literacy will occur as a part of the fall 2011 Pacific Seminar I course. Freshman enrolled
in the course will complete a survey that is based on “Measuring Religious Pluralism on Campus:
IFYC’s survey of student attitudes, knowledge and behavior”. The Pacific survey will examine
how students identify religiously and philosophically, how comfortable they feel practicing and
discussing their beliefs on campus, how much they know about other religions and philosophies,
and where they think religious discrimination is most likely to occur on campus. Another survey
will be given to these students at the end of the spring semester to analyze how their
knowledge about other religions have changed and if they attribute their knowledge to classes,
interfaith events, and participating in service events with students of various faith and non-faith
traditions.
Service Impact: quantitative impact (i.e., pounds of waste recycled, number of students tutored,
number of meals prepared, etc.)
The number of donations received during the academic year will be tallied. An analysis will be
made determining which departments and student organizations donated the most items, as
well as the number of donations in the categories of school supplies, household items, and nonperishable foods.
The number of foster youth and former foster youth supported will also be documented.
Commitment: Students, staff and faculty who are involved in the interfaith initiative will be
surveyed at the end of the year to assess individual commitment to the project. This will
provide us with an idea of how committed our committee is to continuing this initiative on
campus. Assessments will also allow current committee members to suggest other students,
faculty and staff who may be interested in being a part of the initiative. An analysis of
everyone’s commitment will help sustain this program. The Chaplain’s Office will continue to
send at least two students each year to the Better Together Campaign Conference. This means
that each year at least two students will be trained to continue the service plan associated with
the initiative.
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4. Please describe how your strategic plan serves as a launching point for a deeper commitment to
interfaith cooperation and community service in a sustainable way on your campus. What long-term
effects (2-5 years) do you hope to see as a result of this year’s programming? -500 words or less
Through our faith-based training, we will create a community of interfaith advocates on campus
who are committed to interfaith education and cooperation. Staff and faculty members will
lead their students by example and keep this initiative alive through interactions in the
classroom and in the co-curriculum. In 2-5 years, we hope to see the intercultural development
training with a specific focus on faith-based identities and religious literacy become a permanent
part of the Pacific Seminar course for freshman students. The annual training of students to be
interfaith leaders through the Better Together Campaign Conference would sustain our service
plan by continuously involving new students. In 2-5 years we would hope to see a stronger
relationship between Pacific students, the Youth Success Collaborative of Stockton, a group with
representatives from various organizations involved in the success and support of local foster
youth and regional faith communities. It is also our goal to involve current high school youth in
the service initiative to show them that they will have support if they choose to apply to college.
Other long-term effects we hope to see are an increase in Interfaith Council involvement,
increased registrations for religious courses, increased attendance at religious events on campus
and in the community, and a campus climate where all members feel fully welcomed.