Hearts and Minds: Undergraduate Spiritual and Intellectual Development at Lilly Network Institutions
The National Conference of the Lilly Network of Church-Related Colleges and Universities
September 27-29, 2024 | Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA
Register here The Lilly Network Website
In many different ways, Lilly Network colleges and universities intend that the Christian identities of their institutions should shape their undergraduates' experience—that students should be somehow formed by the faith commitments of their schools.
We hear anecdotally about how this happens, in the classroom and beyond. But what would we learn from more systematic analysis? How do undergraduates experience their own intellectual and social enlargement in relation to faith commitment? Are young people indeed exploring how their professional and personal paths intersect with faith-informed narratives? Are their patterns of church affiliation affected by what they learn or do as students?
Join us at Westmont College September 27-29, 2024 for "Hearts and Minds: Undergraduate Spiritual and Intellectual Development at Lilly Network Institutions," hosted by Westmont's Gaede Institute for the Liberal Arts. The centerpiece of the conference will be a new study, commissioned by the Lilly Network and implemented by Springtide Research Institute, that investigates the intellectual-religious experience of undergraduates at Lilly member schools. Springtide's director, Tricia Bruce, will present findings from that study, Fuller Seminary's Steve Argue will provide additional framing about young-adult development, and a panel of religious-life professionals drawn from Lilly campuses will give a snapshot of what they've seen with their students.
Tricia Bruce
Dr. Tricia Bruce is the director of Springtide Research Institute, which seeks to learn from and about young people ages 13 to 25. Her sociological work explores organizational and attitudinal change across a variety of settings, and she has a particular interest conveying the dynamics of social life to non-sociologists. Dr. Bruce is the author of five books, the president-elect of the Association for the Sociology of Religion, and a previous chair of the religion section of the American Sociological Association. She holds a PhD in sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Steven Argue
Dr. Steven Argue is associate professor of youth, family, and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary and the applied research strategist at the Fuller Youth Institute; his current projects include a significant research effort to understand young adults' spiritual journeys and the role of congregations in supporting them through key transitions. Dr. Argue is the author of several books including Young Adult Ministry Now and Growing With: Every Parent's Guide to Helping Teenagers and Young Adults Thrive in Their Faith, Family, and Future, and he speaks, writes, and consults on topics related to adolescence, emerging adulthood, and faith. He holds a PhD in higher adult and lifelong education from the University of Michigan.
Preliminary schedule subject to change.
Friday, September 27
1pm: Registration | Westmont College
3:30pm: Welcome Address | Westmont College
4pm: First Plenary Address and Discussion | Westmont College
6pm: Dinner Reception | First Presbyterian Church
8pm: Vespers Worship | First Presbyterian Church
Saturday, September 28
9am: Second Plenary Address and Discussion | Westmont College
12pm: Lunch | Westmont College
1:30pm: Third Plenary Address and Discussion | Westmont College
5:30: Dinner in Santa Barbara "Night on the Town"
Sunday, September 29
7:30-8:30am: Optional Mass
8:30-10am: Closing Plenary Panel | Mar Monte Hotel