UWSI Education Redesign Update
Please check back regularly for official updates!
Curious about competency based learning?
Check this out: "Creating a Competency-Based Learning Experience"
Links
- Click Here for Recording from the October 23, 2023 Town Hall Meeting
If you want to go to a specific topic:
- Staff Introductions - 0 to 8:00
- Membership Model - 8:00
- Is Unity Interfaith? - 13:34
- UWM Accomplishments - 15:47
- UWSI Education Redesign - 16:38
- UUMS Updates - 42:44
- Q&A - 51:00
- Click here to access the PowerPoint slides. (UWSI Education RedesignOct 23 Town Hall Meeting)
Frequently Asked Questions
APPLICATION DEADLINE
- Admission applications for the Ministerial Program is Nov 2
- Admission applications for the LUT Leadership Path Program is Dec 15.
- Admission interviews are held in March 2025
- Those admitted will enter the new 2-year cohort programs described below.
LAUNCH DATE
- UWSI Ministerial Program & the LUT Leadership Path Program launch June 2024.
- Both are 2-year cohort programs
FIELD PATH
- What is happening to the Field Program?
- The Field Program is being rolled into the new education format and as of June 2024 will no longer be a stand alone program.
- The new program is based on immersive experiences rather than "courses" and will have just one live session per week and is being created with the needs of working adults taken into consideration.
- With the new course design, we will be able to create assignments that reflect where each person is on their spiritual path. Not every student will necessarily be completing the same assignments.
MDIV PROGRAM
- Is the MDiv program still being offered through UWSI?
- The MDiv program is being phased out because we are moving from an academic focused program to one centered on brain-based and experiential content.
- If your are a current ministerial student and already enrolled in the MDiv program, upon completion of the progam, you will receive your MDiv.
SEE COURSES
- Should I continue to take SEE courses?
- Yes, the SEE program is not being dissolved. All credits earned will be honored.
- UWSI will continue to accept SEE courses as prerequisites for the LUT Leadership & M&RS programs for at least 12 mos. Our new prerequisites are not yet ready.
- Once our new prereqs are ready, then UWSI will not use the current SEE courses as prereqs.
- We are encouraging ministers & ministries to continue to teach SEE courses. They will be accepted as prereqs for UUMS.
- Will people who have completed their SEE classes be able to start in June with a cohort for the ministry classes?
- Yes, since our new prerequiste courses are not yet ready we will accept the current 18 SEE courses as prerequisites.
- If there is something missing, we will work with the candidate to get up to speed so they can still apply.
- The deadline to apply for the ministry path is Nov 1
- The deadline to apply for the LUT Leadership Path is Dec 15
- Will those of us who teach online SEE courses in the field for credit still be able to do that through UWSI?
- You will be able to teach the current SEE courses for credit during the transition period for the next 12 months.
- Once the new prerequiste courses are ready, for UWSI ONLY - the SEE courses will no longer be accepted for prerequisite credit.
- It is our understanding that they will still be accepted at UUMS as prerequisite credit.
- For the first few terms, UWSI is the only place that people will be able to take the new prerequiste courses.
- You mentioned a training for SEE classes. Will that be open to us in the field?
- We are creating a training program for how to teach the new prerequiste courses and will open them up to be taught outside of UWSI at that time. We want to maintain consistency of content and teaching modalities so all students enter admissions having experienced the same content.
- The training will be open to whomever wants to take it. It will not be available until late 2024 because we have to concentrate on all the new student courses and we are still accepting SEE courses as prerequisites.
Tentative Timeline
October - December 2023
- Create admissions process for LUT path
- Update admissions/progress review process for the M&RS program
- Create prerequisite equivalency process
- Begin working with instructors to create content for first three LUT & M&RS immersive experiences
- Begin creation of new prerequisite courses
January 2024
- Create Canvas and Teams training for Instructors
- Continue work on three LUT Path & M&RS immersive experiences
February - March 2024
- Create Canvas and Teams training for students
- Complete work on three LUT Path & M&RS immersive experiences
April - May 2024
- Begin creation of the next three immersive experiences
- Finish all Blackboard courses
June 2024
- Launch new LUT & M&RS Program in Canvas
- Begin creation of online course for teaching prerequisite courses
