Building Alternative Futures: Centering the Student Experience

I recall sitting with a former colleague who frequently received unsolicited feedback from students about some aspects of the school’s educational offerings.  In response he would often say something like “when I was an MDiv student…” and then use his previous experience to (mostly) dismiss the concerns. If pressed, he likely would have said that he and the school were “student-centered” but, like many other educational organizations, his practices did not align with his words.

Winebrenner Seminary’s commitment that theological education is discipleship shines a light on the experience of students, both individually and collectively. The life, work, and teachings of Jesus shape our approach to how we engage in theological education. Jesus provides a model of what it looks like to engage and listen to those he came to serve and save (see John 4 for an example). If we are going to follow in the footsteps of Jesus when it comes to how we approach our tasks as educators and disciplers, then we must intentionally listen to those we serve, our students.

It’s a privilege to be invited into someone’s spiritual journey. It’s a helpful practice to establish healthy forms of input and feedback so those who are served by Winebrenner can speak into and influence the people creating the processes and making decisions. We have a growing awareness that we need better “feedback loops” in our organization and creating intentional space to listen to students is the first step to develop better systems in this area. Our learning in this area will aid in the development of gathering and utilizing feedback in other areas of Winebrenner in the future.

During my own days as a seminary student, I worked overnights and weekends at a local radio station. Our station manager gave strict instructions to never play requests that were called in.  His rationale was simple. Based upon his experience, those who called in with requests had eclectic tastes and they called often; therefore, an entire 20,000-watt radio station risked being programmed for only a handful of people, if their requests were fulfilled. And, to make it worse, their eclectic tastes kept changing so they were never happy, even when they got what they wanted!

So, there are risks when inviting feedback from those you serve. That’s why it’s an actual practice to establish healthy forms of input and feedback. However, it’s not just what I call the “vocal minority” that can lead to unhealth when building feedback systems. Often the momentum of tradition (seen in statements like “that’s not how we do it here”) or even the voice of experts (seen in statements like “I’ve spent my lifetime studying and teaching in this area so it’s clear I know best“) can keep us from truly listening to the needs of those we serve.

Later this month we will have dedicated time set aside to listen to students and begin our journey toward incorporating their experiences and insights into our overall operations. Next week I’ll share more about this gathering and write about an approach to discovery and listening that will assist with this process.

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This project emerged from Winebrenner’s participation in the Building Alternative Futures project, sponsored by the Association for Theological Schools (ATS) – you can learn more about that invitation by clicking here.