Values-Driven Education - Part 3

At the 6th Annual Exhibition of Institutions hosted by the National Council for Higher Education ARCC was asked to present a paper on "The Role of Universities in Advancing National Cohesion and Integration." The following is a portion of the paper presented by Jeff Atherstone, the Director of ARCC, on the role of values in education for advancing national cohesion and integration.

IMPLANTING VALUES WITHIN OUR STUDENTS

My mentor as a young man in ministry often encouraged me not to put all my focus on preaching. He would remind me, “Jeff, more is caught than taught!” For most of us this is our primary mode of learning, imitating others.

When my sons were young we didn’t hold lessons on walking and talking. As they grew we discovered that their greatest times of learning were when we had them spend time with children that were just a few months or possibly years older than them. The boys would instantly see what the older children were doing and seek to imitate them.

The most important way that we can implant values within our students is to surround them with faculty and staff who live out the values of the school each day. In order for these values to pass from faculty to students we need to examine the current state of our classrooms. Our classrooms cannot simply be filled with lecture and exams but they must also be filled with dialogue and debate, practical exercises and assessment of real life scenarios where learning will transition into practical application. Through lively interaction the values of our staff will most effectively pass on to become the values of our students.

I would even go further to say that our staff must begin to interact with our students outside of the classroom if values are to be passed on. I have seen faculties such as the Makerere Veterinary faculty doing great work in taking their year four and five students out to local farms, including the farm at ARCC, to share the practical skills with their students. Recently, I was with one such group of students from Makerere as the professor handed the students the blade and helped them to dissect a goat that had mysteriously passed away. As I watched them work to diagnose the problem I wondered how many other faculties spend time in the field with their students.

Do Social Science, SWSA and Community Development students visit the field with their professors to diagnose the needs of Uganda’s communities? Do Education students visit Ugandan Primary Schools or Secondary Schools with their professors to diagnose the challenges in education? Do theology students sit with grieving families as their professors seek to share the hope of the gospel?

Friends, more is caught than taught. Are we giving our students anything to catch?

Values are most easily passed on as one person imitates another.

Values-Driven Educaiton - Part 2

At the 6th Annual Exhibition of Institutions hosted by the National Council for Higher Education ARCC was asked to present a paper on "The Role of Universities in Advancing National Cohesion and Integration." The following is a portion of the paper presented by Jeff Atherstone, the  Director of ARCC, on the role of values in education for advancing national cohesion and integration.

IDENTIFYING VALUES FOR OUR UNIVERSITIES

Values are not simply a list of grand words to be painted across the walls of our offices and student notice boards, such as “honesty” “courage” “tolerance” “service.” This practice is common in many institutions and organizations but is unlikely to produce any results or lasting impact.

Values are important and enduring beliefs or ideals shared by the members of a culture about what is good or desirable and what is not. Values exert major influence on the behavior of an individual and serve as broad guidelines in all situations.

Values are the actual character of an institution. Every institution is different with a unique vision and a unique set of leaders, therefore it is important for each institution to identify their own values that they intend to pass on to their students.

When we established our Africa Renewal Christian College in 2007 we did not have a list of values. We had numerous meetings in which we discussed values that were of importance to us but the institutional values were not apparent until our leadership team became familiar with one another and came to a common vision for the Institute.

As we became familiar with one anther we discovered that there were some values that members held to individually but these were unlikely to stick for the Institution as a whole. The values that we affirmed as a leadership team ended up being the values that we shared as a group and were passionate about passing on to others.

To narrow down our values we took a look at our end goal of our vision for the Institute “equipping Christian leaders for the transformation of society.” As a leadership team we asked ourselves, “What type of leader will transform society?” From there we had to break it down even further and ask ourselves, “What needs to be transformed in our society?” From our discussions we felt most passionate that our students should be transforming the nation in relation to corruption, poverty and discrimination based on gender, tribe or social status.

Once we knew what we wanted to transform society, we indentified the values that would bring about the transformation we desired. The value of accountability was identified to address the problems of corruption. The value of stewardship, meaning responsible management of time and resources, was selected to combat poverty. And the value of community was selected to bring about unity among diverse groups of people.

These values became the identity of the Institution and our next task was to establish them firmly within the foundation of the institution.

ESTABLISHING VALUES WITHIN OUR UNIVERSITIES

Once values have been identified an Institution should use them as a road map for determining the course of the school. Identifying values without establishing them is like throwing a seed on a dry ground and then shielding it from sunlight and rain.  This is commonly seen in Institutions that merely write values on their walls but do nothing to integrate them within the school.

I would propose that staff hiring and staff orientation have the greatest impact in establishing the values within our universities. In his 2012 national best seller The Advantage, Patrick Lencioni declared, “If an organization is led by a team that is not behaviorally unified, there is no chance that it will become healthy.” How do we become behaviorally unified? Through common values which direct team member’s behavior and chart the course for the organization.

Most prospective faculty that I interview only seem eager to add to their credentials for their development, but degrees only mark what you know. They cannot define who you are or give an interview panel an accurate picture of what you intend to do with the knowledge you have gained. Values, on the other hand, do define our character and can give others an accurate picture of the course that your life is taking. Your values will also leave the greatest imprint on the people around you.

Recently, I had to excuse myself from an interview panel for personal reasons. It was a difficult decision but I was confident that my fellow staff members on the panel could make the right hire in my absence. How could I be confident? Because their selection of questions which were drafted to assess skill and experience of the candidates was built around the values of the institution. The candidates could not escape the panel without clearly identifying their level of understanding and commitment to our institutional values. But more importantly I knew that every member of the interview panel had embraced and demonstrated the values of the institution in their own lives.

The more we add people to our team with common values the more the values become established in our institution’s culture. We no longer spend staff meetings reminding ourselves of our values but rather our values appear in every discussion and debate as we work together to plot out the future of our school.  We also ensure that within the first 3 months new staff members have been thoroughly oriented to the practical out workings of our values within the school. With the values firmly established within the framework of the school our final task is to then implant them within our students.

Values-Driven Education -Part 1

At the 6th Annual Exhibition of Institutions hosted by the National Council for Higher Education ARCC was asked to present a paper on "The Role of Universities in Advancing National Cohesion and Integration." The following is a portion of the paper presented by Jeff Atherstone, the Director of ARCC, on the role of values in education for advancing national cohesion and integration.

INTRODUCTION

It is of great encouragement to see the National Council for Higher Education addressing the topic of national cohesion and integration. Cohesion and integration are not an event but rather a process of leading different groups of people across different regions to become united citizens with a common outlook to the future.

If you were to judge the cohesion and integration of Uganda based on the headlines of the newspapers this country would not receive passing marks. Based on headlines you could summarize that people are looking out only for themselves and that there is little to unite the people of Uganda. Politicians are embroiled incorruption scandals, our policebeing ranked the most corrupt in East Africa, national leaders have been caught participating in land grabbing, and university lecturers at odds with their leaders are some of the many headlines you can read.

On the other hand, we have plenty of landmarks that could serve as rally points for unity. Uganda’s first gold medal in 40 years, the discovery of oil which could bring great wealth and prosperity and most especially the celebration of 50 years of independence but at this time that unity is not felt or seen by the common man or mere newspaper observer.

When we have a cohesive and integrated society it means that as a country we have common aims and that we pursue our aspirations together. Where cohesion and integration are lacking, society is characterized by discrimination, animosity, mistrust, and bad blood. In such a society people are driven to identify with their own tribe, religious group or any other society of their interest – sometimes characterized by unhealthy competition, bigotry and even violence against those perceived to be different. Wasn’t this the scenario we witnessed in Uganda after our last elections and the riots that followed?

In order to advance national cohesion and integration this great nation needs a unifying link to rally around. For example, in times of war nations can unite over a common enemy. In times of natural disaster nations unite over a common loss and grief. But as we celebrate the year of jubilee the public and private universities of Uganda need to help our nation unite around a common vision for the future.

I would like to make the case that we, the public and private universities of Uganda, have a great window of opportunity to promote and advance national cohesion and integration. Specifically I would recommend a holistic approach to education that is values-driven.  As Universities we need to instill values into our educational system that promote a vision for a greater future for Uganda and promote the common good of all members of society.

WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY

With over 55% of the population below 18 years of age and more students reaching university than any period before in our nations history we have the opportunity to instill national values into the next generation of Uganda’s leaders more thoroughly and swiftly that ever before. As our young people transition from adolescence to adulthood their character is taking full shape. University is a key stage in their development to instill values, which will set the course for their future.

Universities are the eyes to society. Our classrooms and halls are filled with passionate debate and dialogue about the past, the present and most especially the future of our nation. We are the thinkers, creators and dreamers of society with the brightest and most energetic audience. We cannot waste their time with endless hours of dichotomous lectures that dictate the student’s path but rather we must implant values, which provide a guide as the students chart out a greater future for themselves, their communities and this country.

Some upon hearing the term “values-driven education” might already be making a case in their heads as to the cost of implementing a new philosophy of education and feel that their university staffs are already over worked making it impossible to implement such a system. I will argue today that a values-driven education could actually reduce the workload for staff and increase the sustainability of Uganda’s universities. Imparting values can also better equip students for their professional careers as these values prepare them to handle the practical out-workings of their courses with values serving as their constant guide.  

Africa Renewal University?

On September 3 we had a two hour meeting with the National Council for Higher Education to present our case to become a University. The meeting went very well and we were told that they would present our application for a Letter of Interim Authority to become a university on September 19.

At 4 PM today they called... you can be assured that my heart was pounding!

Unfortunately it wasn't the news we were expecting. The council recently appointed many new members and they were unable to get around to the 25 applications on their agenda... including ours!

Now we will have to wait until their next meeting in December as we continue to pray for a positive response.

It was good news that they called right away. We are sure that they are aware that we are eager and ready to begin. They have heard our presentation and they know where we are heading.

Continue to pray with us that we will be granted our Letter of Interim Authority in December!

A Call for Leaders of Integrity

Our society is in dire need of leaders with integrity and an agenda for transformation. This has been my conviction for some time now, but the trip to eastern Uganda confirmed it in a way I least expected. The trip had two goals. First, to meet the onsite internship supervisors, in order to review the progress of five of our students who have been posted for a ten-week internship in Tororo, Mbale and Kumi. Second, was to meet the staff/congregations of these organizations/churches and talk to them about training opportunities at Africa Renewal Christian College (ARCC).  In each of the locations I visited, the on-site supervisors expressed gratitude to ARCC for training students to exercise exemplary leadership qualities. Those doing pastoral internship were lauded for their commitment to tasks, innovation of new programs and reviving the congregations. Likewise those in child development organizations (Compassion International and Food for the Hungry) were exemplary in their commitment to the children’s cause and inspiring fellow staff. It was very gratifying to listen to these positive testimonies about our students. But the innovation and passion with which our students approached their work was in stark contrast to the declining level of leadership in the region. This was a concern leaders voiced in all these locations.

My visit came at a time when communities in the districts of Kumi, Mbale and Tororo were grappling with two major concerns. First, there was the Bududa landslide that had displaced people and killed others as it has always done. Unfortunately, the victims of these landslides never got all the resources collected for their assistance. One of the leaders noted that through corruption, some resources are diverted by those who are least affected yet have influence. It is this lack of trust in their leaders that causes some villagers to stick around in dangerous locations despite the call to vacate.

The second concern was the worsening state of the main road that links Tororo, Mbale, Kumi and Soroti. With frequent accidents being reported and long delays due to the bad state of the road, there was already talk of demonstrations being organized to voice people’s dissatisfaction with the slow and untroubled response of their leaders to the issue.

As I reflected on what I saw and heard it became clearer to me that indeed we need leaders of integrity, leaders who are moved by the suffering of those they lead, leaders with a passion for the transformation of their communities. Training such leaders is what ARCC exists to do. And the good example of our internship students is testimony to the viability of this project. But the need is greater in comparison to our current capacity. Hopefully ARCC will soon rather than later have the capacity to match its output to the dire need out there.

Samuel Onyait

B.Th, PGD, MA. (Dev’t)

Martin's Testinony

Martin Ogwang grew up in Apac District in Northern Uganda and has seen first hand the devastating effects of war and child abductions in his land throughout his lifetime. As an adult he has committed himself to rebuilding and restoring Uganda through caring for children and equipping leaders. Currently he serves as the Director of Programs for Africa Renewal Ministries with a specific focus on developing next generation leaders.

I (Jeff) first met Martin in 2009 as we were working together with the VIVA Network to host trainings for child development workers throughout Uganda. I was struck instantly by his personal commitment to modeling for others the importance of caring for children. He would spend his Christmas holidays hosting parties and camps for orphans and vulnerable children and often he would spend his weekends visiting various child care centers to spend time with the children.

We were fortunate to have Martin accept to teach at ARCC in September 2010 as we started our Diploma in Child Development. It was obvious to students and his fellow staff that Martin was not simply teaching theory but instead that he was sharing his life passion of caring for children as he sought to equip them to be the next generation of leaders for Uganda.

Recently I discovered that there were a group of 3 students from his home church, Amorigoga Assemblies of God that Martin had specifically paid for to attend ARCC. Encouraged by his commitment I asked Martin to share why he was supporting these students.

When Martin first gave his life to Christ in 1985 the nearest church to him home was an 18KM walk through the swamp and forest. Full of zeal for the Lord and passion to reach his community Martin helped to plant Amorigoga Assemblies of God by cutting down trees and helping to construct a grass thatched structure. Over the years that church has become a pillar in the community and has seen over 20 churches planted out from it.  That church is also the place where his grandmother, father, mother and brothers all worship and came to know Christ so it is very dear to his heart.

The pastors that serve in this church and the other church plants have great zeal for evangelism which has led to great growth but unfortunately due to lack of training there is no discipleship taking place in these churches. Martin's desire is to see over 50 leaders trained in this region so that these churches can experience growth like never before as leaders are trained and discipleship begins to take place. 

Martin is doing his part to ensure that at least 3 of them receive the training they need and you can help!

At ARCC we are committed to continually reaching the regions of Apac and beyond through the ARCC Scholarship Fund. If you would like to help see more leaders trained click here to support the Scholarship Fund.

Africa Renewal University

We have some big news...

We are applying to become a University!

Our vision of equipping Christian leaders to transform society has lead us down a path where we are compelled to train leaders for the church and leaders for the Christian ministries of East Africa. In order to do this we have been encouraged to increase our programs and elevate them to the Bachelors Degree level. 

Over the last 3 months we have shared this vision and have won grants from three Christian foundations and new support from various churches and individuals. It is exciting to see the support of this project!

As we head down this path we have developed four commitments which will define our vision of establishing a premier university  committed to equipping Christian leaders for the transformation of society.

1)   To develop unique programs with a Christian worldview embedded into the framework of each class

2)   To build a university campus that provides a model of our Christian Worldview in the way we care for creation

3)   To provide practical outlets for students to apply a Christian worldview through serving the community

4)   To become sustainable in providing Christian worldview training through recruiting excellent staff committed to producing quality graduates

This Monday September 3 at 2PM EAT we have been invited to present this vision before the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE). They have received our application and now they are asking us to give them convincing evidence of our commitment to this project. We would ask that you join us in prayer this weekend as we prepare for this presentation and specifically that God would grant us favor before the NCHE. The NCHE will then debate our application and presentation and give us a response by the end of the month as to our next steps in this process.