Campus Key Initiatives
This is a multi-faceted initiative that involves the deans of each college, the Office of the Provost, and the DeVries Institute for Global Faculty Development. The CCLM project is a "train the trainers" model, encompassing a wide range of learning modules and both online and in-person workshops and retreats for faculty. Each month, there is significant work done in training leaders, as well as meetings of interdisciplinary faculty groups centered on one of the learning modules and led by trained CCLMs. The groups engage in learning and conversations about faith-animated teaching, and each participant reworks a class to incorporate what they have learned about Christ-centered teaching.
We invite to campus a wide range of notable speakers each year to help us engage with the leading Christ-centered individuals and leaders of organizations in various academic areas. These speakers are co-sponsored by the 12 Belmont colleges, and each is outstanding at what they do as an expression of their faith in Christ.
Belmont is working to become the first Christ-centered “foster friendly university” in United States. A Belmont Foster Care Team is working to align Belmont policies and practices to support faculty and staff to become foster parents, and to help students who will age out of foster care be prepared to attend Belmont.
Thanks to a partnership between the Campus Art Team and the Watkins College of Art, we host an exhibition each semester of 40 works of biblically themed art in the Atrium of the Janet Ayers Academic Center.
Each month, we host this campuswide event in a different college or staff unit's building, with the devotional and prayer led by faculty or staff from that college or unit. Prior to each event, prayer requests are solicited online. This is a significant way for older and newer members of the Belmont community to get to know one another, and for us to come together in a uniquely powerful way to pray for each other and the Belmont community.
External Key Initiatives
Belmont is working with a coalition of 50 key Hispanic churches in the Nashville area to connect our students to local churches, and create connections between the leading Hispanic churches in Nashville and our campus community. The initiative includes on-campus events in Spanish for Latino pastors and families. In addition, we have created opportunities for these pastors and churches to engage more fully with our students on campus.
Belmont has brought together a coalition of Asian churches in the Nashville area in order to connect our students to local churches and our Asian Student Christian Fellowship. We create regular opportunities for these pastors and churches to engage with our students, including through special Asian American & Pacific Islander events.
Leading African-American, multi-cultural, and Anglo churches are strategic partners with Belmont in helping us live out our Christ-centered mission. Pastors from these churches are regular guests on campus, and we encourage involvement in these churches to students throughout the year.
The National Network addresses issues of common interest to institutions in church-related higher education, and offers collaborative opportunities to strengthen institutional Christ-centeredness. The 100 member schools represent a diversity of denominational traditions, institutional types, and geographical locations. Through their collaborative efforts they explore and discuss the relationship of Christianity to the academic vocation, and strengthen the religious nature of church-related institutions through a variety of activities and publications.
