JACKSON, Tenn. — May 13, 2016 — 51社区 and Lane College have received a grant from the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion to promote collaboration in teaching and racial reconciliation.
The Wabash Center is funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. and located at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana.
C. Ben Mitchell, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Union, said the idea to apply for the grant emerged from conversations and collaborations that had already been going on between the two universities. He said Union and Lane share a foundation that allows them to have such conversations.
鈥淟ane and Union are both faith-based institutions,鈥� Mitchell said. 鈥淲e believe that the gospel of the risen Christ brings a unique contribution to addressing and resolving the heart-wrenching and soul-deforming problems associated with racism. At the same time, we can celebrate the racial and ethnic diversity among those whom God has made in his own image.鈥�
Mitchell said organic collaborations have been going on between Lane and Union for a couple of years, beginning with the public conversations between Union President Samuel W. 鈥淒ub鈥� Oliver and Lane President Logan Hampton.
Mary Anne Poe, professor of social work at Union, said she began meeting regularly with other faculty members from both Lane and Union about two years ago for a time of prayer and mutual edification.
鈥淲e began to meet together to talk about ways we could work together,鈥� Poe said. 鈥淭hat includes students, curriculum, student activities, and the idea of the grant came out of that.鈥�
Poe worked with Daryll Coleman, assistant professor of religion and division chair of liberal studies and education at Lane, to assemble a proposal for the Wabash grant. She said the main purpose of the grant will be to construct a class on racial reconciliation that will include students and faculty from both campuses.
Poe said the city of Jackson is still divided by racial issues, and Lane and Union represent two separate communities. She said the universities have an opportunity to address that divide and bring the communities together.
鈥淚n Christ, we can break down age-old barriers,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e have a potential for being an impetus to work together and form a network of relationships that can change our community.鈥�
In addition to the class, the grant will be used to fund other projects between the universities such as joint faculty retreats and book discussions.
Mitchell said he believes the grant will help Union and Lane faculty and students to develop deep and real communion through Christian hospitality. He said he hopes to see more informal conversations continue as work on the class progresses.
鈥淲e want to continue to cultivate that kind of hospitality between two local institutions who share the same mission to honor Christ through higher education,鈥� Mitchell said. 鈥淲e also think this could have huge benefits for Jackson, Madison County and beyond.鈥�