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Langley, BC
Imagine this.
A peaceful setting that beckons you. A learning
environment where you exchange ideas and grow personally, with fellow
students and faculty mentors. A relaxed place to enjoy some leisure time.
Fashioned after L’Abri and Christian camping
concepts (but at the university level), our Retreat Courses are designed to
have a transformational impact on both students and faculty – as they
individually and collaboratively wrestle with academic topics, concepts,
personal viewpoints and biblical perspectives.
In the one-week retreat settings, students have an
opportunity to interact with content, build relationships with others
– and encounter God in a way which transforms them spiritually,
personally and intellectually. Students claim Retreat Courses to be
life-changing experiences.
Retreating from today’s hectic lifestyles to a
remote and rustic location, this type of concentrated format provides an
opportunity for professors and students to have a deeper impact on each
other’s lives.
Together, they experience all aspects of life –
as they exchange ideas, build community and participate jointly in
recreational and everyday activities.
“I don’t see how this topic could be
covered as well or as effectively in a regular classroom,”one
student says. “The closeness to the natural environment allowed
me to identify with much of the intended outcomes of the course, dealing
with my spirituality.”
Classes are generally experiential, with about half the
time devoted to structured exercises in spiritual awareness and academic
themes. Having pre reading and post assignments allows time during the
retreat for self-examination, group reflection, active discourse and
internalization of the content.
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It is an opportunity to affect the whole person
mentally, spiritually, emotionally and physically – the heart of
TWU’s mission statement.
The role of the faculty member changes significantly in
this type of setting. Serving as a mentor, one professor indicates the
retreat course “redefined education” for him.
Rather than just being lecturers, faculty become
facilitators of learning. Instead of being a lone
‘sage-on-the-stage,’ each becomes a participant in the learning
process – as the group freely engages in meaningful discourse.
“The highlight was our evening discussions; this
was a time to learn from one another, and be challenged,” says one
student.
Another student says: “This was probably the most
meaningful class I have taken, and the one that has made the most
difference in my life.”
One professor continued to receive postcards from
students a year later, indicating how influential that week had been in
their lives. A participating professor’s wife states,
“There’s something different that happens with these
courses.”
Students have consistently commented on the amount and
quality of their academic learning, as well as the rich community
experience. One student says: “I learned so much – academically
and personally.”
To find out more about summer course offerings, go to
www.twu.ca/summer; or call 1-866-402-1897.
Options Fall 2007
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