A New Degree for a New Time

Higher education is changing! Students are looking for programs that fit with their lives and give immediate benefit. In 2019, CJP started working with EMU’s Business and Leadership program to design a new degree in direct consultation with our students and prospective students. The result was a limited residency 36-hour degree, the Master of Arts in Transformational Leadership.

After launching during SPI 2020, we immediately enrolled 13 students in a program that prepares transformational leaders who can empower, inspire, and support others during challenging times. With core courses from CJP and Business and Leadership, assignments that connect directly with their work, and customizable electives, this program is ideal for the working professional who wants to make the world more just and less violent.

OUR FIRST MATL GRADUATES

Makayla Fulmer used her capstone project to create a useful resource for her work: a video to help area immigrants navigate the financial aid system of a local hospital. The video, which will help NewBridges Immigrant Resource Center provide support during a time of constrained resources and increased need, will be available in six languages. Current student Rabab Hasan and recent graduate Aminata Wallet Mohamed MA ‘21 contributed Arabic and French voiceovers respectively. Visit newbridgesirc.org to view the video.

Sidney Morgan decided to give formal education another chance on a recommendation from Jacqueline Roebuck Sakho MA ‘09. Sidney balanced her studies with many other responsibilities, including founding Red Sea Road Consulting, LLC, supervising practicum student Maggie Rake, MA ‘21, and co-teaching Formation for Peacebuilding with Dr. Jayne Docherty during Online SPI 2021.

This degree is perfect for those who want to learn and develop skills to become effective reflective and emergent leaders. Its most unique gift is the opportunity to study intersecting disciplines, for example, organizational development, conflict transformation and business. I have developed greater skills in leading authentically and adapting to change, and I’ve already applied what I’ve learned to do my part cultivating healthy work cultures and contributing to organizational development/strategic planning processes. The projects and assignments from the praxis courses also helped to fulfill organizational needs for my employer!” One of the professors said, ‘You did a really good job on completing the works assigned, but I felt that your voice was muted throughout the assignments.’ It made me remember that all along the way in my K-12 education, I was not asked to say what I thought about anything. No one wanted to hear me or my opinions or ideas. When she said, ‘I want to hear your voice,’ I almost didn’t know how to speak or respond. In this program and my time at CJP, I found the words to speak to my experience. This degree gave me language for the purpose I know I have. I needed the words.

EVALUATION AND CHANGE

As we shape the future of this program, our students and their experiences help orient us towards growth and improvement. Through surveys, interviews, a focus group, and other conversational mechanisms, our students have shared positive feedback:

• Appreciation for the flexibility and adaptability of the program • Gratitude for supportive CJP staff and the ability to show up with

“whole selves” • The value of experienced classmates who add richness to the learning experience.

We also heard that we need to continue working on:

• Making manageable and meaningful assignments, especially in a program designed for working professionals • Clarifying and integrating the MATL core across programs • Expanding the menu of electives available for MATL students, including course offerings from Eastern Mennonite Seminary.

LOOKING FOR COHORTS

We learned the power of educating students in cohorts through the former Women’s Peacebuilding Leadership Program. The women who earned certificates together with others from their region continue to work together to advance positive change. The MATL is an ideal program for groups of change leaders from the same organization or community. They can study together while working on applied projects that have immediate impact in their location with the benefit of faculty support and guidance. The most recent adaptation of the program – adding courses from Eastern Mennonite Seminary – came out of conversations with church leaders who are considering supporting multiple staff members in their studies.

If you know of a group that might want to send three or more students, please contact Scott Eyre (scott.eyre@emu.edu).

A generous anonymous donation supports US students who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC).

*We use global majority in recognition that the majority of the world population is not of white, European descent.