Mission Partners Program CFP 2026-27
The Office of the Provost, the Office of Mission and Ministry, and the Office of Board Affairs and University Strategy, in collaboration with the Center for Faculty Development, the Center for Catholic Studies, the Center for Vocation and Servant Leadership, the University Core, the Catholic Studies Program, and the Faculty Development Committee of the Faculty Senate are pleased to announce the third iteration of the Mission Partners Program.
This program has been developed in support of Harvest Our Treasures Strategic Objective 2.4: “Provide opportunities for all new and continuing faculty to understand and integrate the University’s mission and the Catholic intellectual tradition while upholding their academic freedom.”
And proposed activity 2.4.1:
“Partner with and create collaborations among the Faculty Development Center, Center for Catholic Studies, Campus Ministry, Faculty Senate and other University groups to offer relevant workshops and training for faculty, including spiritual retreats to deepen a sense of mission.
The goal of this program is to advance faculty development in the Catholic intellectual tradition and the Catholic Mission of the university using a peer mentoring model. Senior faculty members who have demonstrated experience in these areas (see below) will partner with an early career faculty member who is interested in learning more about the Catholic intellectual tradition and our Catholic Mission. The pair will develop a project that takes an innovative approach to integrating elements of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition into research, teaching activities, and/or experiential/service-learning initiatives.
Each Mission Partner will receive a stipend of $2,000. We expect to distribute awards to no more than 5 pairs of partners. Half of the stipend will be paid in January 2026 and half in June 2027, contingent upon successful completion of the project. A report on progress to date must be submitted by December 15, 2026 and one on final results by June 1, 2027.
Partners will also be expected to present on their project as part of the university’s annual Petersheim Academic Expo (April 2027).
One Mission Partner should:
- Be a full-time, senior faculty member holding a multi-year appointment that includes the 2026 – 27 academic year;
- Have participated in at least one of the Catholic intellectual tradition/Mission workshops offered at the university (the Mission Seminar, Praxis, the CCS Summer Seminar, etc.), or an equivalent external workshop/training (i.e. Collegium), or have training in/have taught courses in the Catholic intellectual tradition.
Adjunct faculty may also participate in the program if they meet the requirements above and:
- Have 5 years of instructional commitment to the university
- Have the approval of their department chair or program director
The other Mission Partner should:
- Be an early career full-time faculty member holding a multi-year appointment that includes the 2026 – 27 academic year
Mission Partner applicants may be from any school or college.
NOTE: If you are interested in this program but would prefer to be “matched” with a faculty member, please indicate that on your application under “Additional Comments” and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Each partnership pair will be expected to submit a formal proposal by June 30, 2026, not to exceed 5-double spaced pages, that outlines an implementation plan for the 2026-27 academic year. The proposed outcome could include, but is not limited to:
- A new experiential/service-learning approach
- A new course or course module
- A research paper on the connections between the Catholic intellectual tradition and other areas of study
- Another scholarly project that engages the Catholic intellectual tradition
Proposals that demonstrate the potential for future external grant funding will receive priority consideration.
Please complete the application form below.
Applications should be emailed as a single PDF document to mary.balkun@shu.edu by June 30, 2026.
Seton Hall University Mission Statement
Seton Hall University is a major Catholic university. In a diverse and collaborative environment, it focuses on academic and ethical development. Seton Hall students are prepared to be leaders in their professional and community lives in a global society and are challenged by outstanding faculty, an evolving technologically advanced setting, and values-centered curricula.
The Catholic Intellectual Tradition
Catholicism aims for an understanding of the world around us in an effort to bring people closer to God. Given that, it is no surprise that intellectual pursuit has been a hallmark of the Church over the past two millennia. In 2000, Monika Hellwig wrote, “Perhaps the most fruitful way of thinking about the Catholic Intellectual Tradition is in terms of two aspects: the classic treasures to be cherished, studied, and handed on; and the way of doing things that is the outcome of centuries of experience, prayer, action, and critical reflection.” The treasures, she explained, include certain classic texts, art and architecture, music, as well as developments in science and technology. “When these things are appreciated as part of the Christian intellectual heritage, they are studied in a way that tends to integrate the disciplines by relating everything to the meaning of human life in its relationship to the transcendent” (in Examining the Catholic Intellectual Tradition).
The other aspect of this tradition, Hellwig wrote, is the way we have learned to deal with experience and knowledge in order to acquire true wisdom, live well, and build good societies, laws, and customs. Fundamental to this process is the understanding that faith and reason do not conflict. Rather, the continued pursuit of understanding leads ultimately to wisdom. The Catholic Intellectual Tradition invites us out of isolation and into a community whose cumulative efforts contribute to the construction of a whole—a wholeness that is a Catholic hallmark. For Catholic colleges and universities, this component of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition is manifested throughout various academic fields—theology and philosophy, but also in the arts, sciences, and professions. Because the tradition is a living one, scholars are invited to examine contemporary issues and to help the body of Catholic thought grow and adapt. (https://www.accunet.org/Mission-Identity)
Application
The Mission Partners Program 2026 – 2027
Mission Partner – Senior Faculty Member
Name
School/Department
Rank
Statement of your Catholic intellectual tradition/Catholic Mission involvement to date (include specific details, following the guidelines above)
For adjunct instructor applicants only:
___________________________
Signature of Dept. Chair/Program Director
Mission Partner – Early Career Faculty Member
Name
School/Department
Rank
Statement of interest in the Catholic intellectual tradition/Catholic Mission
For adjunct instructor applicants only:
___________________________
Signature of Dept. Chair/Program Director
Project Proposal
List the specific elements of the Catholic intellectual tradition you will use and indicate how they will be incorporated into the project. Such elements might include (but are not limited to): figures, themes, questions, ideas, concepts, texts, distinct Christian practices, the place of the fine arts or material culture. Be as detailed as possible.
How will you assess the progress and the success of your project?
What impactful outcomes do you anticipate? (presentations/papers/courses, etc.)
Include one source of internal or external funding you might apply for to develop the project in a second year.
Include a timeline for the various components of the project.
Provide an annotated bibliography of Catholic intellectual tradition-related resources you plan to use and how they relate to your project.
Additional Comments (if you do not yet have a partner, but would like to be paired with someone, please indicate that here. Also indicate if you have a project concept or what area(s) you’re interested in):