JACKSON, Tenn. — June 5, 2025 — Eleven Union University senior faculty members concluded their year-long peer mentoring program entitled “Remembering the Call: Innovative Approaches to Collegial Mentoring.”
The program used mentoring cohorts to stimulate research conversations and renew investment in excellent Christ-centered higher education. After an initial weeklong retreat in Nashville in August, faculty met monthly in groups of three over dinner throughout the academic year to discuss their research and the mission of the university.
The program facilitated several research projects that were included in the Journal of the Union University Faculty Forum, such as “Every Task is Sacred: An Introduction to Martin Luther’s Doctrine of Vocation,” “’Elimination by Whim’: Ingrid Bergman, the Memphis Board of Censors, and Cancel Culture in the 1950s” and “Well-being and Deep Connections by Teaching Emotion Regulation to Undergraduates.”
Designed and led by professors Gavin Richardson and Jean-Marie Walls, the program was principally funded by a grant from the Lilly Network of Church-Related Colleges and Universities, with assistance from the provost’s office.
“This program has reminded us that our calling as Christian scholars is not only to pursue excellence in our own research, but also to encourage and inspire one another,” Richardson said. “By coming together across disciplines, we’ve deepened our sense of community and strengthened our shared commitment to Christ-centered higher education.”
At the program’s concluding dinner at the end of the semester, each participant shared how the program benefited their scholarly work and fostered collegiality across the disciplines. Participants included Christine Bailey, Justin Barnard, Chris Blair, J.R. Kerfoot, Beth Madison, Tammy Patton, Jeannette Russ, David Thomas and Joshua Veltman. Ashley Blair, director of the Center for Faculty Development, also attended.