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J. Lenore Wright and Christopher J. Richmann

On October 12, 2018, the Academy for Teaching and Learning (ATL) at Baylor University celebrated its tenth anniversary with a symposium titled, “Called to Teach.” At this symposium, Baylor faculty representing diverse disciplines and institutional perspectives presented papers each reflecting, in their own ways, on the call to teach. These papers became the basis for the present collection.

Callings: Excellence, Commitment, and Community

When someone claims to have a “calling,” what do they mean? The term, like its Latinate version, “vocation,” is slippery. Does it specify devotion to a religious life? Does it refer to an occupation? Does it invoke a deep personal sense of contributing something meaningful? At different times and in various communities, it has meant all this, and more.

The Protestant Reformations of the sixteenth century were a decisive moment in the history of the concept of “callings.” Martin Luther challenged the medieval Catholic hierarchical notion of “estates,” or stations in life, where those occupations dealing directly in spiritual affairs claimed greatest honor and were alone considered divine callings.1 Instead, while greatly prizing the office of preaching, Luther argued God calls people to all honest earthly tasks and equally esteems the work of these callings. This was liberating, as the mundane tasks in which most people were engaged—parenting, business, farming, government service, teaching—now enjoyed sacred status.

But as it turns out, this sacredness is not always experienced as liberation. With the twentieth-century expansion of education and opportunity, and the related cultural expectation that one’s career is an intensely personal decision (“what do you want to be when you grow up?”) rather than something communally determined, questions of vocation can be the source of stress and alienation. We are overburdened with options yet, in the last analysis, expected to bear the burden of decision alone, since we are told that personal fulfillment is the ultimate measure of success in one’s career choice. This American individualism is expressed in popular theology, with its notion that God has a distinct “plan for your life.” While many undoubtedly derive great comfort from this perspective of God’s providence, others sense a daunting responsibility: because of the Reformations insight that one’s calling could potentially be any productive task, this “plan” is seldom self-evident. And riding on these life choices is not only personal contentment, but alignment of one’s personal decisions with God’s will. In response, titles proliferate offering advice for how one should “discern” one’s calling.2

Such a preoccupation with finding, discovering, or discerning one’s calling, however, would have struck the major sixteenth century reformers as odd. Their focus—and the theological center of their doctrine of vocation—was not the search for one’s call, but what one finds in the midst of the callings one has. Without fail, what one finds (or rather, hears) are requests from neighbors. This is the voice of God: neighbors asking for bread, advice, goods at a fair price, a listening ear, a word of encouragement.

The office, experience, and accidents of time and location all determine the requests one hears. In Luther’s earthy illustration, the father with the crying baby is hearing the call to “rock the baby, wash its diapers, make its bed, smell its stench, stay up nights with it, take care of it when it cries, [and] heal its rashes and sores” in full confidence that as he does so, “God, with all his angels and creatures, is smiling.”3 The person with “Professor” before her name will get asked to teach by college students. Students may not say it in so many words, but they communicate their needs with their tuition dollars, their willingness to endure uncomfortable chairs (even for 8 am class!), and their sustained attention to material.

Viewed this way, the excitement of vocation is not in the discovery of “what is my calling?,” although many, undoubtedly, train for and pursue certain tasks out of a conviction that in such work personal interests and aptitudes intersect with human need. But the deeper and abiding excitement is in identifying how one can best respond to the requests, best serve the neighbor in the offices, relations, and stations in which one finds oneself day in and day out. This perspective framed our invitation to the contributors to this collection, who responded creatively and thoughtfully to our claim that faithful action within the call to teach (like any calling) is shaped by excellence, commitment, and community.

Of course, the essayists here are also scholars, so they are motivated also by their disciplines. As evident in many of the chapters, their work is enriched by a deep sense that what we teach is important—and therefore bringing others into the community of knowledge is important.4 As teachers, we want to expand the circle of those who know, invite more conversation partners into the discussion of—as Robert Baird so beautifully puts it—“matters that matter.”

Baylor’s Vision for Teaching Excellence

God’s call is never abstract. Vocation is always contextualized, precisely because it is located in the voice of the neighbor. Although we believe the insights in this collection have application in many institutional settings, we consider it equally important to name the particular setting out of which these insights emerge. The context that these essays share is Baylor University, a Christian research university in Waco, Texas, with a strong tradition of undergraduate education and more recent aspirations to achieve R1 status. This intersection of Christian mission, teaching heritage, and research impact make Baylor distinct, if not unique. None of these elements—let alone the awesome something that is greater than the sum of these parts—flourishes without rewards, support, and expectations. As we often say, Baylor “doesn’t take teaching for granted.” For over forty years, Baylor has been intentionally working out the practical implications of that sentiment.

In the late 1970s, William F. Cooper (Bill), Professor of Philosophy and Dean of Faculty Development, assisted by Elizabeth Vardaman (Betsy), applied for and received a grant from the Lilly Foundation to pilot a faculty development program they named the Summer Teaching Institute.5 Robert M. Baird (Bob), Professor of Philosophy, convened the first group of Institute participants in 1978.6 Cooper, Vardaman, and Baird, inspirational and beloved teachers themselves, recognized a need for instructors to think and talk together about how to design, organize, and teach their courses. Cooper’s immediate aim was for faculty participants to write syllabi for their courses, which, believe it or not, was an uncommon practice at Baylor in the sixties and seventies. Thanks to their initiative, teaching development at Baylor was born.7 Thanks to their vision—a vision to guide That Good Old Baylor Line—teaching development has been institutionalized.

Even before teaching development was integrated formally into institutional structures, Baylor proudly proclaimed a tradition of excellence in education. A recent survey of Baylor alumni indicates that “most alumni recall the quality of the education at the university when asked about what comes to mind about Baylor.”8 Scores of our predecessors shouldered significant responsibility for creating and maintaining quality education, Cooper, Vardaman, and Baird among them. We could not be where we are without their work and example.9 Baird, who served forty-seven years on the faculty and received the highest honor for teaching, the designation of Master Teacher, reiterated his advocacy for teaching development in an April 2014 interview: “I take teaching so seriously that to be called a Master Teacher is greatly appreciated . . . though I don’t think of myself as a ‘master teacher.’ I think of myself as a student of good teaching—I try always to improve my teaching.”10

Herbert Reynolds, Baylor President 1981–1995, championed efforts to make teaching a priority. In the first five years of his administration, he established the Distinguished Visiting Professors Program and authorized the Robert Foster Cherry Great Teacher Award. In 1982, he created the designation of Baylor professors as Master Teachers.11 D. Thomas Hanks (Tom), Master Teacher and Professor of English, Emeritus, heeded the call to excellence and dedicated himself to evidence-based, inspirational teaching throughout his forty-one-year career (Hanks won every teaching award Baylor offers). In 1982, Hanks was tapped to take over directorship of the Summer Teaching Institute, subsequently renamed the Summer Faculty Institute (SFI). He served as an SFI director and its key advocate for thirty-five years, retiring from the SFI and Baylor in 2017.12

The founding of the Academy for Teaching and Learning in 2008 has bolstered Baylor’s tradition of educational excellence. You may be surprised to learn that at the time of the ATL’s founding, Baylor was the only university of the Big XII Conference that lacked an established center for teaching and learning. University leaders recognized that increasing student enrollment, fluctuating student retention, expanding numbers of faculty, deepening investments in research, and establishing greater accountability for institutional effectiveness compelled Baylor to formalize support for faculty and ensure the continuation of transformational teaching. This resolve has ensured that our faculty and student body continue to see effective teaching as foundational to our students’ significant learning, moral development, and spiritual growth. Thanks to the university’s commitment, as well as extensive faculty engagement, the ATL has become a vital mechanism for the ongoing development of Baylor instructors. It is also a tangible expression—to alumni, potential students and faculty, and other stakeholders—of the institution’s on-going recognition that teaching excellence is a way of life at Baylor.

Virtually every university constituency endorsed the strategic proposal for the creation of the ATL.13 Jon Engelhardt, former dean of the School of Education, believed so strongly in the proposed center’s value that he offered funding from his own budget to help launch it. Larry Lyon, Senior Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School, authorized stipend funds to create the ATL’s Graduate Fellows program. Former provost, Elizabeth Davis, convinced that the time had come for a center for teaching and learning, presented the proposal to the Board of Regents, who approved the ATL for operation beginning in 2008. W. Gardner Campbell, Vice Provost for Learning Innovation and Student Success and Associate Professor of English at Virginia Commonwealth University, served as the inaugural director of the ATL 2008-2011. Campbell encouraged Baylor faculty to re-imagine what great teaching might look like in a digital age. Today, members of the Office of the President, Office of the Provost, directors, deans, chairpersons, and other campus leaders champion the work of the ATL and find ways to integrate teaching development into the fabric of Baylor. Perhaps most significantly, Baylor faculty have taken ownership over the ATL, investing their expertise, time, and energy to breathe life into the ATL’s mission “to support and inspire a flourishing community of learning.” We are immensely grateful.

The strategic proposal identified a need for faculty members, departments, and program leaders to have a central resource to help develop meaningful and effective long-term plans for enhancing student learning. Research supports the belief that efforts made on behalf of effective teaching development need infrastructure, resources, and integration into institutional systems. A multi-year study published in 2015 concludes that faculty involvement in centers for teaching and learning depends on “whether or not the centers are integrated systematically into the expectations, support, and reward structures of the institution, and whether this emphasis on teaching excellence is reflected in the level of respect it is accorded by peers.”14

We believe that whatever future mechanisms exist for teacher support, great teaching and significant learning will endure. Why? We believe Baylor is loyal to her core values, including teaching. But our faith in the future of teaching is rooted in something that is both more elusive and more palpable: That Good Old Baylor Line. Since 1845, generations of Baylor students and teachers have marched together in and out of classrooms. These students and teachers, supported by dedicated academic leaders, have forged a bold vision that unites Baylor’s historic tradition of teaching excellence with a renewed commitment to teaching development, a vision realized in the Academy for Teaching and Learning and vibrantly attested in the essays of this collection. Sometimes, we need to fling our Green and Gold far and near. Sometimes, we teachers, like our students, need transformation as we hold that Good Old Baylor Line.

References

Baylor University, “Baylor Mourns the Death of President Emeritus Herbert H. Reynolds.” May 25, 2007. https://www.baylor.edu/MEDIACOMMUNICATIONS/news.php?action=story&story=45872.

———. “Looking Back with Dr. Robert Baird.” Baylor Arts and Sciences. April 23, 2014. http://blogs.baylor.edu/artsandsciences/2014/04/23/robert-baird/.

———. “Remembering Dr. Pennington and Dr. Hanks as They Retire.” Baylor Proud. July 17, 2017. https://www2.baylor.edu/baylorproud/2017/07/remembering-dr-pennington-dr-hanks-as-they-retire/.

Bruffee, Kenneth A. Collaborative Learning: Higher Education, Interdependence, and the Authority of Knowledge. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999.

Keirns, Tracy A., Chad S. Novak, and Andrew E. Smith. “Baylor University Alumni Survey 2012.” The University of New Hampshire Survey Center, December 2012. https://www.baylor.edu/alumni/doc.php/193441.pdf.

Luther, Martin. “An Appeal to the Ruling Class of German Nationality as to the Amelioration of the State of Christendom.” In Martin Luther: Selections from His Writings, edited by John Dillenberger, 403–88. New York: Anchor, 1962.

Lyon, Julie S., Hilary J. Gettman, Scott P. Roberts, and Cynthia E. Shaw. “Measuring and Improving the Climate for Teaching: A Multi-Year Study.” Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 26 (2015) 111–38.

Tranvik, Mark D. Martin Luther and the Called Life. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2016.

Palmer, Parker. Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2000.

Schultze, Quentin. Here I Am: Now What on Earth Should I Be Doing? Grand Rapids: Baker, 2005.

Schuurman, Douglas J. Vocation: Discerning Our Callings in Life. Grand Rapids: Eerd-mans, 2004.

Smith, Gordon T. Consider Your Calling: Six Questions for Discerning Your Vocation. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2015.

1. Luther, “Appeal to the Ruling Class,” 407–12.

2. For example: Palmer, Let Your Life Speak; Smith, Consider Your Calling; Schultze, Here I Am. A more Reformations-grounded treatment appears in Schuurman, Vocation; although Schuurman also focuses on “discernment” of one’s calling.

3. Cited in Tranvik, Martin Luther and the Called Life, 97.

4. Bruffee, Collaborative Learning.

5. Dr. William F. Cooper has been affiliated with Baylor University for over fifty years. Cooper also became supportive of the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core in its early years and provided funding for BIC faculty development through his dean’s office discretionary account. He continues to advocate for teaching development.

6. Baird served as Summer Teaching Institute leader for several years before transitioning to facilitator of the “microteaching” component of the Institute, a role he performed for approximately thirty years.

7. The STI/SFI is now a fixture of the University and ATL. Former and current leaders, based on available records, include the following: Bill Cooper, Bob Baird, Fred Curtis (deceased), Gustavo Morales, Bert Williams, Paul Rosewell, A. A. Hyden (deceased), James Nowlin, Tom Proctor (deceased), Jeter Basden, Tom Hanks, Anne-Marie Schultz, Laine Scales, Lenore Wright, Andy Arterbury, and Keith Schubert.

8. Keirns, Novak, and Smith, “Baylor University Alumni Survey,” 1.

9. Cooper subsequently became Dean of Arts & Sciences and Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus. Vardaman recently retired as Associate Dean for Engaged Learning in A & S and Senior Lecturer in English. Baird served as Chair of the Department of Philosophy for eighteen years (1987–2005), University Ombudsperson, and Faculty Senator. Baird also directed a university self-study 1984–86 and chaired the committee that developed the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core (BIC) in the early 1990s. He earned the designation of Master Teacher and received the Piper Professor of Texas Award, the Robert L. Reid Award for Outstanding Teaching in the Humanities, the Herbert H. Reynolds Award for Exemplary Service to Students, and the Cornelia Marshall Smith Professor of the Year Award. Baird is now Professor of Philosophy and Master Teacher, Emeritus.

10. For the complete interview, see Baylor University, “Looking Back.”

11. Baylor University, “Baylor Mourns the Death.”

12. For more about Tom’s career, see Baylor University, “Remembering Dr. Pennington and Dr. Hanks.”

13. Deans, department chairs, the Faculty Senate, the Graduate Student Association, Student Congress, and individual professors and students alike declared in agreement: Baylor needs a university-wide venue that will promote a standard of excellence in teaching and foster significant learning among students.

14. Lyon, Gettman, Roberts, and Shaw, “Measuring and Improving the Climate for Teaching,” 127.