| ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: The "Good Work" of Campus Ministers: An Exploration of Factors Influencing Pedagogy in Historically Elite Institutions Researcher: Christopher Kennedy Hampton Dissertation Advisor: Karen I. Case, PhD. Associate Professor Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership College of Education, Nursing, and Health Professions University of Hartford The purpose of this exploratory multi-case study was to examine the reports of six campus ministers in elite higher educational settings regarding the factors that influenced their "good works" on their campuses. "Good Work" as a construct was studied by Gardner, Csikszentmihalyi, and Damon (2001) who defined it as efforts of high quality developed or conducted by individuals for the good of people and society. Campus ministers are charged with carrying out their own good works on college campuses by facilitating spiritual and religious opportunities for students. A quest for meaning is a major element of spirituality. Astin, Astin and Lindholm (2011) defined `spirituality' as something that points to an inner subjective life and strongly held personal values. It is a dynamic construct that involves the internal process of seeking personal authenticity, wholeness, transcending one's locus of centricity while developing a greater sense of connectedness to self and others. The constructs of "good work" and spirituality are interconnected. The goal of Gardner's work was to study "persons who succeeded in melding expertise with moral distinction." This qualitative study was based on an interview protocol. One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with questions generated and posed by the researcher. Campus ministers identified that their good work consisted of creating spiritual opportunities, developing strong relationships, and being a visible presence in their university communities. They reported that compromise was an essential skill for them to utilize to do their good work. |
