Faith and Learning: A Practical Guide for Faculty

Christian colleges expect faculty to clearly articulate an understanding of the impacts that Christian faith has on their teaching, research, and service. Many faculty find this dimension of their work-often labeled the integration of faith and learning-confusing and difficult to realize in practice, to assess, and to describe. This volume begins by clarifying two things. It summarizes the faith/learning discussion and offers a working conception of faith/integration specifically for Christian college faculty. It then outlines what deans, provosts, and tenure-promotion committees typically expect faculty in Christian colleges to know and do. Allen and Badley introduce the highly regarded framework of Ernest Boyer and the Carnegie Foundation (Scholarship Reconsidered, 1990). They then present both a framework for assessing faith/learning integration in the three dimensions of teaching, research, and service and step-by-step instructions for reporting and describing the individual faculty member's approach and success. The book closes by calling both the Christian college and the individual professor to the vocation of teaching, shaping, and sending.

Patrick Allen, Professor of Higher Education and Leadership at George Fox University, joined the institution in July 2008 and served as Provost until July 2013.  He holds an appointment in the Doctor of Education (EdD) program in the School of Education, teaching courses in higher education management, leadership, organization theory, faith and learning, and history and philosophy of higher education.
 
He came to George Fox from Southern Nazarene University (Ok) where he served as Provost. Dr. Allen had previously served as Provost at Point Loma Nazarene University (CA), Vice President for Academic Affairs at Anderson University (IN), and Dean of the School of Business and Lloyd Pickrell Distinguished Professor of Management at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas. He also served earlier in his career as a Vice President of the Commerce Bank of Blue Hills in Kansas City, Missouri.
 
Dr. Allen earned the Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Olivet Nazarene University, a Master of Arts degree in liberal arts from Southern Methodist University, the Master of Science in management from Southern Nazarene University, and a Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Oklahoma, where he specialized in the history and philosophy of higher education, organization theory, and management history.
 
Known for his humor, quick wit, and storytelling, he speaks in churches, chapels, retreats, and banquet occasions.  In his professional speaking and writing, he often addresses how faith and community can be developed and sustained, and how the traditional values of higher education can be nurtured in a Christian setting.  He has traveled extensively, at times leading student trips - having taken over 25 student groups to Europe alone.  He plays guitar and was at one time a member of a local bluegrass band in San Diego - the Loma Bottom Boys.

Patrick and his wife, Lori, reside in Newberg, Oregon, and fellowship among the Quakers.