| Appointing Chaplains
to Campus Ministry
The CCTI is the sole accrediting body working with Victorian tertiary
institutions to place chaplains on their campuses. It has worked actively
since its institution in the late 1950’s to place chaplains. The
following faith bodies currently constitute the CCTI: the Anglican Church,
the Roman Catholic Church, the Uniting Church, the Churches of Christ
Conference in Victoria & Tasmania (Melbourne), the Baptist Union,
the Lutheran Church, the Presbyterian Church, the Greek Orthodox Church,
the Salvation Army, the Reformed Churches of Australia, the Jewish Community
Council of Victoria, and the Islamic Council of Victoria.
Each of these faith bodies has at least one representative on the Council
who provides the link between CCTI and the faith body, and who is authorised
to consult within their faith body on any recommended Chaplaincy placements.
However, the CCTI has the final task of interviewing all prospective chaplains,
and reserves the right to make a final decision on accreditation. It is
essential therefore that the designated leaders of each faith group are
aware of, and conversant with the process for application. They should
make recommendations for possible appointments only after a discussion
of the process with their CCTI delegates and also the intended applicant(s).
In those tertiary institutions which have Chaplaincy committees the chair
of the relevant committee should be familiar with this process and be
in contact with the CCTI secretary well before any decision is made to
put forward a particular applicant for an interview. The process is outlined
below:
(1) Chaplaincy placements
Applicants for tertiary ministry are usually interviewed firstly by the
relevant tertiary ministry group in each faith body, or a Chaplaincy committee
within a university about their ministry goals. Where possible intended
appointments ought to be for a period of no less than 2-3 years. Some
general guidelines on the kinds of work undertaken by chaplains, together
with suggested guidelines for their supervision and support/professional
development are provided in the brochure, The role of chaplains
on tertiary campuses.
Applicants must have a demonstrable commitment to working with students
and staff on campus within a multifaith context, and be able to work well
with other support staff on campus. Whilst it is expected that applicants
will have required pastoral/ministry contact with members of their own
faith body/community, they are not simply on campus to support the work
of any one student group. They also need to show that they have the support
of their denomination for a specific contractual appointment, visiting
the campus regularly rather than infrequently or on an ad-hoc basis.
The specified times for their chaplaincy role need to be detailed in
their work contract. A copy of their contract/position description signed
by the designated appropriate member(s) of their faith body. No one may
be accredited to a Chaplaincy position on campus unless these professional
commitments are met, since the aim of CCTI is to ensure a consistent,
durable Chaplaincy presence on campus for the long term.
All chaplains appointed to a campus should have an appropriate induction
ceremony which includes members of the tertiary community; of the particular
faith body; local faith community. The ceremony should be conducted where
possible at the campus to which they are being appointed. It provides
opportunity for recognition of the chaplain’s work, and also the
affirmation of ongoing support for the chaplain during his/her period
of service.
(2) Campuses nominated for ministry
Currently, there are some 70 tertiary and 60 T.A.F.E. campuses in Victoria,
with CCTI-accredited chaplains working either full-time or part-time on
less than 20. Since the ministry of chaplains occurs in an ecumenical
and multifaith workplace, Christian denominations and other faith bodies
need to think strategically about appointments, rather than simply duplicating
what is already occurring on a particular campus. For example, if a local
faith community has a particular ministry with TAFE students attending
a campus in its vicinity, then it may be worth considering an appointment
at that campus to work alongside the existing Chaplaincy team; and faith
leaders consult with the CCTI on this. It should be noted though, that
an institution is not obliged to provide rooms/other support services
for any new chaplains, and this would need to be taken into account by
a local faith community when an appointment is being considered.
(3) Duration of the appointment
Representatives from the faith body as well as the applicant should be
clear on what the Chaplaincy work will entail. While funding concerns
may mean that there is some doubt about the duration of appointment, it
is important that the CCTI’s requirements for placements be clearly
understood. This reflects the Council’s concern over minimal involvement
in the life of the university/TAFE. Funding and organisational matters
should be raised in discussions with CCTI prior to any application, and
be worked through prior to interview. The chaplain's contractual agreement
with their faith body should set out:
- The chaplain's attendance at a CCTI orientation (around one half-day)
- Meetings on campus with chaplain colleagues/support personnel
- The chaplain's contact time on campus for his/her ministry
- Chaplaincy in-service events: two annual meetings of around one half-day
with CCTI for all chaplains and one half-day for annual in-service training
orientation
- The mentoring and support for chaplains which is provided for within
the professional guidelines of their faith body.
(4) The chaplain's relationship with the tertiary institution
Chaplains are most often placed in the campus administrative network with
Student Services/ Community Services, and usually have their offices in
this area. They are viewed by the tertiary institution as honorary staff,
having both the responsibilities as well as privileges of being staff
members on campus. It is essential that chaplains make themselves familiar
with their institution’s codes of work practice as they form their
approach to campus work. This will include genuine empathy and connections
with the academic; administrative; and support contexts for students and
staff on campus. In this way, the chaplain can be a bridge between the
tertiary institution and their faith body.
(5) The CCTI interview
An interview for a Chaplaincy position is a necessity rather than being
merely a formality, or simply a prelude to appointment. All applicants
are considered on their merits for a particular campus position, and are
expected to speak to their application, informing interviewers about themselves,
their previous ministry-related work, and related details concerning their
views on tertiary/ TAFE Chaplaincy. Those who interview the applicants
are CCTI members who have extensive experience in the work of campus-based
Chaplaincy and who have also worked in local faith communities.
(6) Chaplains' orientation
All newly-accredited chaplains are required to attend a chaplains’
in-service training event held at one of the Melbourne campuses. Its aim
is to:
- Provide chaplains with further information about CCTI and chaplains’
roles on campus
- Explore some current models of Chaplaincy ministry including issues
relating to part-time and full-time campus ministry
- Allow for discussion of particular ministry issues/questions that
chaplains themselves wish to raise.
(7) Support and mentoring of chaplains
CCTI is particularly interested to ensure that all chaplains receive adequate
ongoing support and resources for their tertiary-related work. This may
happen within the chaplain’s faith community: via retreats/other
meetings for spiritual teaching and direction; provision of in-service
support; and local networks of clergy/ spiritual leaders.
The following minimum guidelines are suggested:
- An annual meeting with an authorised leader/leaders from the chaplain’s
faith community or Chaplaincy committee to hear about the chaplain’s
work and ministry-related outcomes. The leader and chaplain should identify
any ongoing needs for skills training e.g., clinical-pastoral education/
counselling skills and/or short courses/seminars which focus on tertiary
sector ministry/ work with young undergraduates
- Funded/subsidised attendance at the annual Tertiary Campus Ministers’
Association conference
- A triennial review of ministry/ministry appraisal with two designated
leaders from the chaplain’s faith community and two university
members (usually from their faith-tradition) to consider their ministry
outcomes/goals, and future directions and requirements in ministry.
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