BOLIVAR, MO – Two Southwest Baptist University faculty are coordinating a study of forgiveness on the University’s Bolivar campus, which includes a Forgiveness Blitz beginning February 22 and running through March 5. The study is led by Dr. Everett L. Worthington Jr. of Virginia Commonwealth University and will be coordinated at SBU by Dr. Shelley Kilpatrick and Dr. Chris Dinwiddie.  The study is partially funded by the Fetzer Institute.

According to Dr. Kilpatrick, “In addition to providing quality education, a very important job of the distinctly Christian college is building Christian character in students. Forgiveness is a defining characteristic of Christians. Toward that end, researching methods that may be effective in promoting forgiveness on the college campus is a worthwhile endeavor. SBU has been invited to join with fifteen other Christian colleges and universities in a study of the effects of a forgiveness community intervention on the campus community.”

LINKS to Bios on study coordinators and leader:
Dr. Everett L. Worthington Jr.  http://www.has.vcu.edu/psy/people/worthington.html

Dr. Shelley Kilpatrick http://www.sbuniv.edu/BSD/faculty/ShelleyKilpatrick.htm

(Note: Dr. Kilpatrick is taking leave from SBU Review Board and Faculty Senate during this study)

Dr. Chris Dinwiddie http://www.sbuniv.edu/BSD/faculty/ChrisDinwiddie.htm

Below is a brief overview of two sub-studies under this initiative

Study 1 Overview:

·         Study One hypothesizes that community interventions to promote attention to forgiving (a forgiveness blitz) will result in improved relationships on campus and less relationship stress.

·         Study One: Study One will consist of four assessment times (O) with an intervention (forgiveness blitz, X) applied between times three and four (O  O  O  X  O). Measures one and two will occur in the fall semester. Measure three will be at the beginning of the spring semester and measure four will be at the end of the spring semester.

o    Forgiveness blitz is scheduled for two weeks: Feb 22-March 5.

o    Forgiveness blitz will recruit campus clubs and organizations, residence life, athletics, university ministries, and academics to work together to inundate campus with activities, thought, and discussion concerning forgiveness.

Study 2 Overview:

·         Study Two will compare the effects of a six to eight hour forgiveness intervention on a selected group of students to a second group of students who receive a six to eight hour agape love intervention. Both groups will be compared to a control group using a pre-test/post-test survey design.

·         Study two will run concurrently with study one.

·         Study two will include training of RAs and volunteer students, faculty, and staff to lead discussion groups on forgiveness or agape love in our relationships.

Shelley Kilpatrick and Chris Dinwiddie will coordinate both studies on the SBU campus.

·         Coordinating different facets of SBU campus life for forgiveness blitz (e.g. academics, student life, campus ministries, athletics, staff).

·         Preparation, distribution, and collection of survey instruments.

·         Data analysis.

·         Coordinating training and execution of different intervention groups for study two.

What’s a Forgiveness Blitz?

A forgiveness blitz is a short term, campus wide, multi-faceted strategy to encourage people to think about and practice forgiveness in their relationships. The SBU forgiveness blitz will be February 22-March 5.  Every aspect of campus life should be involved in a forgiveness blitz.

·         Student life

o    Clubs and organizations – each does own forgiveness themed discussion or activity

o    SGA/UAC – Forgiveness themed advocacy and events

·         Residence life

o    RAs discuss forgiveness with halls

o    Hall Activities, Posting and announcing forgiveness events

o    RAs/RDs help lead Forgiveness and Agape Love groups in Study 2

·         Campus ministries

o    Chapels focused on forgiveness

o    Forgiveness focused bible studies

o    Forgiveness theme in Lent preparation

·         Faculty

o    Discuss how forgiveness fits with class topic

o    Encouraging student organizations sponsored to have a forgiveness theme discussion or activity

o    Consider leading a Forgiveness or Agape Love group in Study 2

·         Omnibus

o    Articles and editorials focusing on forgiveness

o    Coverage of forgiveness events

·         Staff

o    Support forgiveness efforts and encourage students in forgiveness

o    Consider leading a Forgiveness or Agape Love group in Study 2

·         Administration

o     Endorsing and providing leadership for Forgiveness Initiative

·         ITS

o    Supporting Forgiveness Initiative through Website

o    Supporting Forgiveness Initiative studies through Angel group management

·         Arts and Literature

o    Theater – pre and post-play discussions with forgiveness themes

o    Graphic Arts – producing logos, posters, brochures, t-shirts, graphics for newspaper, table tents for cafeteria and café areas, etc.

o    Music –

o    Literature – Poetry writing contest with forgiveness theme

·         Athletics

o    Academic-Athletic reconciliation event

o    FCA speaker on forgiveness

o    Team devotions or discussions of forgiveness

For more information, call Dr. Kilpatrick at 417-328-1735.

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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. Since 1878, the faculty and staff have created a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. The University has been named one of America’s Best Christian Colleges® for 13 consecutive years, one of America’s 100 Best College Buys® for 14 consecutive years, and it has been named among institutions with America’s Best College Scholarships ® for the past three years by Institutional Research and Evaluation, Inc. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.

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