Spring Program: Formation for Mission
Instructor: Fr Arthur J. Lenti, SDBDescription - DON BOSCO BUILDER: INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS resumes the story of the life and times of St. John Bosco (1815-1888) from 1875 to his death, with particular attention to social and political situations in place after the unification of Italy and the passing of the dramatis personae of the liberal revolution. Topics include: development and organization of the Salesian Society; expansion of Salesian education in Europe and Latin America; development of permanent structures to guarantee the continuance of the Salesian apostolate; the founder’s basic insights especially as they emerge in his writings. Format: Lecture. Evaluation: Reflection papers.
Meeting Information: Spring 2011 - ISS - M/TH - 08:10AM-09:30AM.
SP-2505 SPIRITUALITY OF FRANCIS DE SALES
Description - Beginning with a general survey of the life and work of Saint Francis de Sales (missionary, bishop, founder and doctor of the Church), students analyze the major themes of his spiritual teaching: 1)devotion and gentleness: two sides of Christian humanism; 2)meeting God in daily life; 3)means for progressing in the love of God. The special role of Saint Jane-Frances de Chantal is highlighted in synthesizing the impact of Salesian thought on the spirituality and pastoral life of the Church. Format: Lecture/ discussion. Evaluation: Group work, reflection papers, class presentation.
Meeting Information: Spring 2011 - ISS - T/F - 08:10AM-09:40AM.
STSP-2362 CHRISTOLOGY: JESUS AS COMPANION
Description - A Salesian Spirituality reveals Jesus as companion and points the way to holiness as a path that is shared by pilgrims one to the other and with their God. It is appropriate to thrust into the scene of rising new Christologies a specifically Salesian Christology as a grace and necessity for our times. This course will present this Christology with its roots in the spiritualities of St. Francis de Sales and St. John Bosco and the many inspired paths borne of these two spiritual giants. Taken together, the image of Christ is a precise one that is profoundly new while rooted deeply in the Gospel encounters. This Christology begs Jesus the traveler to stay awhile in this globalized chaos that we might break bread and return to our communities enlivened. Format: Lecture/discussion. Evaluation: Reflection papers, class presentation.
Meeting Information: Spring 2011 - ISS - M/TH - 11:10AM-12:30PM.
While the ISS is conceived primarily as a program for personal enrichment, it is possible to use the Salesian courses to build toward an advanced degree in theology.
ISS students register in DSPT for full-time equivalency status. Those who wish to pursue an MA in theology may do so; they are admitted to the MA program by DSPT, and their ISS credit courses apply toward their degree.
Academic prerequisites for ISS participants pursuing advanced degrees include a command of the English language and a basic theological or religious studies background. Since course work is given at a seminar and graduate level, students are required to have the equivalent of a university degree or a diploma certifying past experience in higher education.
Certificate of Theological Studies
DSPT awards the Certificate of Theological Studies to ISS students who have completed twelve hours of graduate study in theology for personal enrichment. Academic credit is given for completed courses (which may later be applied to a degree program by determination of the Admissions Committee).
ISS students wishing to pursue an advanced degree in theology apply for admission to a degree program at DSPT. There are two options. The Master of Arts in Theology (Option I) is a research-oriented two–year degree in theological studies, accenting the theological tradition of DSPT, requiring both a foreign language and a Master’s thesis. ISS courses apply as a specialization in spirituality. Students completing this program often teach or pursue doctoral studies, including those of the GTU.
The Master of Arts in Theology (Option II) is a two–year program designed to encompass a wide range of theological topics. Students choose an area of specialization, often with a pastoral orientation. The program culminates in a special project, a series of essays, a thesis, or perhaps a theological reflection paper. Students may use this program to gain the theological breadth and depth to help prepare for pastoral ministry. The Salesian emphasis on youth ministry fits neatly with this option.
ISS programs range from the end of August through May. During the summer months, faculty members often facilitate workshops or retreats in other Salesian centers across the USA and elsewhere. However, a variety of theological and academic courses are available at the GTU and at the University of California at Berkeley. Programs in English-as-a-Second-Language are offered in a variety of schools and academies in Berkeley, including the UC Extension School and the Berkeley English Academy. These programs begin in early June and end in mid-August. ISS students engaged in summer programs live in community at Don Bosco Hall and walk to their classes.
Don Bosco Hall and the ISS arrange for summer courses with Berkeley English Academy for those who need to learn or improve their skills in the English language.
Berkeley English Academy (BEA) is located in downtown Berkeley (2161 Shattuck Avenue, Suite 313) – a 10-minute walk from Don Bosco Hall. Classes are offered from Monday through Thursday, beginning at 9:00a.m. and lasting until 2:30p.m.
BEA structures its courses along 7 levels of instruction: low beginning; high beginning; low intermediate; middle intermediate; high intermediate; low advanced; high advanced. The emphasis of the English program is on comprehension and conversational skills. For this reason, the working groups are kept small: 14 is the maximum number of students in each class. Progress in comprehension and speaking skills are evaluated daily, and classes are reconfigured every Monday in response to the needs and progress of each student.
Students who enroll in BEA pay a one-time registration fee, and a monthly tuition. Depending on one’s entry-level competence in English, normally 6 to 8 weeks of instruction are adequate to give students a good working knowledge of the language for class work at the GTU.
TOEFL: Preparation and Testing
BEA also offers special classes for those who need to prepare for The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL®). Most people who take the TOEFL test are planning to study at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, however, in recent years the test has been used by institutions in other countries where English is the language of instruction. In addition, government agencies, scholarship programs, and licensing/certification agencies use TOEFL scores to evaluate English proficiency.
GTU Cooperative Summer Session
Courses offered during the summer at GTU are part of a cooperative venture of GTU member schools. These summer classes are designed as one-week sessions, beginning in mid-June and ending in mid-August, and include offerings in the arts, biblical studies, ethics, history, pastoral theology, preaching, spirituality, and theology.