The Threefold Gaze
A Spiritual Lens for a Flourishing Life
Meaning-Making Curriculum
A NARRATIVE EXAMPLE
Manchester Community College in New Hampshire is currently in the process of revising its Liberal Arts Degree program to align with the three-fold gaze. Here's what that looks like in practice.
The Objective:
The proposed Liberal Arts Degree Program revision aims to invite students into a coherent narrative around their degree, framing it as a period of personal development and vocational discernment. Vocational discernment is defined in terms of reflecting on who they are and responding to the needs of their community and the larger world. This inward/outward gaze is traced throughout the program of study by means of four touchpoint courses, one per semester, and the compilation of a cumulative portfolio.
The Rationale:
It is no secret that undergraduate college students are experiencing a surge in mental health challenges. A December 2023 article citing a survey from the American College Health Association states almost 75% of students “report experiencing moderate or serious psychological distress" (Ceballo, 2024). One aspect of this distress is what Brown et al. call the “existential anxiety” (EA) of college students (Brown et al., 2023). A recent study measuring student anxiety around meaning and purpose found “participants did not claim to know the purpose of life. If anything, participants expressed how individual purpose is constantly changing" (2023). Ceballo points out that the large number of vocational choices students are faced with is contributing significantly to the “stress culture” of undergraduate campuses. She notes that this uptick in distress is occurring simultaneously with a general devaluing of liberal arts courses and majors. Ceballo writes,
A liberal arts education, with its commitment to exposing students to disciplines across the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences, is rooted in the practice of discernment… Discernment is the process of seriously pondering and reflecting upon whom you are supposed to be and what you are supposed to do. It is fundamentally about searching for your personal path and purpose in life. (Ceballo, 2024)
By refocusing the Liberal Arts Program to align with its historical purpose, MCC will be addressing the pressing mental health and existential needs of its students, not through auxiliary services, but where they spend the majority of their time: in the classrooms.
Retention Impact:
In addition to being good for students, this revision is likely to enhance degree completion and retention. Data shows that college students “feel empowered and thrive within learning environments that encourage personal reflection that is valued” in the context of a more holistic approach to their learning (Galbally & Christodoulidi, 2023). It is intuitive to assume students will be more inclined to see a program through to completion when it is framed with a coherent narrative structure that encourages personal goal setting, practical reflection, and a meaningful synthesis of learning in a tangible portfolio.