Wofford professor selected for interfaith understanding seminar

Jones to attend five-day conference in Cambridge, Mass.

SPARTANBURG, SC – Dr. Katherine (Trina) Janiec Jones, associate professor of religion at Wofford College, has been selected from a nationwide pool of nominees to participate in a faculty seminar on the teaching of interfaith understanding. The seminar is offered by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), with support from the Henry Luce Foundation.

Twenty-five faculty members will participate in the five-day Teaching Interfaith Understanding seminar that will take place June 15-19, 2014, at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (See list of participating faculty members below.) The seminar will be led by two leading scholars, Catherine Cornille, Newton College Alumnae Chair of Western Culture, chair of the department of theology, and professor of comparative theology at Boston College, and Diana Eck, professor of comparative religion and Indian studies and Fredric Wertham Professor of Law and Psychiatry in Society at Harvard University.

“Strengthening the teaching of interfaith understanding at colleges and universities is a high priority at a time when college enrollment is becoming more diverse – by religion, as well as socioeconomic factors – just as American society is becoming more diverse. Strengthening participation in American life with greater understanding of the distinctive contributions of different faiths is key to America’s future success.” CIC President Richard Ekman says. “The number of institutions that nominated faculty members to participate in the new interfaith understanding seminar is most impressive.” The seminar will broaden faculty members’ knowledge and strengthen their teaching of interfaith understanding, with the development of new courses and resources.

For more information, visit www.cic.edu/TeachingInterfaith. 

The Council of Independent Colleges is an association of 744 nonprofit independent colleges and universities and higher education affiliates and organizations that has worked since 1956 to support college and university leadership, advance institutional excellence, and enhance public understanding of private higher education’s contributions to society. CIC is the major national organization that focuses on providing services to leaders of independent colleges and universities as well as conferences, seminars, and other programs that help institutions to improve educational quality, administrative and financial performance, and institutional visibility. CIC also provides support to state fundraising associations that organize programs and generate contributions for private colleges and universities. The Council is headquartered in Washington, D.C. 

A Chicago-based nonprofit organization, Interfaith Youth Core’s (IFYC) mission is to make interfaith cooperation a social norm. Since its incorporation in 2002, IFYC has worked on five continents and with over 200 college and university campuses, trained thousands in the principles of interfaith leadership, and reached millions through the media. IFYC has worked with partners including the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, the White House, and the Office of Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan. Eboo Patel is the founder and president of IFYC.