TFE Program: Goals, Organization, Descriptions

PT505 and TFE-E: Exploration

Required for students in MDiv and MA-PPL.
Normally introduced by PT 500 (Spiritual and Theological Foundations for Pastoral and Public Leadership), a prerequisite for PT505, and is taken in Fall Term. Concluding papers in PT 500 provide direction and lead into PT 505.
In PT 505 – Leadership in Context, scheduled during Spring Term, students explore potential field sites where they might follow up their vocational interests expressed in the work of PT 500. They interview potential mentors/supervisors, conduct site analysis, consider their learning styles, are introduced to leadership frameworks and tools, and practice theological reflection. They prepare a Project Proposal that will be suitable to the requirements of TFE-P: Leadership in Practice/PT651-652 (The Studio) or TFE-FC: Leadership in Faith Community. The work for TFE:E is assessed as APPROVED/NOT APPROVED. Successful presentation of the Project Proposal, which contains a description and analysis of the proposed learning sites, an introduction to the proposed mentor/supervisor and the project proposal, completes TFE-E: Exploration and admits the student to a subsequent unit of TFE (either TFE-P: Leadership in Practice or TFE-FC: Leadership in Faith Community). If the student is not planning to proceed in the following term to a further TFE unit, it is possible to delay the Proposal Presentation upon discussion and approved of the TFE Director.

Approval is given for PT505 (3 credits) and TFE-E: Exploration (no credits) separately.

Required for students in MDiv and MA-PPL.
The Studio (PT651 & PT652) is VST’s core experience in Theological Field Education and action-reflection learning on leadership.
Students in The Studio form a crucible where the skills and practices of strategic leadership can be taught, tested, and refined within an intentional and creatively collaborative environment. The term “Studio” evokes the individuality and creativity of artistic practice within a communal enterprise. The Studio aims to engage the leader as a whole person in interaction with traditional and developing leadership practices.
TFE-P: Leadership in Practice & The Studio is comprised of two terms of supervised field-based learning (as developed in the student’s work in PT505), consisting of 8-12 hours per week for 8-12 weeks of each term. At the same time, students are in PT651 & PT652, The Studio, where they engage the creative, sometimes messy, adaptive character of leadership required for the future that is emerging.
Students should plan their academic coursework cognizant of required significant time commitments of TFE-P: Leadership in Practice and The Studio.

Required for MDiv students.
TFE-FC: Leadership in Faith Community is an immersion in either a congregation of the student’s denomination, or a social agency that is specifically emerging as an interest for the student. Students participate in these sites in ways which are appropriate to their Learning Goals, the site context, and the requirements of their denomination. Interaction with a mentor/supervisor provides support and feedback on the student’s hands-on experience. Theological Reflection – exploring, discerning and articulating the presence and activity of God in the field experience – together with the mentor/supervisor is a key element of this unit of TFE.
TFE-FC: Leadership in Faith Community normally takes place over two terms and is comprised of approximately 100 hours of onsite supervised learning in each term. It is possible to complete the 200 hours during a summer period.
Overseas placements in TFE will be considered by the TFE Director.
The requirements for a summer placement may include the following:
- The student may be required to participate in a concluding integration seminar to be held during the first weeks of the fall term.
- The commitment is 16-20 hours weekly for ten to twelve weeks.
One Unit of Clinical Psychospiritual Education (CPE) could be considered for 100 hours of TFE–FC: Leadership in Faith Community, with approval of the TFE Director (see VST TFE Policy 6.7.8).