November 20, 2023
by Greg Henson, CEO Kairos University; President of Sioux Falls Seminary
In today’s article, we are going to wrap up our discussion on the release of Kairos 10.0. Our focus will be on the Bachelor of Arts in Christian Thought and Practice (BACTP) and the Bachelor of Arts in Leadership (BAL).
Bachelor of Arts in Christian Thought and Practice
The BACTP was launched in 2020, and we continue to make updates to it each year in response to the feedback we receive from students and from the data we gather through assessment. With the 10.0 version of the program, we have updated a few courses, created clarity regarding how courses connect to program outcomes, and adjusted a few expectations.
Course Updates
As students have progressed through the program, we have learned that a few courses did not produce the results that we anticipated in terms of learning outcomes. We are, therefore, removing a couple of courses and replacing them with ones that have greater alignment with the program outcomes. We are also renaming a few outcomes because the feedback we received demonstrated that these outcome titles were not as clear as they could be.
Course Connection to Outcomes
In order to help students and mentor teams better understand the connection between the program’s courses and outcomes, related outcome names are being integrated into course titles. The courses themselves did not change, just the titles.
Adjusted Expectations
As shared a few weeks ago, case studies will continue in Kairos 10.0, but we are making a few adjustments. First, we are going to call them Reflection in Community Sessions in order to reinforce the fact that these are opportunities to engage in peer reflection in the context of community.
Second, the requirement for Bachelor of Arts students to participate fully in weeklong gatherings that include both plenary sessions and Reflection in Community sessions has been removed. Instead, students will now only be required to participate in Reflection in Community sessions. Meaning, participation in regional gatherings and other online plenary sessions is optional. In addition to the adjustment for participation, the total number of required Reflection in Community sessions for students in the BA program has been reduced.
We are also exploring ways for faculty mentors to offer additional small-group Reflection in Community Sessions throughout the year. More details will be made available once a plan has been finalized and implemented. Kairos will continue to offer online Reflection in Community Sessions throughout the year as well as those that are offered in person at regional gatherings.
Bachelor of Arts in Leadership
The BAL has been updated, as well. It is still a pilot program, and cohorts of students are admitted by invitation only. The structure of the program mirrors that of the BACTP in that students work through courses connected to program outcomes. The same Reflection in Community session adjustments made to the BACTP program also apply to the BAL.