Utah Valley University Helps Found Multi-University Book Club

After receiving a $3,000 Interfaith Youth Core Innovation Grant for faculty and staff development, Utah Valley University will partner with campuses across Utah to form a one-of-a-kind book club.

   

 

After receiving a $3,000 Interfaith Youth Core Innovation Grant for faculty and staff development, Utah Valley University will partner with campuses across Utah to form a one-of-a-kind book club. This book club will do more than just unite universities, as the selected book each semester will be a title that encourages interfaith discussions. 

"We see a great need across the state to learn the skills and tools of interfaith dialogue," said Ellie Anders Thompson, UVU’s Reflection Center coordinator. "There’s currently a disconnect from one another and miscommunication. The communication we use in interfaith dialogue will equip us to have better conversations and really listen to one another."

The first book selected for discussion is "Out of Many Faiths: Religious Diversity and the American Promise" by Eboo Patel. The Interfaith Youth Core Innovation Grant covers the expenses of books, so interested staff and faculty can receive a copy free of charge.

"Right now, we are focused on really developing the skills of the faculty and staff to have these types of interfaith conversations," Thompson said. "We’ve heard so many stories about people feeling like they are or are not welcome on campus. We really think this is a skill set folks can utilize to help everyone feel they can be authentically themselves on campus."

The first broadcast will introduce the purpose of the book club across all campuses and will feature members of the grant working team as representatives for their participating colleges:

  • Ellie Anders Thompson, Reflection Center Coordinator, Utah Valley University
  • Andy Reed, Assistant Professor of Church History and Fellow of Religious Outreach Council, Brigham Young University
  • Fernando Montano, Director of Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, Snow College
  • Jan Saeed, Director of the Office for Global Peace and Spirituality, Westminster College

For more information about the program, or if you are interested in joining the book club and receiving a free copy of “Out of Many Faiths,” please contact Ellie Anders Thompson at [email protected].