Faith-Based Leader Program
David Houglum, Ph.D., director for leadership
Fr. Jim Gallagher, C.S.C., director for Campus Ministry
The University's Faith-Based Leader Program is designed for students who want to experience the challenges and opportunities facing leaders in the Church or in other faith-based organizations. Interning as an executive assistant for a senior leader in the Church or another faith-based organization, students will be immersed in the reality of its day-to-day operations while, at the same time, discerning how God may be calling them to use their gifts and talents. Applications are open to sophomores during the spring semester.
After a formal interview process, applicants are selected to participate in the program. Once accepted into the program, during the fall of their junior year, students take a one-credit course, LDR 391: Faith-Based Leadership, that includes theological reflection and leader coaching developed specifically for students in the Faith-Based Leader Program.
In the fall of junior year, a selection process begins that involves several executive mentors from participating organizations interviewing the participants and ranking their choices. Interns will be selected and assigned by the program directors.
In the spring of junior year, students start the onboarding process with the organization within which they have been paired. In the summer following junior year, students complete an 8-week internship within their mentors' organizations. During the fall semester of senior year, students provide a short presentation and submit a paper on their experience. Interns receive a stipend, paid during the summer portion of the internship; this stipend is provided in part by grants, sponsoring organizations, individual donations, and the University of Portland.
For more information about the program, contact the Franz Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation, University of Portland, 5000 N. Willamette Blvd., Portland, OR 97203-5798. Telephone (503) 943-7769.