Fostering Relationships Between Grad Students and Faculty
As a student involved with InterVarsity at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Hank Tarlton volunteered for summer ministry internships. A summer working with other college students in the San Francisco area confirmed for him that he wanted to be involved with college ministry after graduation.
He was uncertain about joining InterVarsity staff, so he applied to Gordon Conwell seminary. “I really wanted to work with college students. What I was not sure about was whether I should do that with InterVarsity. I knew that going to seminary didn’t mean I was taking that off the table.”
Starting at Virginia Tech
He did join InterVarsity staff, after getting his seminary degree, and was assigned to work at Virginia Tech. He was 26 years old; age-wise more aligned with some of the college professors than the students. He was surprised to find himself making friends among the faculty so easily. “I hadn’t really planned on that,” he said.
One Christian faculty member at Virginia Tech became his prayer partner. He often called on faculty members to speak to the undergrad chapter and their partnership helped him to bring Veritas Forum to Virginia Tech. “That was the segment of the campus I was connecting with,” he said.
But as much as he enjoyed working with the undergrad chapter and the faculty, he found that the travel necessary for fundraising was keeping him apart from his growing family. So he left InterVarsity and took a job with a hospital in Asheville.
Moving to UNC-Chapel Hill
He stayed in contact with InterVarsity’s Area Director, Jimmy Long, and within a year he was invited to return to staff to work with graduate students and faculty at his alma mater, UNC-Chapel Hill. Now he’s been there for 14 years. He works with six different grad and professional student groups: the Grad InterVarsity chapter (Focus), the Christian Medical & Dental Associations (2 chapters), the Christian Pharmacy Fellowship International chapter, the Christian Legal Society, and the MBA Christian Fellowship.
“Fostering relationships among grad students takes time and happens better where there are students who share common educational experiences,” he said. “I’ve come to realize that going to where the students are already located is most important.”
A very popular innovation this past semester has been Faith and Science Fridays. “It’s a lunchtime gathering for students who are interested in discussing issues related to Christian faith and science,” he said. The idea came from a handful of students who have put a lot of energy into planning the meetings. The first program featured the chair of the Astrophysics Department, and was titled, “An Astrophysicist for Jesus.”
“It’s been a good way to bring graduate students together over a topic they’re interested in, as well as pull some faculty in to give them a platform that they would not otherwise have,” said Hank. “There’s a place for Grad InterVarsity on campus, I just need to figure out what that looks like. At this point in time it looks like this.”
Figuring out the Faculty
Hank wants his ministry to serve both grad students and faculty. Figuring out how to serve faculty is something he’s still working on. “The older faculty members have the time and the interest, but it’s really the younger faculty members that I’m trying to connect with,” he said. “They have the interest, they just don’t have the time.”
About four years ago Hank began creating a list of the Christian faculty he knew. Then he asked students and faculty for more names. Ultimately he identified 180 Christian faculty members at UNC-Chapel Hill. Some of the faculty already met in small groups for fellowship. Now he’s working to connect the small groups to each other and start more small groups.
One of the groups he helps facilitate is geared for physicians and meets from 5:30pm-6:00pm every other Wednesday. The meeting usually includes some teaching, a short discussion, and prayer. “An hour is too long, but a half hour is not,” he said. “It gives them the opportunity to meet one another and deepen their relationship with each other. The physicians wanted this group to be open to both residents and med students, so they have the opportunity to encourage and mentor them as they learn how to follow Christ in the medical profession.”
Affinity for Networking
His affinity for networking people has served him well, working with grad students and working on building faculty ministry. Hank also likes to network individuals from both constituencies together, such as connecting first and second year med students with Christian physicians. Some of those matches have been very fruitful mentoring relationships. “I might be the only person in a position with those two groups of people who can connect faculty and students,” he said.
Hank was recently ordained as a deacon in the local Anglican church he attends. He believes his involvement in a local church, and meeting regularly with a spiritual director in the last few years, have been key in keeping him anchored spiritually and an effective campus minister, the kind of minister he hoped to become that summer in San Francisco, almost 25 years ago.