Volume 4, Issue 2, July 2010
3000 Fifth Street Northwest, New Brighton MN 55112
651.255.6127 (D.Min. line) 651.633.4315 (fax) dmin@unitedseminary.edu
Jean Morris Trumbauer, editor; Deb Olsen, designer

3 D.Min. Students among United 2010 Graduates
Three D.Min. students successfully completed their theses and oral exams and graduated on Sunday, May 23, in United Theological Seminary's commencement service. We congratulate each of them as they complete their Doctor of Ministry studies.

Dr. Thomas Harries:
Thesis title is Creation Care: Learning, Celebration and Action in Congregations.

Dr. Patricia Kennedy:
Thesis title is: Re-Imagining a Benedictine House of God.

Dr. Theodore Park:
Thesis title is I Come with Joy to Meet My Lord: At-One-Ment, Violence, and Eucharist. Dr. Park graduated with distinction and is the 2010 recipient of the Joseph B. Morris Award to the outstanding D.Min. graduate of the year.

Left is Dr. Theo Park; right is Dr. Tom Harries.
Dr. Patricia Kennedy is not pictured.

Tuition Increase: The tuition for all the degree programs at UTS will be raised to $447 per credit hour or $1,341 for a three-credit course. As we are all aware, tuition costs are increasing at virtually all colleges, universities, and seminaries across the country as educational costs rise. However, other D.Min. fees such as continuing fees and thesis fees are remaining the same as last year for the coming year.

Scheduling of DM290 and DM350: The last two seminars of the “new” curriculum are scheduled whenever there are at least three students who are ready to participate in the two final seminars. Students must have completed their five electives to be eligible for these seminars. Currently six students are registering for DM290, the Capstone and Integrative Seminar that completes Module 2. DM290 will be held September 20-24, 2010. It is expected that seven students will participate in the Thesis Preparation Seminar, DM350 which will be held January 31 through February 4, 2011.

Research with Human Subjects Forms Required: Students are asked to remember that the UTS Research with Human Subjects policy applies whenever they register for a project, a thesis, or an independent research course. The policy requires that the student submit either an Exempt Form or an Informed Consent Form depending upon the nature of their research. Students should consult with Jean Trumbauer if they have questions about which form should be submitted.

Are You Planning to Graduate?
by Susan Hastings, Registrar

Are you planning to GRADUATE next year?
If you are planning to graduate in May 2011 you need to complete a Petition to Graduate Form (click here for form) and give it to the registrar immediately!
You may send this via e-mail, fax, US mail or drop it by her office. You do not need your advisor's signature. If you have any questions, please contact Susan Hastings at 651.255.6120 or shastings@unitedseminary.edu.

Approved for Candidacy Status
Several D.Min. students were recently approved for Candidacy status in the program. They include:

Germaine Smith:
Roman Catholic High School teacher at Hill-Murray High School in St. Paul

Jeffrey Sartain:
Executive Minister at Plymouth Congregational, Minneapolis

Thomas Giordano:
Associate Director in the Lay Pastoral Ministry Program, Athenaeum of Ohio-Mt. St. Mary’s Catholic Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Project Submissions
Several exciting projects have been submitted by D. Min. students. These include:


Karen Zutz Rendall:
Remembering the Sabbath Day

Tim Tennant-Jayne:
Using Presentational Technologies within Protestant Services of Worship



Shel Boese:
An Evangelical/Renewalist Theology of Inclusion Based on the Universality of Sin and Eschatological Hope

Luise Forseth:
Stones in the Heart: Spiritual Resource Sets

Thesis Proposals Recently Approved:

Elizabeth Mahan,
Director of Spiritual Health, Ebenezer Ridges Care Center, Burnsville, MN (Theological Construction type)

Germaine Smith: Roman Catholic High School teacher at Hill-Murray High School in St. Paul. (Model of Ministry type)

Thomas Giordano: Associate Director in the Lay Pastoral Ministry Program, Athenaeum of Ohio-Mt. St. Mary’s Catholic Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Research type)

Tim Tennant-Jayne: Minister, Legends Street Ministry. (Model of Ministry type)

Luise Forseth: Community Minister, Twin Cities. (Model of Ministry type)

In Memoriam
Our condolences go to D.Min. student and United Methodist pastor, Cindy Rasmussen whose husband Clem passed away last summer.

We at United were greatly saddened in these past months by the sudden deaths of two of our Doctor of Ministry students—Michael Johnson and Jane Souhrada. Our prayers and sympathies go out to their families, ministry colleagues, and many friends. We celebrate their lives and ministries and we miss them in our presence.

Michael was a Consortium student writing his thesis proposal. He served Disciple of Christ churches in the Carlisle, Iowa area. Michael was well-know for his work in educating ministers about the issues of depression both in the United States and internationally. Michael died from complications after surgery.

Jane was both a D.Min. student in the new curriculum at United as well as a work-colleague of those of us at United where she had worked as Assistant to the Spiritual Journey program. Jane was a United Methodist Deacon and had served congregations in the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota. She was well-known for her expertise in stewardship and lay ministry and her understanding of systems approaches to church ministry. Jane died in an accident on her farm in southern Minnesota.

REMEMBER THIS
IMPORTANT POLICY!
Students must register for
at least one
academic unit per year.

D.Min. students beginning after July 1, 2004, are reminded of a policy which began in the summer of 2007. These students must register for a minimum of one transcript unit per year.

The policy reads as follows:
In each academic year, Doctor of Ministry students in the curriculum that began 1 July 2004 must register for a minimum of one D.Min. component (seminar, elective, or thesis work) or ask for a leave of absence in order to avoid administrative withdrawal. (This policy is now being enforced.)

In order to secure a leave of absence, students must submit a petition and a reason to the Program Committee by routing it through the D.Min. Director.

One unit per year will not suffice to allow new curriculum students to graduate within the 7-year limit for the program. A faster pace is encouraged which will also save students “continuing fees” in the latter part of their programs.