“Just Walk”: Using Pilgrimage to Reconceptualize Higher Education Administration Culture��Institute for Pilgrimage Studies�William & Mary�November 2021�
RICARDO MONTELONGO, PH.D. (HE HIM HIS EL)
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY
EMAIL: RXM059@SHSU.EDU
Land Acknowledgement
I would like to acknowledge that the land I am joining you from today and where Munich Re-Houston is located has long served as a site of meeting and exchange amongst a number of Indigenous peoples, specifically the Apache, Caddo, Comanche, Kiowa and Wichita nations.
Additionally, Texas is home to the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas, the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, the Lipan Apache Tribe, and the Texas Band of Yaqui Indians.
While we gather virtually today, we honor and respect the diverse Indigenous peoples connected to this territory on which we gather.
Presentation Overview
“It takes a certain intellectual sharpness to be grateful. People who rely exclusively on their intellect, those clever ones, may have a hard time with gratefulness.”
“And surprise is the key to gratefulness.”
Source: Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer: An Approach to Life in Fullness (1984)
Gratefulness – Br. David Steindl-Rast
Impetus for study – Date when I received tenure notification during peak of COVID19 pandemic first wave.
Deep reflection on purpose & meaning of work in higher education.
Observations as faculty member. Listening as colleague.
Gratefulness in higher education…hard to find it these days.
March 23, 2020
Why Is This Important? Higher Education Administration Cultures
Higher Education Administration Cultures
Spirituality in Higher Education
Often associated with religion; thus, an uncomfortable topic to discuss (Bolman & Deal, 1995)
A “missing consideration in student affairs” where it does not appear often in the literature (Love & Talbot, 2009)
Spiritual development involves developing a greater connectedness to self and others through relationships and community (Helminiak, 1996; Love & Talbot, 2009)
Spirituality requires different scholarly methods and investigations. Nontraditional approaches should be considered (Collins, 1987)
“Four measures of spiritually related qualities…demonstrate satisfactory reliability, robustness, and predictive validity” (Astin, Astin, & Lindholm, 2011). Objective measurements?
Study Overview
phenomenon (Moustakas, 1994).
Study Overview
Frameworks
Manning (2018) – Higher Education Organizational Frames
The Rule of St. Benedict (516 A.D.)
Pilgrimage��- specific focus �� �� ��
Camino de Santiago
Study Overview
Essence Description
Learning about the Camino – Movie “The Way”; other higher education colleagues; study abroad opportunity; Appalachian Trail experience; family
Camino Frances – starting in St. Jean-Pied-De-Port, France. ~800km. Popular.
2- to 4-week walk/hike with 12-15 miles/day, with 6 hours daily walking
Physical preparation – Daily hikes; increasing distances 6 weeks before walks; learning to walk with poles; walking with a pack
Mental preparation – Books about the Camino; reading on St. James; reflecting and thinking; advanced journaling; “I did a lot of dreaming” (Bex)
Study Overview
Study Overview
Theme: Experiences & Reflections: The Camino provided participants surprising emotional ranges
One thing I would say is that every day had a low point and a high point, and sometimes the lows are really low, but they were usually compensated for by high points. (Peregrina)
And then we had a debrief circle every evening. So the whole group would get together. And then it was usually lights out really early and sleeping. And then [the next day] rinse and repeat. (Bex)
I journaled every night when we got done [walking], to just reflect on the day and sort of create a memory, a log of what had happened that day (Oaklyn)
At the pilgrimage endpoint -Cathedral de Santiago
It was a little anticlimatic, I don't know if it was because I was really tired. And then when I got there, mass was already started. It rained the entire way. It poured, I was totally soaked. I walked in the rain for about six or seven hours. (Clara)
That moment where you're like, "Ah, I did it." And then all of that comes crashing down as you wander through the urban streets, leading into Santiago, It's just weird that I've been in the countryside (Mike)
Study Overview
Theme: Impactful Lessons & Knowledge: Learning about self and others reflectively and metaphorically
One of the key pieces that I always come to from the Camino is when we were walking, coffee does not come in 16 ounce to go things [as she holds a large mug]. It comes in real ceramic porcelain cups and you enjoy them. And this is just enough [as she holds a small cup from Spain]. The Camino will give you what you need. (Bree)
Learning you cannot control everything and welcome others into your space:
One of the lessons that we've definitely learned is that this, if there's a person you're avoiding on the Camino, you won't be able to avoid them forever. And you will end up having an encounter with them where you realize that they have something to offer you. That people, everybody has a story and sometimes those stories are worth hearing. (Perigrina)
Study Overview
Theme: Influence on current administrative styles
Yellow Direction Arrows on the Camino – Spiritual & Symbolic
Trusting the symbols on where you need to go; letting go of control and trusting the process
I think learning that you just can't control everything and one of the mantras that the Camino provides. I am a big type A person and so when I don't have everything mapped out to a T, that’s just how it’s going to be. That's along the Camino. And just really letting go, going with the flow. (Mike)
There's always a yellow arrow somewhere, if you just stand still and kind of look around carefully enough. The yellow arrow will appear and provide you a signal for which direction to go. (Twyla)
I kept thinking to myself, if the biggest thing that I need to do all day is just walk. The world that we live in are quite overwhelming How can I do this. How can I eliminate more decision-making in my everyday life? (Susie)
Routine is where all the magic happens. (Mike)
Implications – Reconceptualize Organization Culture
Human Connectedness: Creating a new frame that values taking time to know each other & community
I am a huge proponent of walking meetings now. I mean, when you realize [on the Camino] that you can talk with a complete stranger, share your entire life story, hear their entire life story in a matter of an hour and a half, walking between villages, you're like, "Well, hell I can knock out this one process meeting I have to have in a half hour, walk around campus.". Just saying it's "Okay, let's just slow down and take our time.“ (Mike)
Spiritual metaphors of the Camino to teach organizational wisdom to colleagues
The Camino shell, and the reality that each one of those ridges of the shell all come together at the hinge, right? The hinge being your destination, and each one of those ridges being different pilgrims trying to reach Santiago. They're walking, they're individuals, but they're walking together towards a common goal. (Jacob)
The experience of pausing really does make life changing difference in our life. So, for me, if it's not the Camino, it's the practice of doing that in multiple ways [in administration]. (Bridget)
The only thing that gets in the way of your transformation is you. (Jacob)
Implications – Reconceptualize Administration Culture
Applying monastic culture and philosophies (RSB) to secular world
Stability - Living in the truth
Conversatio – a constant ongoing process of becoming with other people
Love & Community – “the good zeal” of colleagues; common good for the group; respect for individuals
There's so much we can learn from it. The community of care, creating communities of care, the Camino is one big community of care. You know that saying the Camino provides it really does. the idea of our [higher ed] work being about creating communities of care is huge. (Bex)
I think that they can learn about the importance of recognizing that others have gone before us. We don't all experience the same road, the same way. [We are] realizing how big the world is and how many people are out there, doing really interesting things with their lives and without higher education. (Twyla)
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST!
Ricardo Montelongo, Ph. D.�Associate Professor – Higher Education Administration
Department of Educational Leadership
Sam Houston State University�Teacher Education Center 319A�SHSU Box 2119�Huntsville, TX 77341-2119�rxm059@shsu.edu�Phone: 936.294.1155�Fax: 936.294.3888
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rmontelo/
Instagram: @rmontelo0102 & @therulephotoproject
Personal website: https://ricmontelongo.com/
Engaged Scholar
References