Human formation, through a process of accompaniment, develops men of communion who relate well with others and demonstrate maturity, integrity, respect for the human person, self-knowledge, commitment to the Gospel values of simplicity of life, obedience, and life-long celibate chastity, and growth in virtue.

Spiritual formation accompanies students in their spiritual growth in communion with God, the Church, and one another so that they develop continuously and progressively in their personal relationship with Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd and docility to the Holy Spirit, in conversion and holiness of life, in their commitment to the Church as shepherd, head, servant, and spouse, and in living their priestly vocation with virtue and integrity.

Intellectual formation offers a “school of the Lord’s service” promoting an ever-deeper knowledge of the divine mysteries where students’ study of liberal arts, philosophy, theology, and related areas, including their historical and cultural context, takes the form of “faith seeking understanding” that is theologically informed, solidly grounded in Sacred Scripture and Catholic Tradition, faithful to the Magisterium, and oriented toward effective pastoral ministry as formation for missionary discipleship and configuration to Christ.

In pastoral formation, students are provided with support, training, and opportunities to develop a priestly identity as shepherds with the mind and heart of Jesus Christ, Teacher, Priest, and Shepherd, and the pastoral knowledge, pastoral skills, and pastoral charity essential to effective pastoral ministry in the Church, especially preaching and teaching the Gospel in Word, sacrament and service.

Human Formation Assessment Plan

Institutional Goal:
Human formation, through a process of accompaniment, develops men of communion who relate well with others and demonstrate maturity, integrity, respect for the human person, self-knowledge, commitment to the Gospel values of simplicity of life, obedience, and life-long celibate chastity, and growth in virtue.

Formation Outcomes:

1. Students will demonstrate self-knowledge, affective maturity, and human virtue that promote a life of communion and service as a public person.
2. Students will exhibit self-possession/internal locus of control and a commitment to a chaste, celibate, obedient, and simple lifestyle.
3. Students will show respect for the dignity of the human person, including for the diversity of human culture and experience.

Rota of Assessment:
Every year, human formation faculty evaluate student achievement in each of these outcomes. Every four years, human formation faculty aggregate data from the previous four years and assess how to enhance and strengthen the plan of formation.

Assessment schedule:
May 2026 – full, four-year assessment
May 2030 – full, four-year assessment
Etc.

Spiritual Formation Assessment Plan

Institutional Goal:

Spiritual formation accompanies students in their spiritual growth in communion with God, the Church, and one another so that they develop continuously and progressively in their personal relationship with Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd and docility to the Holy Spirit, in conversion and holiness of life, in their commitment to the Church as shepherd, head, servant, and spouse, and in living their priestly vocation with virtue and integrity.

Formation Outcomes:

1. Students will demonstrate a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the Church in, for example, dedication to daily prayer and Liturgy of the Hours, the sacramental life, devotion to the Eucharist, meditation on the Word of God, formation of conscience, and devotion to Our Lady and the saints.
2. Students will demonstrate ongoing discipleship and configuration to Christ as shepherd, head, servant, and spouse of the Church through dedication to Word, sacrament, service, and community.
3. Students will manifest a prayerful discernment and commitment to the priestly life of virtue, simplicity, celibate chastity, and obedience.

Rota of Assessment:
Every year, spiritual formation faculty evaluate student achievement in each of these outcomes. Every four years, spiritual formation faculty aggregate data from the previous four years and assess how to enhance and strengthen the plan of formation.

Assessment schedule:
May 2027 – full, four-year assessment
May 2031 – full, four-year assessment
Etc.

Intellectual Formation Assessment Plan

Institutional Goal:

Intellectual formation offers a “school of the Lord’s service” promoting an ever-deeper knowledge of the divine mysteries where students’ study of liberal arts, philosophy, theology, and related areas, including their historical and cultural context, takes the form of “faith seeking understanding” that is theologically informed, solidly grounded in Sacred Scripture and Catholic Tradition, faithful to the Magisterium, and oriented toward effective pastoral ministry as formation for missionary discipleship and configuration to Christ.

Propaedeutic and Discipleship Stage Formation Outcomes:

1. Students will articulate the broad contours of the Western intellectual tradition from the perspective of Christian humanism, discerning its theological orientation and using critical reasoning and situationally appropriate communication skills.
2. In preparation for the graduate study of theology for the Catholic priesthood, students will demonstrate a sound grasp of philosophy and the fundamental beliefs and practices of the Catholic faith, integrating faith and reason.
3. Students will demonstrate an ability to integrate and direct classroom learning towards their formation as Christian disciples, in their personal knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ, their growth in virtue, and the ordering of their learning towards self-giving service.

Configuration Stage Formation Outcomes:

1. Students will be able to think theologically in a way that is faithful to Sacred Scripture, the Catholic Tradition, and the teaching of the Church, using critical reasoning and appropriate methodologies, and to articulate the Catholic faith from the perspective of communion ecclesiology, demonstrating the connections and coherences of faith’s mysteries by discerning their Trinitarian, Incarnational, and Eucharistic foundations.
2. Students will manifest integration of theological learning with focus on the liturgy, deepening and broadening intellectual insights through prayer and the spiritual life and manifest an ever more profound grasp of their own human condition and respect for the dignity of each person.
3. Students will demonstrate the ability to orient and integrate their learning towards effective pastoral ministry, especially preaching and teaching.

Degree Program Outcomes
As the preponderance of students in the propaedeutic/discipleship stages are in the Bachelor of Arts [BA] program, the propaedeutic/discipleship stage outcomes are equivalent to the BA program learning outcomes. Likewise, since the preponderance of students in the configuration stage are in the Master of Divinity [M.Div.] degree program, the configuration stage outcomes are equivalent to the M.Div. program learning outcomes.

In addition to the BA and the M.Div., Mount Angel Seminary offers several other graduate degree opportunities: a Master of Arts (Philosophy), a Master of Arts (Theology), and a Doctor of Ministry. The following are degree program outcomes for each of these degrees, which are closely integrated with the institutional outcomes.

Master of Arts (Philosophy) Program Learning Outcomes:

1. Student shows a solid grasp of the field of philosophy: different eras in the history of philosophy; the different sub-divisions of philosophy; philosophical methodology and philosophical content.
2. Student will demonstrate a capacity for graduate-level research: how to use library/information resources, how to formulate a thesis, and produce a thesis-project outline with bibliography.

Master of Arts (Theology) Program Learning Outcomes:

1. Students will be able to think theologically in a way that is faithful to Sacred Scripture, the Catholic Tradition, and the teaching of the Church, using critical reasoning and appropriate methodologies, and to articulate the Catholic faith from the perspective of communion ecclesiology, demonstrating the connections and coherences of faith’s mysteries by discerning their Trinitarian, Incarnational, and Eucharistic foundations.
2. Students will demonstrate a capacity for theological research, including the ability to identify a manageable and pertinent research question, to identify and accurately utilize sound theological sources, and to develop and complete a thesis on the basis of that research.

Doctor of Ministry Program Learning Outcomes:

1. Students will be able to think theologically in a way that is faithful to Sacred Scripture, the Catholic Tradition, and the teaching of the Church, using critical reasoning and appropriate methodologies, and to articulate the Catholic faith from the perspective of communion ecclesiology, demonstrating the connections and coherences of the faith’s mysteries by discerning their Trinitarian, Incarnational, and Eucharistic foundations.
2. Students will manifest integration of theological learning with personal and spiritual growth and a deepening and reinvigoration of their vocational calling, by, e.g., starting or restarting initiatives to foster spiritual growth in their local church, exercising new or expanded leadership roles, and/or expressing a deeper appreciation of and more frequent participation in the liturgy and other spiritual practices like deep reading, Liturgy of the Hours, lectio divina and the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
3. Students will demonstrate the ability to orient and integrate their learning towards effective ministry.

Rota of Assessment:
Every year, intellectual formation faculty evaluate student achievement in each of these outcomes. Every four years, intellectual formation faculty aggregate data from the previous four years and assess how to enhance and strengthen the plan of formation institutionally and for each degree.

Assessment schedule:
May 2024 – full, four-year assessment of Propaedeutic/Discipleship and Configuration Stage Outcomes
May 2025 – full, four-year assessment of Doctor of Ministry Program Outcomes
May 2026 – full, four-year assessment of Master of Arts (Theology) Program Outcomes
May 2027 – full, four-year assessment of Master of Arts (Philosophy) Program Outcomes
May 2028 – full, four-year assessment of Propaedeutic/Discipleship and Configuration Stage Outcomes
Etc.

Pastoral Formation Assessment Plan

Institutional Goal:

In pastoral formation, students are provided with support, training, and opportunities to develop a priestly identity as shepherds with the mind and heart of Jesus Christ, Teacher, Priest, and Shepherd, and the pastoral knowledge, pastoral skills, and pastoral charity essential to effective pastoral ministry in the Church, especially preaching and teaching the Gospel in Word, sacrament and service.

Formation Outcomes:

1. Students will be able to articulate an understanding of their vocation as sharing in the pastoral ministry of Christ through generous, humble, and self-giving service.
2. Students will model and live servant leadership and accompaniment, manifesting pastoral charity, generosity, and humility.
3. Students will demonstrate the skills essential to effective pastoral ministry, such as preaching, teaching, presiding, pastoral presence, sensitivity, and collaboration with others in the service of the Church’s evangelizing mission.

Rota of Assessment:
Every year, pastoral formation faculty evaluate student achievement in each of these outcomes. Every four years, pastoral formation faculty aggregate data from the previous four years and assess how to enhance and strengthen the plan of formation.

Assessment schedule:
May 2025 – full, four-year assessment
May 2029 – full, four-year assessment
Etc.