Association of Religious Counselors

Who We Are

MISSION STATEMENT

The Association of Religious Counselors (ARC) is an independent association of representatives from religious and spiritual communities that serve the students, staff, and faculty of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Committed to the central role of religion and spirituality in the development of the whole human being - body, heart, mind, and soul, - ARC advocates for the religious, spiritual, and ethical dimensions of university life. ARC provides its members opportunities for networking, education, and advocacy. In addition, ARC facilitates communication and cooperation between its members and the University of Michigan. ARC is guided by understanding and respect for the societal, cultural, and religious diversity of the student community and the university environment that embraces it.

SHARED COMMITMENTS

Every ARC member pledges:

to serve the University of Michigan community by advocating for the moral, religious, and spiritual dimensions of university life;
to support the university's exercise of free inquiry and its pursuit of the highest standards of intellectual and moral excellence;
to represent one's own community and its purposes with honesty and integrity while treating other ministries and traditions with respect; and
to safeguard the religious freedom, human dignity, and personal conscience of all individuals in the course of the activities and mission of ARC and its member communities.

CONSTITUTION

Constitution of the Association of Religious Counselors (ARC) at the University of Michigan

Membership

ARC is a voluntary association of persons who are:

Advisors of recognized religious groups at the U of M
Staff persons of recognized religious organizations and campus ministries at the U of M
Leaders of congregations whose ministry relates to university faculty, staff and students
Persons in the U of M whose professional activity relates to ARC.

The ARC Executive Committee grants membership to ARC annually according to the membership criteria in the ARC Constitution (and supporting documents). A person applying for membership:

Must have a statement from a sponsoring organization indicating that he/she is appointed by that group to work on campus
Must have a statement of purpose of the group which must be filed with ARC and the statement must be consistent with the objectives of ARC
Must pay annual dues.
Will be given a copy of this Constitution (and supporting documents) and must be able to agree to it.

The privilege to vote on the Constitution, the Bylaws, and election of officers is ensured by regular participation in ARC meetings (at least three meetings in a given year).

Objectives

ARC is a society composed of the above-defined persons, whose purposes are:

To provide occasions for the exchange of ideas and concerns a) among the various faith perspectives of ARC members
b) relating to religious and ethical needs on campus
(ARC hopes to build trust and communication by interaction among the various religious counselors and group advisors).
To provide opportunities for the exploration of cooperative approaches to religious work among students and faculty.
To maintain mutually helpful relationships between ARC and the University and to speak to the University community when it deems appropriate.
To provide for accountability among members for methods and programs of individual members or groups (See Executive Committee #3 below).

In order to safeguard and promote the professional relationships among the members of ARC, the Association underscores the importance of care, integrity, and respect among the various religious traditions that constitute ARC.

ARC recognizes the differences that exist among religious groups and the desire to promote one’s message. We encourage honest dialogue, open discussion, and vigorous debate of our various convictions and points of view.

However, recognizing the detrimental effect on our relationships and our mutual collaboration of dishonest, manipulative, coercive or disrespectful methods of presenting one’s message, members of ARC agree not to engage in such methods. Where tensions or perceived offenses arise, we will aim to speak to one another directly about them or address the issues through the mediation of the Executive Committee of ARC.

Methods of Procedure

ARC will ordinarily meet once per month from September through May.
Special meetings may be called at the request of the University administration, the ARC Executive Committee, or any five members of ARC who come from five different organizations.
Voting is by a majority of the members at a meeting where a particular question is discussed and decided. Information about matters of great importance or controversy will be sent to ARC members before the meeting at which they will be discussed.
The Association shall elect annually a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. To provide continuity, the Vice President (or another returning Executive Committee member) shall ordinarily become President.

Executive Committee

The Association shall elect five members-at-large who, together with the officers and immediate past President, shall constitute the Executive Committee (EC). The EC shall be selected in such a manner as to represent as nearly as possible the various religious traditions of the Association.
The EC shall meet as necessary (ordinarily meet once per month) to plan programs and to carry on the business of ARC.
The EC shall also provide the opportunity to hear concerns or complaints from any group(s) or person(s) about the activities of religious groups on campus, thus providing some form of accountability within ARC. These concerns could be brought to ARC at its meetings. When a complaint about the behavior of an ARC member (with respect to the norms outlined in this constitution and supporting documents) has been brought to the EC for mediation, the EC shall be empowered to determine whether that member is in violation of the terms of membership. If the EC concludes that such a violation has occurred, the EC shall revoke that individual’s rights and privileges of membership.

Revised March 8, 2002

PRESIDENT'S WELCOME LETTER

Dear Fellow Religious Counselor,

As president of the Association of Religious Counselors (ARC), I invite you to renew your current membership or join ARC. Once you become a member of ARC you gain official affiliation with the University of Michigan. Enclosed you will find: 1) Constitution of ARC, 2) A copy of our Mission Statement and Shared Commitments, 3) Benefits and responsibilities of being an ARC Member and an Affiliate of the University, and 4) Application form to join ARC.

You should have already received a letter of invitation from E. Royster Harper, Vice President of Student Affairs and from ARC inviting you to an opening Reception on Tuesday, September 15, 9 - 11:00 a.m. in the Pendleton Room of the Michigan Union. If you have not received this invitation, please let us know.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact ARC Administrative Assistant, Dorota Marchel, at arc-admin@umich.edu. I look forward to working with you this year.

Sincerely,

Rolf Bouma
President
Association of Religious Counselor