C21 Expands With New Online Courses

After its creation five years ago, Church in the 21st Century's online Web site finds itself becoming a valuable resource for spirituals around the globe. The brain child of University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., in collaboration with the Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry (IREPM), the online program caters to adults of Christian faith who are seeking a forum for religious discussion among other individuals, and with time, the program hopes to expand even more.

The Church in the 21st Century, or C21, was created in 2002 as an initiative in response to the sexual abuse crisis of the clergy. "Fr. Leahy thought that Boston College could be of some service in helping bring resources and providing a place where people could look at the different dimensions of that crisis," said Barbara Anne Radtke, program manager for C21 Online. The initiative was made permanent through the creation of the C21 Center and the C21 Online program.

The first two years of the initiative's instatement involved collaboration with IREPM, which, in coordination with Leahy's vision, led to Internet success. The Web site funnels in thousands of users looking to for spiritual guidance. "The mission of C21 Online is to provide online learning experiences for adults who are interested in spiritual growth, who are interested in developing the spiritual side of their life," Radtke said.

C21 Online is composed of online courses as well as several Web workshops. One of the leading reasons adults found great use in the program is the freedom given in regards to course time management. "We aimed to make it very convenient for the busy person, so it's asynchronous, which means you don't have to be online at a certain time each day or a certain day each week," Radtke said. "For a certain number of weeks, you have access to a course, and you can dial up with other people through a discussion board."

The course access period varies from two to six weeks with a particular structure to motivate discussion. Course instructors, professors in the School of Theology and Ministry, post videos and course readings intended to promote reflection in regards to the course's subject. From there, enrollees write posts in a class discussion board in an effort to interact with one another and the resources available to them. "Posts can start with your experience and then how you're responding to these resources and what do you get out of it that could really make a difference to you in thinking about the world and how you live your life," Radtke said.

While these courses are available for a fee, three free online workshop courses allow a preview of what to expect from other C21 courses. The workshop courses have not only caught the attention of other Bostonians, but also students in other American regions, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia. "We had a lot of Australians enroll in the program because a lot of them studied at a summer seminar in the School of Theology and Ministry," Radtke said.

The cost of the courses allows for many individuals to enroll, with two-week courses available for $35 while the four to six-week courses costs $75. Each course is designed by a BC professor in the College of Arts and Sciences or the School of Theology and Ministry. "One course designed by Fr. Ken Himes incorporates cinema clips and how to apply religion to them. It's very popular," Radtke said.

Radtke made particular note of how the C21 Online courses cater to a variety of individuals, not only those of the Catholic faith. "It's available for anyone looking to expand their spiritual bounds; sure, it's predominantly Christians, but we accept any applicant." To enroll in a course, future students must join the group through a network created by the archdiocese of the area or through a group designed by parishes or other organizations. "We just had a retirement home community in Florida set up a group," Radtke said. Once in a group, the student can take as many classes as desired.

"I would love to see [the program] grow," Radtke said. She hopes to add even more courses to the Web site and continue to foster conversation among the spiritual.