The Circle | Year One

Welcome! 

Your early years at George Fox will be full of the possibilities and unknowns that come with a new experience. We have designed the early GFU career faculty experience, which we call The Circle, to help you navigate this experience and foster a Christ-centered academic culture among our faculty. Over the first five years, you will encounter our institutional folkways while developing reflectively as a faculty member at a faith-based university.

The Circle is rooted in the Society of Friends thought and practice. Quaker circles are places for seeking the voice of God together. They use questions to cultivate individual discernment and community practices—all in the effort to pursue Christ in everything. Circles are fundamentally places of deep listening: to God, to one another, and to ourselves. 

What to Expect

Every year, The Circle will center on building intentional community and forging meaningful connections between faith and work, especially in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service. To accomplish this, faculty participate in small group meetings in cross-enterprise triads, fall gatherings, a May Deep Dive retreat, and individualized coaching. Throughout the year, they are encouraged to adopt a selection of rhythms and practices to enhance their learning. How this looks specifically will vary based on a faculty's previous experience and background.