The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life exists to cultivate religious and spiritual life at Dartmouth College, and to coordinate and facilitate the various ministries active on campus. The ORSL shall refer to the collective efforts of the affiliated religious and spiritual life professionals with the term United Campus Ministry (UCM). The UCM is an organization of Dartmouth College and consists of Campus Ministers and Advisors.
The United Campus Ministry is a voluntary organization of affiliated professionals from College-recognized faith communities that have constituencies among students, faculty, administration, and staff at Dartmouth. In addition to tending to their own individual ministries, members of the United Campus Ministry shall work cooperatively to:
- Provide a common ministry in such areas as they may decide or the College Chaplain may request;
- Speak when possible in a common voice with other communities of faith and the College on matters of shared concern;
- Provide a regular forum within which officials of the College and UCM members may come to know one another in mutual trust;
- Function as a unit in cooperation with the various constituencies of the College and surrounding community as opportunity offers.
In keeping with the spirit of the United Campus Ministry, members of the UCM shall acknowledge and welcome religious diversity and shall respect the sanctity of religious and spiritual conscience for each individual. They shall carry out their ministries in a manner whereby no one will be intimidated, threatened, or coerced and whereby participants may freely express their values and beliefs.
The College Chaplain is charged with the oversight and supervision of the religious and spiritual life of the College and the work of all UCM members. Procedures for oversight of the UCM and its members are made explicit in these Professional Guidelines. The Chaplain's supervision neither limits an individual member's expression of belief nor intrudes in the structural requirements prescribed by the member's sponsoring religious agency. The Professional Guidelines are intended to establish a routine record of performance and achievement as well as to form the basis for any supervisory intervention should that be required or advisable.
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