Faiths and further education - Church of England

35Action point:• Find a copy of your college’s organisational chart or similardocument.• What is the shape of your college? How many levels are therebetween top and bottom?• How are its activities organised? What are the main collegestructures?• Who is responsible for what and to whom?111Your college’s organisational chart or prospectus representsschematically the formal structure of your educational institution.It shows how work has been divided up and who is responsible forparticular sections.112Colleges also develop particular and expected ways of doings thingsand interacting with each other —an organisational culture. It canproduce a sense of collective identity, foster stability and influencebehaviour.The elements of organisational culture comprise:• structure and systems• leadership and management styles• values, beliefs and assumptions• stories, myths and rituals.Action points:Think about your college. In what terms do people within it talkabout it? In analysing a college’s stories or folklore about itself, itcan be useful to identify:• the core beliefs (for example,‘this is a very caring organisation’,‘we’re at the cutting edge’,‘they couldn’t run a whelk stall’)• whether those beliefs are held by those at the top of theorganisation and those at the bottom – and those in between.As you continue to work at the college, you will need to identify:• your friends• the people you need to influence• the people that students connect with.113Having considered your institution in general organisational terms,ask some more specific questions.• What is the college’s leadership style?• What is the college’s organisational climate? What is theemotional climate?• What is the college’s track record?• What are the strengths and weaknesses?• What policies relate to values (for example, the environment)?• How is its student body constituted?• What is the college’s role in the community?What are other relevant factors, such as demographic, social,economic, cultural, technological and industrial?“Boys from Black and Muslim backgrounds had a veryhigh drop-out rate.We asked for help from the localBlack church and the mosque, and in both cases,managed to recruit a mentor who has become amember of the chaplaincy team.They use groupmentoring methods, which have been very successfulin driving up attendance hugely.” (Chaplain)114A snapshot is developing of the college as it is at the moment. Ourunderstanding of the issues it faces now can be deepened if weunderstand how the college has developed over time.Thesequestions may help.• What are the college’s current priorities? What are its plans forthe future?• Has its mission and strategy changed over time?• Has its course offer changed?• Have its relationships with employers changed?• Has its local community, and its relations with the communitychanged?• Has its student body changed?• Has the structure of the college changed? For example, has therebeen an amalgamation or restructuring?Why this is relevant115It is with this deeper understanding of the college, its staff andstudents that the chaplaincy can engage in its primary focus interms of pastoral care and spiritual development. But suchorganisational knowledge is also important when members of thechaplaincy discuss with the college its organisation, or itscommitment to a multi-faith approach.Action point:You have studied the college. Now look back at Section 1, thechecklist for setting up or strengthening a chaplaincy.• What stage have you reached?• What do you need to do next?