Hendricks Chapel


About Us
Organization, Guidelines and Governance

Hendricks Chapel must, above and beyond all else, be seen as a place of sanctuary for the entire University community. The Chapel as Sanctuary takes on many meanings. It is a place for the full expression of each faith represented within it, including sacred prayer, the observance of worship, and the celebration of holy days. It is also a place for people needing a moment of quiet, a word of counsel, a place of study, a focal point for gathering, and a safe place to share one's ideas and one's vulnerability with others. Obviously, it also houses weddings, memorial services, and similar events. Hendricks Chapel safeguards and makes whole the human exploration of wisdom and courage, no matter how popular or unpopular.

The Role of the University

Syracuse University takes as its central mission “to promote learning through teaching, research, scholarship, creative accomplishment and service.” The University expands that mission with a five-fold vision:

  • To be a leading student-centered research university with faculty, students and staff sharing responsibility and working together for academic, professional and personal growth.

  • To be a university whose five core values of quality, caring, diversity, innovation and service are pervasive and evident among all its members.

  • To have a workplace environment that attracts and retains a superior and diverse faculty and staff who motivate, educate and serve students.

  • To be a safe, secure, well-maintained campus readily accessible to all populations in both reality and perception.

  • To maintain a sound fiscal position through optimum enrollment and increased external support, and to allocate resources in a manner consistent with the university’s mission and vision.

As part of fulfilling its mission and achieving its goals, Syracuse University seeks to encourage the religious, spiritual, and moral development of its students and others in the University community. When discharging this responsibility directly, the University operates in a non-sectarian manner; thus the religious and spiritual components of the University programming are planned so as to enable a wide circle of inclusion and identification. At the same time, diversity and depth of particular religious commitment, identification, and expression are facilitated within the campus environment to the greatest extent compatible with overall university purposes and other provisions of this document. Moreover, the University acknowledges and welcomes the presence and contributions of students, faculty, and staff whose ethical outlooks, teaching, and learning are grounded in principles other than religious belief.

The University provides support for the Office of the Dean of Hendricks Chapel and appoints the dean, who provides leadership for university spiritual and religious life and is responsible for implementing this document. Ultimately, the Dean of Hendricks Chapel’s success connects to the University’s overall climate of spiritual and moral concern, of which students and faculty are the primary stewards. Spiritual and religious life will flourish on the Syracuse University campus only insofar as faculty and students foster diverse and multiple avenues for spiritual growth and ethical inquiry, and only if they take the lead in maintaining and promoting a moral community.

The Operation of the Office of the Dean of Hendricks Chapel

Since 1980, the Dean's role at Hendricks Chapel has been separated from the leadership of any particular campus religious community. There are, however, issues, needs, demands and questions in life which occur and recur without regard to specific religious affiliation, academic pursuit, or cultural identity and thus the dean must function in a variety of roles, including religious.

The Office of the Dean is charged with the responsibility of serving the entire campus, regardless of religious affiliation or lack of it, in matters pertaining to the quality of life at Syracuse University; confrontation of the moral and ethical issues of the day; consideration of such issues as meaning, purpose, and values; and creation of interdisciplinary and cross-college dialogue. Whenever possible it is in cooperation with others that the Dean confronts issues relating to values, inter-cultural and interdisciplinary dialogue, the exploration of national and international concerns, and a great variety of other activities which enhance the quality of life at Syracuse University and its concern for life throughout the world. In initiating such programming the Office of the Dean cooperates with the chaplains, all religious groups on campus, and with other departments and divisions of the University, both academic and non-academic. The Dean pursues with vigor issues which are controversial in an attempt to bring as much light as possible to bear, even though it is inevitable that they generate heat as well.

The Office of the Dean, along with the entire University community, must always remember that religious institutions have sometimes been adversaries of cooperation with each other and sometimes even hostile to the best interests of human development. To facilitate the search for and the best expression of our commonality, the richness of our traditions, and the potential which religious cooperation has for the entire human family, the Office of the Dean strives to present programs which are comprehensive, of the highest quality, and marked by as much cooperation as possible--always with an eye to emphasizing the unity of the human family while dealing with issues which divide it.

The Office of the Dean of Hendricks Chapel functions within a spirit characterized by one of our past guest speakers, the Reverend Dr. William Sloane Coffin, who offered, “be ready to affirm the principle that the integrity of love is more important than the purity of dogma." Theological and traditional differences often work against such an idea, but in no way lessen its worth as a principle for the operation of the Office of the Dean and for all who are willing to seek some basis of harmony.

In a recent article (Occasional Papers Issued by the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry--Jan. 25, 1991) Chaplain Jim Townsend writing on the chaplaincy (U.S. military in his case) expresses some of its characteristics and challenges. The following quotations serve well to underscore the existing spirit among the Hendricks Chapel chaplains and are especially well suited as descriptor and guide for those who work in the Office of the Dean.

Because there is no way that all individuals can have a chaplain of their specific faith group, all persons who serve as chaplains must be available to provide or enable ministry for all persons...

The chaplain must not be just the representative of his/her denomination, although each must never cease to be fully an appropriate representative of his/her endorsing community...

Chaplains offer themselves without reservation to every person while maintaining without compromise their own personhood and faith stance. Chaplains minister to all persons based on their needs and not ours. The rubric guiding chaplain ministry has always been "cooperation without compromise."

When called upon, the Dean serves in a manner sensitive to persons of all religious traditions (and those with no religious affiliation) as a representative of the University at public and academic events.

The Dean also serves as campus-wide ombudsperson. In order to fulfill this role, the Vice President for Human Resources and Government Relations, to whom the Dean reports, has placed the Dean or has requested that the Dean be placed, on the major committees concerned with the overall operation and organizational structure of the University including the Academic Coordinating Council, Quality Council, the Office of Student Affairs Directors Plus, and a variety of other committees and commissions.

Hendricks Chapel and its Dean relate directly to the Vice President for Human Services and Government Relations of Syracuse University. Syracuse University provides sufficient budget to the Dean of Hendricks Chapel to achieve several purposes within the University. The chief purpose is to oversee and coordinate the work of the Chapel in ways that correspond to its vision and mission, to exemplify and promote the values of wholeness, caring, service, diversity, quality and innovation. Accomplishing this purpose involves facilitation of the chaplaincies and the work of all ministries on campus to the extent possible. (This does not involve direct budgetary support other than that noted later in this document.) Facilitation also involves insuring that all religious groups within Syracuse University are duly registered both at Hendricks Chapel and with the appropriate division of the Office of Student Affairs, and insuring that these groups are in compliance with the regulations of the University, which expects all religious groups to be mutually respectful of one another within the University. The Dean negotiates with religious bodies that wish to place, replace or renew appointments of chaplains on the Syracuse University campus, and normally represents the University in dealing with local and national religious bodies. The Office of the Dean avoids programming that may interfere with the traditional roles of the chaplains and religious workers serving on campus. (For example, the Dean does not sponsor services of worship, prayer or fellowship groups, bible study, or other activities that may appear to infringe on the territory of the chaplains).

Councils

Chaplains Council

The Chaplains Council meets on a regular basis, normally at least once a month during the academic year. The Chaplains Council is made up of clergy or lay people who have been accepted by Syracuse University to represent major religious traditions in chaplaincy at the University. The Hendricks Chapel staff, salaried by the University and answerable to the Dean of Hendricks Chapel are also members of the Chaplains Council. The dean serves as chair of the Chaplains Council.

The purposes of the Chaplains Council are:

  • To create a companionship among those in chaplaincy at Syracuse University
  • To facilitate mutual assistance when possible
  • To generate as much joint programming as possible in serving the needs of the entire campus
  • To give advice and counsel to the Dean on how the Office of the Dean might better serve the needs of the various chaplaincies
  • To keep each of the chaplaincies as well informed as possible about the work of the other religious operations on the campus as well as the work of the Office of the Dean
  • To be as creative as possible in fulfilling all of the aims and purposes of Hendricks Chapel within the University
Religious Life Council

The Dean of the Chapel calls together at least twice a semester all persons who are authorized to do ministry and/or lead religious groups within Syracuse University. This includes the leaders of the various chaplaincies, those who are authorized to do work for organizations which have established ties with the Office of the Dean for ministry, the leadership of all religious groups duly registered and approved, and all faculty or staff advisors working with such groups.

The purposes of the gatherings of the Religious Life Council are:

  • To acquaint all who work under the umbrella of Hendricks Chapel with one another and with the nature of all of the programs performed there
  • To become more familiar with the overall operation of the University
  • To consider what cooperative efforts might be possible in serving the needs of the University
  • To hear brief reports from the Dean regarding the work of Hendricks Chapel and particularly the Office of the Dean
  • To give advice and counsel to the Dean regarding how the Office of the Dean can best support their programs
Chaplains/Religious Groups

Student religious groups have the responsibility of presenting themselves for recognition for university status according to procedures and criteria established by the Division of Student Affairs and the Office of the Dean of Hendricks Chapel. As part of those procedures, the leaders of student groups that see themselves as primarily religious–as well as student groups whose focus is ethnic or cultural but which have a significant religious component to them–are required to schedule an interview through the Office of the Dean of Hendricks Chapel to determine whether the Dean confirms the group’s being recognized. Certification as a recognized student religious group is required for inclusion within the Hendricks Chapel brochure, for participation in the Interfaith Student Council and Religious Life Council. The signature of a group’s representative on the Application for Recognition as a Student Religious Group indicates its agreement to abide by the conduct norms within The Ethical Framework for Religious Life at Syracuse University.

The Dean of Hendricks Chapel and others within the Chapel family make themselves available to student religious groups for planning and general support. In cases where a sponsoring agency does not support a religious group director to work with students of a particular religious tradition or denomination, the students must designate a member of the Syracuse University faculty or staff to be their religious advisor if they seek to be a recognized student religious group.

Role of Chaplain

Those leading religious communities as chaplains at Syracuse University are here for a variety of reasons and under diverse sponsorship. Even so, there is some unity to their purpose for being on this campus and for the existence of their programs. Syracuse University, through the Office of the Dean of Hendricks Chapel, solicits the presence of chaplaincies whenever the campus population warrants such presence and wants to have the clergy and lay people serve their constituencies in the best manner possible. One of the key responsibilities of the Dean of Hendricks Chapel is to help each chaplain to achieve an effective leadership with their respective religious community.

Traditionally the Syracuse University chaplaincies are those which represent major religious groups and which in turn fulfill professional expectations within their denomination or religious organization. The Dean of the Chapel must approve these positions through an arrangement with the sponsoring agent. It is the responsibility of the sponsor to provide the salaries, program expenses, and fringe benefits. Traditionally, the Office of the Dean has provided these chaplains with office space and with telephone equipment. No overhead is charged for use of the office space which is assigned on a space-available basis,* but charges are made for expenses associated with phone calls, the use of equipment such as copy machines, etc. (*Applications for space are evaluated on the basis of the size of the group or constituency served and on the basis of years of service on the campus.)

To qualify as a chaplain, this series of criteria must be met:

  • Be appointed by a denomination/faith tradition
  • Have direct supervision by that denomination/faith tradition
  • Work at least ½ time (20 hours per week)
  • Have appropriate credentials which may include: ordination, licensing, formal appointment
  • Hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree
Privileges of Chaplains

The professionals serving Syracuse University as chaplains gain a number of privileges and benefits. They serve the University in a guest/host relationship. They are guests in that they are not formally employed by the University. They are hosts in that they have status within the University and are seen as official members of the University community. These benefits do not include those extended to faculty and staff who are directly employed by the University. They do include the following:

  • The holding of a Syracuse University identification card–which enables library privileges, recreational facility privileges, and a discounted rate at the bookstore.
  • Eligibility to participate actively in campus ceremonies as may be deemed appropriate by the relevant University body, and to be invited to campus events and receptions through affiliation with the Office of the Dean of Hendricks Chapel.
  • Being listed in the Campus Directory and included in the Hendricks Chapel brochure.
  • Being eligible for an email account and internet access via the University network.
  • Being called upon by the Dean of Hendricks Chapel to counsel, respond in times of crisis, and, provide religious services to students and other members of the campus community, as well as to represent the Office of the Dean of Hendricks Chapel at University functions.
  • Being eligible for campus parking through the Office of Parking Services.
  • Being eligible for remitted tuition and dependent tuition according to the current University policies.
Role of Religious Group Director

Religious Group Directors are those leaders who represent religious groups which may or may not require the professional status of ordination or similar certification. Some groups may have affiliation with a formal religious group while others may be organized around common local interest.

The Dean of Hendricks Chapel must approve these positions through an arrangement with the sponsoring agent. When a salary for the director is involved, it is the responsibility of the sponsor to provide it along with program expenses, fringe benefits, and regular supervision.

Privileges of Religious Group Directors

  • The holding of a Syracuse University identification card–which enables library privileges, recreational facility privileges, and discounted rate at the bookstore
  • Being listed in the Hendricks Chapel brochure
  • Being eligible for an email account and internet access via the University network
  • Being eligible for campus parking through the Office of Parking Services
Role of Religious Groups Advisor

A group ministry advisor is a Syracuse University faculty or staff member who agrees to advise a student religious group, as indicated by signing its application for recognition.

A Syracuse University faculty or staff member who serves as a group ministry advisor to a recognized group is required to complete and sign the Letter of Agreement between the Office of the Dean of Hendricks Chapel and Group Ministry Advisors Employed by the University.

Role of Sponsoring Religious Agency

The Dean of Hendricks Chapel takes responsibility for communicating the University’s mission and the goals to the religious agencies that have a historic, or seek to establish a new, relationship to Syracuse University. The sponsoring religious agency is asked to consider this mission and then sign the Letter of Agreement indicating its acceptance of these terms of affiliation. After that process is completed, recognition will be granted to a chaplain or group ministry director. The Letter of Agreement should be signed and returned to the Dean of Hendricks Chapel at the beginning of the new chaplain’s/group ministry director’s appointment. During the continuing tenure of a chaplain/group ministry director, the sponsoring agency is responsible for updating support information on file with the Office of the Dean of Hendricks Chapel.

In situations where a religious body seeks to establish a presence at Syracuse University even when the denomination or religious tradition to which it is administratively related is already present on campus, the denomination or tradition will need to work out lines of responsibility in consultation with the Dean of Hendricks Chapel and the current chaplain/group ministry director. Particular flexibility will apply to religious groups whose strong ethnic or language component distinguishes them from an existing denominational presence. In cases of denominational overlap by a recognized student religious group, the group is encouraged to obtain the written approval of the chaplain/group ministry director within whose denomination their group fits as well as the written approval of their chosen faculty/staff religious advisor.

In appointing a new chaplain or religious group director to work at Syracuse University, sponsoring agencies are encouraged, but not required, to consult the Dean of Hendricks Chapel during the selection process. Whenever possible, the final candidate or candidates should meet with the Dean of Hendricks Chapel to confirm their understanding of the Syracuse University environment and what it means to function as an affiliated religious professional; if such a meeting has not taken place, the Dean will make a special effort to convey these ideas to the candidate selected as chaplain or group ministry director.

Staff Who Work with a Chaplain or Religious Group Director

A sponsoring agency may assign whatever number of staff it chooses to the Syracuse University setting on the condition that:

  • The Office of the Dean of Hendricks Chapel is informed about people spending at least half time at Syracuse University.
  • All staff are supervised by the chaplain/religious group director, who stands responsible for their compliance with the conduct norms of The Ethical Framework for Religious Life at Syracuse University.
Staff members are eligible to receive a Syracuse University identification card as well as to gain campus internet access through the Office of the Dean of Hendricks Chapel. The chaplain/religious group director and/or sponsoring agency is responsible for returning to the Office of the Dean of Hendricks Chapel the identification card of a staff member who ceases to serve the University.

Responsibilities of Chaplains and Religious Group Directors

To maintain their status at Syracuse University, chaplains and religious group directors are required to fulfill certain responsibilities of participation and process, as well as the specified conduct norms outlined in The Ethical Framework for Religious Life at Syracuse University. The responsibilities are as follows:

  • When newly appointed to service at Syracuse University, submitting the following documents:

    1. A letter of appointment by the sponsoring ecclesiastical body or other national/local organization, on organizational letterhead, which includes a brief statement of why this person is suitable for the position of chaplain or religious group director,
    2. An up-to-date job description, and
    3. A completed Registration Form for Chaplains, Religious Group Directors, and Advisors.

  • Participation in an orientation meeting with the Dean of Hendricks Chapel within their first two months on campus.
  • Participation in the regularly scheduled meetings of Religious Life Council (Religious Group Directors and Chaplains) and/or Chaplains Council (Chaplains) as convened by the Dean of Hendricks Chapel.
  • Completing a short Year End Report Form for Chaplains, Religious Group Directors, and Advisors at the end of each academic year, outlining the year’s achievements and challenges. This report will help inform the Dean of Hendricks Chapel in preparing a year end report for the Vice President for Human Services and Government Relations.
  • Working with leadership of their student group to designate a representative and alternate to the Interfaith Student Council, with the understanding that actual participation will depend upon the student(s) themselves.
  • Informing themselves, their support staff and their students about The Ethical Framework for Syracuse University Religious Life as outlined below; and shaping their behavior to meet its specified conduct norms.

Auxiliary Operations

The Office of the Dean maintains auxiliary operations such as the Hendricks Chapel Choir, the Black Celestial Choral Ensemble, Hendricks Chapel Handbell Ringers, People's Place, and others which benefit the Chapel and the entire university. Within the budget allocated by the University, the Dean provides staff which best accomplishes the Chapel's roles and responsibilities within the University.

Counseling Services

Historically and presently, counseling services at Syracuse University are operated on a decentralized basis. For several decades Hendricks Chapel has been one of the sites where spiritual guidance and counseling takes place. The Chapel works closely with other campus agencies and participates in meetings when representatives of all of the counseling centers gather for information sharing and coordination efforts. All the chaplains serve as counselors of students within their own faith traditions and often beyond those sometimes blurred lines of identification.

Community Engagement and Integrative Learning

The mission of Community Engagement and Integrative Learning of Hendricks Chapel is to generate and enhance a commitment to service–providing for a more caring, just, and democratic university community and community-at-large. Its goals are (1) to broaden the learning experience of students, faculty, and staff to encompass civic virtue by providing forums wherein volunteers can practically apply their skills, resources, time, and energy, in a manner which aids others, (2) to facilitate communication about the historical context of social justice movements and how they intersect with current initiatives towards “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” for all people, and (3) to empower and challenge student leaders to emerge and take responsibility for new or existing service projects and activities.

The organization’s philosophy is founded upon a grassroots perspective: people working with people, assessing the needs of the community and working to create service projects “from the bottom up.” The program is not affiliated with any specific religious organization, thus allowing volunteers to support people in need, regardless of their faith or ethnic orientation and/or political persuasion.

The Chapel as a Facility

The Office of the Dean shall be responsible for scheduling the Chapel as a facility. The space within Hendricks Chapel must serve from time to time as synagogue, mosque, meditation room, church, place of public prayer (even the expression of cultural religion), as meeting center, lecture hall, public forum, and place of dialogue and debate within the University. While the Chapel’s primary purpose is to serve as a place of sanctuary for the entire university community, the uses to which it can be put must not be narrowly conceived. At all times, the Chapel must consider the overarching educational purposes of the University. Whenever possible and appropriate the Office of the Dean makes the Chapel available and tries to facilitate its use for events appropriately scheduled by any segment of the academic community. Use of the Chapel by the general public can be approved only when time allows and when parking and general access can be made available to prospective patrons.