Lubbock Christian University, 5601 W. 19th St., Lubbock, TX 79407, 806-720-7876
What is this study about? This study is examining the experiences of the students who will be participating in the weeklong summer residency experience and the interaction with theological resources in the Vocati Institute (VI). This study seeks to identify the impact these experiences have on the participating students in the areas of theological exploration, spiritual discernment, and faithful engagement in their churches and communities.
Who is doing the research? The principal investigator for this study is Dr. JoAnn Long, Professor of Nursing and Director of Research & Development, Co-investigators Dr. Jeremy Smith, Broadway Church of Christ, Drs. Jesse Long and David Fraze, Professors of Biblical Studies, Lubbock Christian University and Vocati Teacher, McKaley Jackson, Vocati Teacher.
What will I have to do? You will be required to complete the Vocati Institute Questionnaire (VIQ), the Social Anxiety Scale – Adolescents (SAS-A), and the WHO-5 which are questionnaires and are not exams. The SAS-A will be completed at three times: at the beginning (baseline) of the summer retreat, at the end of week of the retreat and at the end of the program. The SAS-A takes about 10 minutes to complete. The VIQ will be completed three times, before the summer retreat (baseline) and again at the end of the summer retreat and at the end of the program, about 6 months later. The WHO-5 will also be completed three times, before the summer retreat, at the end of the week of the retreat, and at the end of the program, about 6 months later. The VIQ also has a section aimed at assessing your demographics, college, church, community Involvement, and experiences with the theological content of the Vocati Institute. The anticipated time for completing the VIQ takes about 5 minutes and the SAS-A about 5 -10 minutes, and the WHO-5 about 2 minutes or around 20 minutes to complete everything. You will be asked to participate in group discussions sessions at the end of the summer retreat to talk about your experiences with the theological content at Vocati. All information collected and coded in order to protect your identity.
How was I chosen? You were chosen because you applied for the Vocati Institute experience.
How will my identity be protected? Neither your name nor any personal identifiers will be used in the analysis of this research study. To maintain confidentiality, your questionnaires will be identified with a code. Any information that may identify you such as name, what city they live in or what church they attend will not be used in this study. We will not in any way share that they participated in the research with other people. ONLY you have the right to share such information.
What will happen to my surveys and interview tape? Every paper questionnaire response will be coded by Dr. JoAnn Long and or by the research associate. Such papers will be kept locked in a file cabinet in the offices by the researchers of this study. Upon completion of all research, your questionnaires will be shredded and audio and other data collected from your participation will be deleted from all computer systems used for this research study in the Vocati Institute. The outcome of the research (the total of all research collected) will be written in a paper and submitted for publication and/or presented at a conference, no personal data identifying you in any manner will be included in any publications and/or presentations.
How will I benefit from participating in this study? You will not be paid for participating in this study. The information about your experiences at the Vocati Institute will be grouped together with the experiences of others, and the total results of this research will be used to assess the impact of the Vocati experience. Also, our findings from this research may be published in journals and articles. This will help further the knowledge of other students and persons who may be interested in the Vocati Institute in the future.
Are there any risks or discomforts? We do not anticipate this process will cause significant problems or discomfort for those who participate. However, there may be some discussions involving deep theological questions or when answering questions on the questionnaires about anxiety and should you experience emotional discomfort while answering such questions or requiring support, professional staff will always be available to help you with such questions. If you find that you are uncomfortable with a question or discussion, you may skip the question at any time.
What if I don’t want to participate: If you fill out this consent form it means you are giving your consent to participate in this study. If you do not want to participate, you may simply choose not to fill out the consent form or answer the survey. If you do fill out the consent form and later change your mind about participating, you may contact Dr. JoAnn Long and withdraw from the study at any time. Your information will be shredded and deleted. Whether you decide that you will participate in this study or not, you may still participation in the Vocati Institute program.
What if I have questions? Dr. JoAnn Long will answer any questions you have before, during, or after your participation in the research. Their contact information is: Dr. JoAnn Long – joann.long@LCU.EDU, office: 806.720. 7678; cell: 806-577-8463. For more information about your rights as a research participant, contact the chair of the LCU, IRB committee, Dr. Jennifer Dabbs at 806-720-7835 or Jennifer.dabbs@lcu.edu.