HELPING
STUDENTS WITH MORAL STRUGGLES
Topics: Conscience; Maturity; Punishment; Purity; Temptation
References: Proverbs 28:13; Hebrews 3:13; James 5:16; 1 John 1:9
As associate dean of students at Trinity International University, Matthew Perrault helps students grow closer to Jesus. He also disciplines students who fall short of the university’s moral guidelines. Amazingly, Perrault has come up with a system that allows him to accomplish both at the same time.
“No one is expected to come to Trinity perfect,” Perrault says, “but in the past, there has been a misconception that you cannot be open about your struggles or you’ll get into trouble. For example, a student who entered Trinity and tried to quit smoking at the same time might try really hard but fail and be in violation of our community expectations. This left many students feeling scared, guilty, and alienated from the very community they needed to help them.”
A few years ago, Perrault and the Student Development staff officially included the “Restoration Program” in the student handbook. If a student has broken community expectations or has a behavioral pattern that is in violation of Scripture, the student can approach any staff or faculty member and ask to enter the program. The new policy states that, rather than facing normal disciplinary procedures, the student will work with Student Development to determine the relationships and accountability measures needed to face the problem. The student will then enter into a mentoring relationship for a set period of time.
Perrault has noticed a shift in students’ attitudes about discipline in response to the program. Increasingly over recent years, instead of trying to hide their struggles, students trust the dean’s office as a safe place. “What a humbling privilege it is to be entrusted with these fragile lives and these students’ desire to grow in Christ,” he says. “Through this process, they’re committing to us, but we’re also committing to them.”
—“Invested Time,” Trinity Magazine (Spring 2006)