Cardoner Mission Formation Program
The Cardoner Mission Formation Program (CMFP) at Gonzaga University gathers staff and administrators from all areas of the University to provide space to build community while introducing the foundations of Jesuit higher education, Ignatian spirituality, and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. It places particular emphasis on how these topics relate to participants and their work at Gonzaga.
Participants will:
1. Develop basic literacy on key topics related to Gonzaga’s Catholic, Jesuit and humanistic identity.
2. Identify alignment between mission topics and their staff work.
3. Build cross-campus community.
4. Reflect on personal and professional growth.
5. Utilize reflective practices of noticing, particularly the Examen.
6. Participate in the NE Immersion, part of Gonzaga’s place-based initiative.
7. Articulate Gonzaga’s mission in their own words.
8. Bring their values (inclusive of religious identity, spirituality, and/or orienting worldview) into dialogue with the Jesuit, Catholic, humanistic tradition.
Increasing meeting frequency from once to twice a month has improved program flow and information retention. The program has grown from 15 people in the initial cohort (2022) to 31 last fall (2025).
The Office of Mission Engagement conducts a Qualtrics survey at the end of the year asking for feedback on each session. Staff distribute a journal at the beginning of the cohort and have people review their notes before sharing what they took away.