Creighton Colleagues Program (CCP)
The Creighton Colleagues Program (CCP), coordinated by the Office of Mission Engagement within the Division of Mission and Ministry, is a yearlong Ignatian formation experience designed to foster leadership development rooted in Jesuit values among Creighton University employees. Through readings, reflection, dialogue, and shared experiences, participants explore the life of St. Ignatius, the Spiritual Exercises, discernment, justice, and Ignatian leadership as expressed in Creighton’s mission. Monthly gatherings, online modules, a one-day Ignatian retreat, and locally-based immersion experiences—focused on racial justice and history, immigration and migration, and care for our common home—invite participants to see their local campuses through an Ignatian lens, connecting mission reflection with the lived realities, history, and culture of the surrounding community.
The Creighton Colleagues Program’s (CCP) goal is to foster leadership formation in the Ignatian tradition among a diverse community of Creighton employees. The program invites participants to grow as contemplatives in action—individuals committed to finding and responding to God in all things—through reflective practice, dialogue, and application of Ignatian principles in their daily work.
Throughout the program, participants move toward a practical integration of learning in the form of a final project that supports the tangible incorporation of Ignatian insights into their roles and leadership.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Integration of Reflective Practice and Personal Growth – Engage in reflective exercises to cultivate personal awareness, spiritual growth, and the ability to lead with empathy, humility, and authenticity.
2. Collaboration and Community Building – Create a collaborative learning environment grounded in Ignatian values of community and inclusivity, recognizing the importance of diverse perspectives in pursuing common goals.
3. Values and Mission Alignment – Demonstrate alignment between one’s work and Creighton’s Jesuit, Catholic mission, drawing upon Ignatian spirituality’s emphasis on discernment and being contemplatives in action.
4. Deepen participants’ understanding of the Ignatian tradition as the foundation of Creighton’s mission.
5. Support personal and professional growth as contemplatives in action who seek and find God in all things.
6. Encourage practical application of Ignatian insights through an integration project that connects learning to one’s role and community impact.
Participant feedback highlights that CCP is most effective when supervisors actively support engagement and facilitators foster authentic reflection and dialogue. Participants value the sense of community, cross-campus connection, and integration of Ignatian principles into leadership practice. Themes from participants’ ‘Hopes and Concerns’ show a strong desire for personal and spiritual growth, a deeper understanding of Creighton’s mission, and community belonging, balanced by challenges of time commitment and differing comfort levels with religious language. These insights continue to inform pacing, support, and inclusive program design.
Post-program reflections and participant surveys consistently indicate greater clarity about Creighton’s Jesuit identity and more intentional applications of Ignatian discernment in daily decision-making. Participants report increased connections to the University community and a renewed sense of vocation in their work. Integration projects provide qualitative evidence of sustained mission impact—many lead to departmental initiatives or ongoing programs grounded in Jesuit values. Examples include The Magis Moment booklet (developed for the Heider College of Business’ Ratio Studiorum Program), Global Reflections: Ignatian Prompts for Study Abroad, and The Ignatian Way orientation for Creighton Global Scholars in Sydney. These projects demonstrate how participants can creatively extend Ignatian formation into their professional contexts.
For the 2025–26 academic year, the program is being offered in-person on Creighton’s Omaha campus. Future iterations will explore online or hybrid formats for Phoenix-based participants. The program continues to evolve in response to participant feedback, embodying Creighton’s commitment to forming leaders who act with competence, conscience, and compassion.