You are not required to bring anything with you. However, if you enjoy taking notes, we would recommend that you bring something to take notes with. Please also keep in mind that you will have homework each night and will therefore need to access blackboard.

Graduate education is a professional and relational environment. We recommend maintaining respectable standards of dress. Most attendees, staff, and faculty are in the “nicer casual” description of clothing.

This is a two week course, which includes our 4-Day Kickoff Conference.  The 600 course will also be your first introduction to what the Townsend Institute is about - Character, Competency, and Connection. 

Be prepared to meet for a virtual class the first week of the course. You will have assignments leading up to the conference that help prepare you mentally, emotionally, and relationally for the conference, time with your process group, and your overall program.  There will be some wrap up items after the conference.

Process groups are a growth group experience that is built into our conference. This is where you will begin to experience the Townsend Model so that you are able to have a full understanding before being trained on utilizing this model with your respective clientele. 

First off, know that any nerves you have are normal. We all can get uneasy with new experiences, new people, and forced interactions. The best advice we can give is...

• • Limit distractions
  • Show up as genuine and vulnerable as you can
  • Take off your roles and the hats you wear of mom, dad, pastor, supervisor, etc. because you won’t be those to people in your group
  • Give yourself over to the experience and you will see breakthrough
  • Know there will be plenty of tissues and support if the time ends up heavier than you thought

Since the conference experience is a part of your 600 course and foundational for your time in the program, we do ask that you make arrangements to be present at all meetings (whether the conference is virtual or in person). This helps set you up well for time in the program and helps to set the tone for your cohort that you’re willing to be present to them during your time together. Part of your grade in the course is dependent on your attendance at the conference. If you absolutely cannot attend a piece, you can submit an Absence Request Form to be considered by your program director.

We are looking forward to safely welcoming you back to campus this August as we continue to follow federal and local guidelines.

1. As of July 27, 2021, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that fully vaccinated people begin wearing masks indoors again in places with high Covid-19 transmission rates. We will be requiring masks for all indoor events, regardless of vaccination status.
2. Do not come to campus if you are exhibiting COVID-like symptoms even if you are fully vaccinated.
3. Observe good hand hygiene while on CUI campus.
4. If you become ill with COVID-19 within 48 hours of the event on campus, please notify the campus at wellness@cui.edu.

Staying Safe While On Campus

We are working hard to make our campus and conference facilities clean and safe for you. In addition to the extra cleaning on campus and in the classrooms, the following protocols will be in place for the duration of the conference:

• Increased Physical Spacing
  • We will be providing increased spacing between individuals in their cohort process groups. This added space will help to mitigate any close contact with others. We will also be creating spacing within our classrooms and conference center locations to provide an extra level of protection.
• Required Face Masks for Indoor Events
  • In accordance with the latest health recommendations, we will be requiring the use of face coverings for all individuals while at indoor events except while eating and drinking. We understand there are varied opinions on the efficacy of masks but believe this simple precaution, although inconvenient, provides an easy way to help protect our fellow students and faculty.
• Sanitizing Stations
  • There will be ample hand sanitizing stations set up throughout campus and at the entrance to each event. In addition, sanitizing wipes will be made available for you to use to clean any surfaces you may wish to sanitize before using them.
• Air Filtration
  • High-end air filtration systems have been installed in our conference center and classrooms. We are running these filters at an increased frequency in order to keep the air as clean as possible.

If you become ill while at the conference, the Wellness Center will offer a rapid antigen and viral PCR test at no charge. The rapid antigen test will let you know if you are positive for SARS-COV-2. Although these tests are extremely helpful for identifying if you are actively infected, a negative test still needs to be confirmed with a viral PCR test.  The results of the PCR test can take 2 to 3 days. 

If the antigen test is positive, you will need to quarantine/isolate in your room off campus and engage in the conference remotely. Do not come back to campus unless cleared to do so by the Wellness Center staff.

If the antigen test is negative, you will need to quarantine in your hotel room and engage in the conference remotely while you wait for the confirming negative result from a PCR test. We understand that this is not an ideal situation but have prepared options for you should this case arise.