Tag Archives: Academic Dean

The Wild Hunt Interview with Dr. Margo Wolfe

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We’re thrilled to share that The Wild Hunt recently interviewed Dr. Margo Wolfe on her new role, her academic experience, and her outlook on the future for Cherry Hill Seminary.

Getting Started

“Growth, sustainability, and service.” These are the long-term goals identified by Dr. Margo Wolfe, Ph.D., the incoming Academic Dean of Cherry Hill Seminary (CHS).

Over the course of their history, the South Carolina-based institution has become a nationally known provider of education for individuals seeking training in leadership and ministry in Pagan and earth-based spiritual traditions. The Seminary offers degree programs, including graduate degrees, certificate programs, as well as courses for general interest.

“All work that we will be doing will be focused on the needs of the students and the faculty in order to strengthen the institution and maintain sustainability,” said Wolfe. “We are looking to complete our accreditation process and put additional support systems in place to make that happen.”

In January of 2022, Wolfe will officially take office as the new Academic Dean. Wolfe has been a part of the CHS community for several years, both as a student and an instructor.

Working towards accreditation

“I first started teaching some classes in 2014,” said Wolfe. “In 2017-2018 I served on a committee to begin the accreditation process. At the beginning of 2021, I was hired as a contractor to help realign the curriculum and develop an assessment plan. We are nearing the end of that project now and those processes will be instrumental in our accreditation self-study.”

Holli Emore, M.Div, Executive Director of CHS, described Cherry Hill’s mission as, “empowering spiritual leadership, scholarship, and ethics through theological and pastoral education to nurture interfaith engagement in a diverse society,” expanded further on the importance of Wolfe’s work on the project.

“Dr. Wolfe has been on our faculty for a number of years, first brought on by former Academic Dean Wendy Griffin,” said Emore. “In recent years she has volunteered with work on our accreditation materials. By year’s end, she will have conducted a complete review of all our curricula, degree requirements, and outcomes, including many meetings with our academic staff, faculty, and myself. She is finalizing this process by creating a handbook of standards to guide our ongoing program development. This is a huge step for the Seminary in strengthening all of our programs which will benefit all our students and faculty.”

Finding community at Cherry Hill

As Emore pointed out, Wolfe brings many years of experience as a practitioner in the Pagan community to her new position.

“I began practicing like a lot of my generation,” said Wolfe, “with secretly purchased books and reading them with a flashlight under the covers! From then I gravitated to solitary work, some work within a few local groups and groves, festivals in the eastern coast of the U.S., to finally becoming a member of the Sisterhood of Avalon in 2005. I was part of leadership for many years until taking some time to focus on my individual Avalonian practice and some artistic pursuits that grew from those practices.”

Wolfe indicated that working with CHS felt like a natural next step for her.

“I found the atmosphere at Cherry Hill inviting and rigorous,” said Wolfe. “They provide an avenue for scholarly inquiry while also addressing the spiritual needs of the students and faculty. I believe that Cherry Hill is a great bridge between experiential learning and a scholarly focus. They help to give credence to the Pagan spiritualities in a larger religious atmosphere.”

Even after several successful years with the Seminary, Wolfe did not immediately apply when the Academic Dean position became available.

“I had so many things on my plate, so it took me some time before even applying,” said Wolfe. “Once I realized that some of my other pursuits were no longer relevant to my life and that I wanted to continue scholarly pursuits, it became an easy decision.”

Development and connection focused

Emore speaks highly of Wolfe’s abilities and her commitment to Cherry Hill’s mission.

“Throughout her years of working with the Seminary, Dr. Wolfe has shown her strong support of what we offer. She has a deep understanding of Paganism from long years of practice, as well as involvement with several organizations. This year in particular, through the curricula review project, many of us got to spend hours with Dr. Wolfe, engaging in thoughtful discussion, brainstorming, and more. She is an outstanding collaborator, someone who leads by engaging others, and is generous with her extensive expertise.”

Wolfe listed course schedule development, filling open faculty positions, assisting new faculty members with developing coursework, and working with seminary administration to develop a budget as her day-to-day responsibilities as Academic Dean, duties performed with an eye toward the bigger picture.

“Overall, my focus will be to establish and maintain current connections between all members of the Cherry Hill family and assist our faculty as they mentor students through their educational process,” said Wolfe.

Executive Director Emore affirmed the importance of making progress toward achieving goals and expressed confidence in Dr. Wolfe’s ability to blend a fresh approach with respect for the work that has already been accomplished.

“As any good administrator will do, Dr. Wolfe will bring fresh eyes to the Seminary,” said Emore. “I have no doubt that she has new ideas to share with us, but she also appreciates and respects the foundation which has been built for nearly fifteen years by all who have come before her, including our retiring Academic Dean, Dr. Candace Kant.”

A signal of growth for Cherry Hill

Emore with members of Interfaith Partners of S.C. at a media event at the State House to announce January 2020 Interfaith Harmony Month – Image credit: Sekhmet99

In a break from tradition, however, Emore said that, for the first time at Cherry Hill Seminary, Academic Dean will be a compensated position.

“This position has been completely voluntary all these years,” said Emore. “By creating a modest salary for the new Academic Dean, the Board of Directors has signaled the importance of establishing this anchor position.”

With the new year, and the start of her tenure, right around the corner, Wolfe appears to be ready for the challenges ahead of her and looking forward to continuing her work at the Seminary.

“Cherry Hill is a welcoming home,” said Wolfe, “and I am honored to be of service to the school and the larger Pagan community.”

CHS will host a virtual meet and greet reception to welcome their new Academic Dean, Dr. Margo Wolfe on Sunday, January 23 at 3:00pm EST.

 

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Cherry Hill Seminary welcomes new Academic Dean
By Jake C. Leibowitz | January 4, 2022

Cherry Hill Seminary Welcomes New Academic Dean

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Cherry Hill Seminary is excited to announce that Dr. Margo Wolfe will become the Academic Dean effective January 1, 2022. Her appointment comes after several months searching and interviewing potential candidates.

About Dr. Margo Wolfe

Dr. Wolfe is an educator, writer, and Pagan with an earned PhD in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment from Walden University and a MA in English/Writing from Gannon University. With over 13 years-experience in post-secondary schools, Wolfe has written, taught, and assessed multiple curricula in a variety of subject areas and served as accreditation chair for programmatic and institutional teams.

With over 25 years-experience leading Pagan groups in Northwest PA and New York, she has served in leadership roles such as Administrative Director and President of the Sisterhood of Avalon, helping to develop policies for better governance and creating curricula for youth members. In addition, Dr. Wolfe has liturgical experience in the larger religious community, has presented at various festivals and conferences such as Sirius Rising and PantheaCon, and is published in several Pagan anthologies. In her spare time, she creates large-scale interactive and immersive art installations with her partner.

As New Academic Dean

Portrait of Dr. Margo Wolfe“I am thrilled to be joining the administrative team at Cherry Hill Seminary as the new Academic Dean and I am thankful to Candace Kant for her guidance in this transition. In the past, I have served as an instructor and accreditation compliance officer for Cherry Hill. Most recently I have helped to guide the curriculum team through an alignment process in the effort to standardize our practices and prepare us for accreditation.”

“As Academic Dean my goal is to create connections between all members of the Cherry Hill family and, in particular, assist our faculty as they mentor students through their educational process. One of our values that stands firmly in my mind is ‘Advocate service to our communities.’ As a member of the Cherry Hill family, I will focus on service to our students, our faculty, and to the larger Pagan community and how we can see that value honored in everything that we do. I am excited to begin this journey with you and I am most humbly honored to be of service to our Cherry Hill family and to the larger Pagan community.”

Executive Director Holli Emore said, “Dr. Wolfe brings to her new role a background which is particularly valuable at this time in our institution’s development. I am confident that she will be a worthy successor to Dr. Kant, who has served the Seminary for so many years.”

Cherry Hill Seminary Awards First-Ever Pagan Master of Divinity Degree

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For Immediate Release, August 16, 2012
Contact: Holli Emore, 888.503.4131, CHS@cherryhillseminary.org

COLUMBIA, SC — Cherry Hill Seminary today announced the graduation of Sandra Lee Harris, awarding her the Master of Divinity in Pagan Pastoral Counseling. Harris is the first student to complete her master’s degree since Cherry Hill Seminary first opened its graduate program in 2009.

Sandra L. Harris, M.Div., Pagan Pastoral Counseling

“When I started in 2002, Cherry Hill Seminary was the first and best opportunity I found for inexpensive and trustworthy Pagan education beyond the training I received in the Fellowship of the Sacred Grove,” said Harris in an interview. “By the time the masters program was introduced in 2009, I had committed myself to becoming a board-certified chaplain. I embraced the Cherry Hill Seminary program as a way to add the necessary qualification of an M.Div. or equivalent.”

Harris served her internship at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C., and prior to that was for several years a volunteer pastoral caregiver and on-call interfaith chaplain at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Virginia. She has been accepted into the Fairfax County Community Chaplain Corps, beginning service following November Corps training.

Executive Director Holli Emore notes that the needs of students like Harris have helped shape the seminary program, and the needs of local and regional communities have shaped the educational choices of Cherry Hill Seminary students. Academic Dean, Wendy Griffin, Ph.D., comments on the unique assets of Cherry Hill Seminary: “Our Masters classes are multi-disciplinary and taught by leading scholars in their fields. A major advantage of an online seminary is that our instructors come from all over the United States, as well as Canada, Britain, France and Australia, and are scholars with whom students would never come into contact except through their writings. Ms. Harris has taken full advantage of the opportunities that Cherry Hill Seminary can offer and we know she will make us proud as she takes up her calling.”

Harris’ department chair and advisor has been Dr. David Oringderff, also founder of Sacred Well Congregation. Oringderff says, “On behalf of the Pagan Pastoral Counseling Department, I would like to extend our congratulations to Sandra L. Harris, M.Div., for an outstanding job well done. Having worked with Sandra as a professor and academic advisor for much of her academic career, I can attest to her diligence, dedication and academic excellence. I am both proud and gratified that she wishes, as an alumnus, to continue her close association with and contributions to Cherry Hill Seminary. Conferral of the Master of Divinity, Pagan Pastoral Counseling, was both a personal milestone for Sandra, and an institutional milestone for the Seminary. As our first Master of Divinity in Pastoral Counseling, she helped set the high standards of excellence for all of our students who follow. We wish her all the best, and pledge our continued support in her endeavors to become a Board-Certified Chaplain through the Association of Professional Chaplains.”

Cherry Hill Seminary is the leader in providing education and practical training for Pagan and Nature-Based spiritualities, leadership, ministry, and personal growth.. Incorporated in the state of South Carolina, all studies are through online distance education, with occasional retreats and conferences. For more information, visit www.cherryhillseminary.org or write CHS@cherryhillseminary.org.

Eminent Scholar Named Academic Dean of Cherry Hill Seminary

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COLUMBIA, SC — Cherry Hill Seminary announces the appointment of Wendy Griffin, Ph.D., as its new Academic Dean, effective January 1, 2011.

Wendy Griffin, Ph.D., Academic Dean

“I am thrilled, simply thrilled, that Wendy is coming aboard as our new Academic Dean! I cannot think of a better person to lead CHS towards accreditation,” said Aline O’Brien, Chair of the Board of Directors. “At precisely the right time in the Seminary’s growth, Wendy brings her unique combination of academic rigor and priestesshood to serve our maturing Pagan movement.”

Wendy Griffin, Ph.D., is an academic by profession, and a sociologist by training, with a Ph.D. in the interdisciplinary social sciences. She is Professor Emerita and Chair of the Department of Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies at California State University, Long Beach, where she has taught for 24 years. Perhaps the first to American academic to publish as openly Pagan, Wendy has published numerous academic articles on Pagan women’s groups and is the editor of Daughters of the Goddess: Studies of Healing, Identity and Empowerment, a 13-essay survey of contemporary Feminist Witchcraft and Goddess Spirituality by British and American writers. She is a founding co-chair of the Contemporary Pagan Studies Group in the American Academy of Religion, and serves on the editorial board of Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies. Wendy recently completed work as co-editor of the first scholarly series in Pagan Studies published through an academic press, AltaMira.

Griffin said of her appointment, “I am excited about being part of Cherry Hill Seminary and making a contribution to the growing reputation and professionalization of the Seminary. When I entered the academic world as a brand new Ph.D. 26 years ago, I had no idea I would be able to end my career helping to build an institution that would serve such a diverse and committed international community.”

As Academic Dean, Griffin will guide and direct the academic life of Cherry Hill Seminary, including work towards eventual accreditation of the institution. “Wendy’s lifelong career experience will be invaluable as Cherry Hill Seminary continues to build and strengthen our program,” said Holli Emore, Executive Director.

Cherry Hill Seminary provides education for Pagan ministry and studies, including master’s degrees, certificates and practical training, through its distance education program. For more information about this story, please contact Holli Emore, Cherry Hill Seminary, at 888.503.4131, or CHS@cherryhillseminary.org,

For Immediate Release Contact: Holli Emore