Core Value Spotlight: Professor Jennifer Cliff’s take on lifelong learning

Mount Marty is built on four core values inspired by the Benedictine tradition: awareness of God, community, hospitality, and lifelong learning. These core values are portrayed by every staff member and taught to every student on campus. These are values a person can take with them all their life. As graduation concluded last week for our seniors, the importance of lifelong learning may now come to the forefront of their minds. We reached out to Assistant Professor of Psychology Jennifer Cliff, Ph.D., to hear her take on the core value of lifelong learning and what she hopes her students take from it.

What does lifelong learning mean to you?
Lifelong learning means that you have an inner disposition that is turned toward curiosity, to becoming better than I was yesterday, last week, a year ago. It is an openness to teachable moments. Those moments aren’t necessarily formally planned; they are also in the quiet conversations that are thought-provoking and push us outside of our own thought bubbles and comfort zones. Lifelong learning dictates that we embrace each conversation and experience with an openness to teachability.

How has lifelong learning impacted you in your life?
As I reflected on the idea and impact of lifelong learning, my mind went to my first professional job. The school that I was blessed to begin my counseling career at held lifelong learning in high esteem within its mission of educating young people. Then I thought about the fact that I went to school as a kindergartner and never really left, pursuing my bachelor’s, then master’s, then doctorate. When I wasn’t personally in school, I volunteered at my boys’ schools. So, I have a deep love for learning. In my chosen profession, continuing education is required and held in high esteem. With education comes competence and understanding. This type of learning fosters a deeper understanding not only of others around us but also of ourselves. That is a wonderful component and byproduct of a teachable disposition.

How do you feel you have grown personally from having this value in your life?
Mount Marty University has allowed me to ask deeper questions, explore ideas from multiple perspectives, and remain open to new information, thus fostering curiosity. I am encouraged in my research endeavors, which allows for the exploration of new ideas and empirical knowledge. Lifelong learning fosters humility. I’ve come to understand that knowledge is never complete and that there is always room to grow. Overall, the value of lifelong learning is woven throughout our academic journey, professors and students alike. It fundamentally shapes who we are, when our disposition allows. It has taught me, and hopefully our students, that growth doesn’t end at graduation; it is a commitment that carries throughout life.

How has lifelong learning impacted you at Mount Marty?
St. Benedict, whose wisdom shapes the rhythm of our community, called us to “listen with the ear of the heart.” This is the posture of a lifelong learner — one who remains open, curious, humble and faithful. Learning, in this light, is not limited to lectures and textbooks; it is a daily practice of paying attention to what we are being taught through others, through our successes and failures, and through the quiet moments when we are invited to grow. How Mount Marty and this dispositional trait intersect is profound. I love that I am constantly learning alongside my colleagues and my students.

What do you hope the people you encounter while showing the value of lifelong learning or promoting the value get from you or take away from the encounter?
What I hope people encounter regarding lifelong learning, and one major takeaway message that is instilled in each one of my courses, is critical thought. I encourage our students to be open to learning. Students often hear me say that they have so much to learn from each other, just as they do from the professors and staff on our campus. However, they must be critical thinkers about the knowledge they are presented with. This is becoming a lost art in society. Read the emerging research in your field of interest, but then fact-check it, search for any sources of funding, and be open to hearing opposing viewpoints. Not only will this foster a desire for learning, but also for discernment.

Most importantly, lifelong learning helps us better understand our purpose. By continually seeking knowledge and self-improvement, we are allowed to grow more aware of the kind of person God intends for us to be. That is lifelong learning at its finest!

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About Mount Marty University

Founded in 1936 by the Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery, Mount Marty University is South Dakota's only Catholic, Benedictine institution of higher education. Located along the bluffs of the Missouri River in Yankton, with additional locations in Watertown and Sioux Falls, Mount Marty offers undergraduate and graduate degrees focusing on student and alumni success in high-demand fields such as health sciences, education, criminal justice, business, accounting, recreation management, and more. A community of learners in the Benedictine tradition, Mount Marty emphasizes academic excellence and develops well-rounded students with intellectual competence, professional and personal skills and moral, spiritual and social values. To learn more, visit mountmarty.edu.