Celestial University Catalog

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This version of the Pursuit of Excellence program was submitted to the sister-share list by Anita.

Table of Contents
University Objective
All completed goals must be signed by the appropriate professor or by the sister’s visiting teacher. Diplomas will be awarded at a Commencement Dinner to be held in conjunction with the Relief Society Birthday Celebration in March of ____.

The Celestial University’s purpose is to offer each sister motivation, opportunity and direction to aid her in reaching her divine potential and destiny as a Daughter of God. If we sisters in our ward were to attend college courses offering exactly what is available to us from one another at Relief Society, it would cost us several thousand dollars a year. We are offering a degree which, upon its completion, will have helped to develop a well-rounded individual. Through a raised self-esteem and a sure knowledge that she can improve her life and the lives of those around her, each sister will become an active force in promoting the Kingdom of God on earth.

Degrees Offered
Bachelor degree	8 goals in a chosen major college 5 goals in the College of Theology 3 goals in each other college
Master’s degree	10 goals in a chosen major college 7 goals in the College of Theology 5 goals in each other college
Doctorate of Celestial Studies	12 goals in a chosen major college 9 goals in the College of Theology 7 goals in each other college

Note: A special college in Career Development has been included for those sisters employed outside the home. It can be used to replace one of the other colleges. It is not necessary for other sisters to complete goals in that college.

COLLEGE OF THEOLOGY

1. Read five articles from recent Ensign magazines. Write two new or important ideas you gained from these articles and discuss them with someone.
2. Read all of the Spiritual Living Lessons in the Relief Society Manual.
3. Read Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants. Pray to understand its meaning. Read it carefully again and apply its teachings to your life.
4. Read the Book of Mormon every day for one month.
5. Pray twice a day on your knees for one month.
6. Repent of some sin or practice in your life and turn from it.
7. Read the scriptures for fifteen minutes at least three times a week for two months.
8. Kindly listen to every question asked of you by those in your household for one week.
9. Kindly discuss the gospel with a nonmember friend, family member or neighbor.
10. Read a book about the gospel.
11. Take an institute class.
12. Do two or more temple endowments.
13. Submit one or more family names for temple work.
14. Teach or substitute one religious class – Sunday School, Relief Society, Mutual, or Primary.
15. Attend a family reunion.
16. Hold Family Prayer twice a day for a month.
17. Have Family Scripture Study once a day for a month.
18. Other appropriate goals may be submitted to the Professor of Theology for approval.

COLLEGE OF APPLIED ARTS

1. Do ONE OR MORE of the following tasks. Each item can be a separate goal.
   • change a tire
   • mow the lawn
   • pay the bills
   • fertilize the lawn
   • check the oil
   • recharge the battery
   • repair something
   • paint a room
   • put up wallpaper
   • edge the lawn
   • put a washer in a leaky faucet

2. Redo a piece of furniture.
3. Paint the outside fo your home.
4. Clean all windows in your home.
5. Completely clean a room in your house – walls, curtains, blinds, etc.
6. Paint or wash all outside window frames and doors to your house.
7. Plan and plant a beautiful flower bed in your yard.
8. Clean and ready furnace for winter.
9. Propogate a new plant from one of your own and give it to a friend.
10. Repair a broken door.
11. Learn to use a drill.
12. Learn the names of five new tools that you did not know before.
13. Keep all flower beds weeded for two months.
14. Clean your car inside and outside.
15. Plant and care fro a vegetable garden.
16. Other appropriate goals may be submitted to the Professor of Applied Arts for approval.

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS

1. Be two minutes early for all your appointments and meetings for one month.
2. Begin and contribute to a missionary fund for a child or contribute to the church missionary fund for three months.
3. Update and organize your address, phone, and date books.
4. Have a family calendar posted and use it successfully for one month.
5. Write out and follow a work schedule for one month.
6. Prepare your major Sunday meals ahead for four consecutive weeks.
7. Prepare a household budget where you spend less than you make. Live on that budget for two months.
8. Don’t use any charge cards for two months.
9. Find three ways to save money and do it for one month.
10. Find three ways to save time and do it for one month.
11. Organize your business filing system.
12. Clean out and organize at least two closets.
13. Pick up and put away anything out of place before retiring and have each family member do the same for one month.
14. Organize your storage room for convenient rotation of food and nonfood items.
15. Have a family council to determine one way each member could help to maintain or improve home conditions. Write out one goal for each person.
16. Catch up on your laundry and keep it up for one month.
17. Have a garage sale.
18. Start a savings account and contribute to it for three months OR contribute to an existing account for three months.
19. Other appropriate goals may be submitted to the Professor of Business and Economics for approval.

COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS

1. Attend a live symphony, music recital, or dance performance.
2. Buy one classical or light classical tape or CD for your home and play it.
3. Read a book about a famous painter, sculptor or composer.
4. Visit an art exhibit.
5. Take an art class.
6. Paint a picture; e.g., oil, watercolor, etc.
7. Watch three televised fine art performances on PBS.
8. Take a dance class.
9. Take piano lessons or study another musical instrument.
10. Sing in the church choir for six months.
11. Read a book on a period of musical history ar about the history of a musical instrument.
12. Buy a book on art for your home and study it.
13. Compose a piece of music.
14. Memorize a new musical piece.
15. Take singing lessons.
16. Provide for and encourage a child’s music or dance lessons.
17. Sing or dance in community performances.
18. Be in a church or community production.
19. Give an interpretive reading.
20. Lead a song in one church meeting.
21. Teach a new song to your family in Family Home Evening.
22. Memorize 10 new music and art terms.
23. Other appropriate goals may be submitted to the Professor of Fine Arts for approval.

COLLEGE OF HOME ECONOMICS-cooking

1. Organize your recipe file.
2. Can or freeze some fruit properly.
3. Dry or dehydrate a food item.
4. Can or freeze a vegetable.
5. Make jam or jelly.
6. Decorate a cake.
7. Make baking powder biscuits from scratch.
8. Make a cream pie.
9. Make a two-crust pie.
10. Study a cookbook for half an hour and select three new recipes. Use them.
11. Bake all the bread your household uses for two weeks.
12. Entertain friends or missionaries for a special meal.
13. Expand your cooking repertoire. Try three new things; omelet, souffle, fancy pastry, crepes, candy, fondue, or a foreign dish.
14. Take a cooking class or attend two homemaking classes on cooking.
15. Make everything from scratch for one week.
16. Make one meal a week from your food storage for six weeks.
17. Collect a one year’s supply of basic food items for your household: grains, milk, salt, honey, or sugar.
18. Have a special candlelight supper using your nicest dishes.
19. Learn three new ways to use a kitchen appliance: blender, crock pot, juicer, grinder, etc.
20. Plan a weekly menu in advance for four weeks and follow it as near as possible.
21. Read all the Home and Family Education lessons in your Relief Society Manual.
22. Other appropriate goals may be submitted to the Professor of Home Economics specializing in cooking for approval.

COLLEGE OF HOME ECONOMICS-sewing

1. Expand your sewing skills. Each item can be a separate goal.
   • sew ribbing on a knit fabric
   • properly sew on a hook and eye
   • sew an item with gathers
   • make something with pleats
   • make somethig with cording
   • properly sew on snaps
   • make a jacket
   • make a pair of pants
   • install a zipper
   • set in sleeves
   • make buttonholes
   • sew something with bias tape
   • make something with stretch fabric

2. Sew something major for yourself or someone else.
3. Catch up on all your mending.
4. Sew an item for a child.
5. Organize your sewing center- a place for EVERYTHING
6. Exchange a pattern with a friend.
7. Applique one article.
8. Paint a sweatshirt.
9. Take a sewing course or attend two homemaking classes on sewing.
10. Alter something.
11. Make a recycled item.
12. Make a temple dress.
13. Prepare a year’s supply of sewing items: straight pins, safety pins, snaps, thread, zippers, etc.
14. Make a stuffed toy for a child.
15. Sew a Holiday decoration.
16. Learn to adjust a pattern.
17. Other appropriate goals may be submitted to the Professor of Home Economics specializing in sewing for approval.

COLLEGE OF INTERIOR DESIGN

1. Wallpaper or paint a room.
2. Make a new set of curtains or draperies.
3. Rearrange the furniture in one room of your home.
4. Redo a piece of furniture.
5. Make an artificial floral arrangement.
6. Arrange some fresh flowers for your home.
7. Make a small attractive area rug.
8. Make a picture, plaque, or wall hanging.
9. Make a throw pillow. (or buy one)
10. Re-upholster a chair, etc.
11. Make a decorative blind or window covering. (or buy one)
12. Make a bedspread or quilt.
13. Make a bed ruffle. (or buy one)
14. Make a table cloth.
15. Make a set of placemats or napkins.
16. Make a piece of furniture: end table or shelves
17. Give a home decoration item you have made as a gift.
18. Make a crocheted or embroidered item for your home.
19. Tie a quilt.
20. Make an afgan.
21. Make and frame a stitchery craft.
22. Teach someone how to make something decorative.
23. Learn to quilt.
24. Frame a family treasure.
25. Preserve a memory in stitchery: wedding or birth record.
26. Make an item using oil or acrylic paints.
27. Other appropriate goals may be submitted to the Professor of Interior Design for approval.

COLLEGE OF LANGUAGE ARTS

1. Find, define, and write down a new vocabulary word each day for one month.
2. Attend a live play.
3. Update your family history for the last year.
4. Write in your journal at least once a week for three months.
5. Write a narrative, lyric, or humorous song or poem.
6. Give a talk at church.
7. Write a letter a week for six weeks to family member, friend or missionary.
8. Spend 15 minutes a day reading to yourself, a child, or a friend for one week.
9. Visit the library once a month for six months. Check out something each time.
10. Read on e classic American novel or Newberry Award winner.
11. Read three stories from one of your children’s school literature books.
12. Participate in a book review.
13. Buy a new book for each family member.
14. Learn about the figures of speech and use one of them in a journal entry; e.g., simile, metaphor, personification.
15. Study and analyze one of Shakespeare’s sonnets; e.g., rhyme, scheme, figures of speech, sound devices and theme.
16. Read one modern American play.
17. Take an English or literature class.
18. Write a personal essay expressing your feeling about a significant event in your life.
19. Write a character description about someone in your family.
20. Tell a special story from your life or an ancestor’s life to one of your children or to a friend.
21. Other appropriate goals may be submitted to the Professor of Language Arts for approval.

COLLEGE OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION

1. Exercise 10-15 minutes a day four times a week for one month.
2. Attend an aerobics class or exercise class regularly for two months.
3. Buy an exercise book or video for your home.
4. Go for an annual check-up at the doctor.
5. Give yourself a monthly breast exam for four months.
6. Find a bike route in the area and use it regularly for two months.
7. Join a bowling league.
8. Take a ballroom dancing class with your husband or a friend.
9. Learn a new sport. This may include buying new sports equipment for your sport.
10. Set a goal to lose weight and do it.
11. Read the Word of Wisdom and make one improvement in your diet that corresponds to its counsel.
12. Learn the rules of football or basketball if you don’t already know them and attend a game with your new understanding.
13. Attend a professional sporting event.
14. Encourage a child’s participation in a sporting event.
15. Jog or play golf or tennis twice in one month.
16. Play a game of volleyball or softball.
17. Learn the rules of soccer or baseball and attend a game.
18. Prepare a year’s medical supply. Include the following frequently used medicines: bandages, ointments, cottons, etc.
19. Take all family members to the dentist for exams.
20. Floss your teeth twice a week for three months.
21. Go swimming or to a swimming event.
22. Other appropriate goals may be submitted to the Professor of Physical Education for approval.

COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

1. Travel to another town and visit a historical site.
2. Go to a museum.
3. Do one act of compassionate service a month for four months.
4. Read on article a week for four weeks from a current news magazine; e.g., Time, U.S. News, etc.
5. Read a biography on a famous American historical figure.
6. Do one community volunteer service; e.g., work on a PTA project, collect for a charity, etc.
7. Visit a state park you have never been to.
8. Watch the TV news for three months 75% of the time.
9. Take a Social Studies class.
10. Read all the Social Relations lessons in the Relief Society manual.
11. Buy a world globe for your home.
12. See a foreign film or attend a travel lecture.
13. Invite a foreign student to your home.
14. Take a foreign language class.
15. Visit another state or country.
16. Correspond with a missionary in a foreign country.
17. Be involved with your community’s crime watch program.
18. Serve on one Relief Society project or committee.
19. Serve on one Young Women project or committee.
20. Serve on one Primary project or committee.
21. Other appropriate goals may be submitted to the Professor of Social Science for approval.

COLLEGE OF PSYCHOLOGY

1. Read an uplifting book by a psychologist; e.g., Getting to Know the Real You or The Divine Center.
2. Strive to be patient, kind and understanding to everyone in your household for one week.
3. Plan an take one weekend or one day out of town with just your husband or close friend.
4. Take inventory of yor wardrobe, discarding unnecessary and out-of-style items and add one new outfit.
5. Change something about your appearance that you have wanted to for a while; e.g., dye your hair, lose weight, change your hairstyle, get contact lenses, buy new makeup, get a perm, etc.
6. Overcome a nervous habit that spoils your appearance such as biting your nails.
7. Go out of your way to do something special for your husband or a friend.
8. Make a brand new friend.
9. Seek family or personal counseling if needed.
10. forgive someone in your family or past of a deep hurt (write a letter, make a phone call, have a personal conversation.)
11. Read a self-improvement book; e.g., Woman’s Divine Destiny or Self-Esteem and the LDS Woman.
12. Introduce yourself to someone new at church.
13. Accept three compliments without apologizing for yourself.
14. Read an article from a woman’s magazine that addresses some aspect of good personal mental and emotional health.
15. Attend a class or fireside where a family counselor speaks.
16. Listen nonjudgmentally to a friend who is having problems.
17. Overcome a fear you have; e.g., driving long distances, going to a social function alone, speaking in public.
18. Other appropriate goals may be submitted to the Professor of Psychology for approval.

COLLEGE OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT

1. Update and improve your resume.
2. Arrive to work five minutes early for two weeks.
3. Take a course that will improve your job skills.
4. Read one book about your profession.
5. Dress neatly and appropriately for your job all month.
6. Improve your appearance though hair style or makeup.
7. Go to work with a positive attitude all month.
8. Express enthusiasm for your job to your boss or co-worker.
9. Share a principle of the gospel with a co-worker through discussion or example.
10. When a conflict arises, be the peacemaker.
11. Forgive someone who has wronged you.
12. Re-evaluate your child care arrangement.
13. Schedule some individual time with your husband and each child.
14. Prepare your meals for the week ahead of time.
15. Plan one month’s meals.
16. Complete your weekly grocery shopping in one trip.
17. Other appropriate goals may be submitted to the Professor of Career Development for approval.