About NetVUE
NetVUE is a network of colleges and universities committed to fostering the intellectual and theological exploration of vocation in their campus communities. The key programmatic elements of NetVUE are:
CIC administers NetVUE with guidance from an advisory council comprised of representatives from participating institutions.
Information below explains several aspects of NetVUE: (1) the purposes; (2) financial support; and (3) history.
Purposes of NetVUE
The purposes of NetVUE are to:
- Deepen our understanding of the intellectual and theological substance of vocational exploration;
- Examine the role of intellectual and theological reflection and vocational exploration in a variety of institutional contexts;
- Share knowledge, best practices, and reflection on experiences across participating campuses;
- Develop a network for sustaining an extended program in the exploration of vocation; and
- Facilitate the incorporation of additional colleges and universities into this enterprise.
Colleges and universities rooted in the liberal arts are particularly well suited to undertake the task of educating future leaders who are theologically literate, whose attitudes and behaviors are shaped by their values and commitments, and who are eager to sustain a life of service that is guided by a sense of calling.
Financial support of NetVUE comes from a combination of membership dues and support from Lilly Endowment Inc. Thanks to Lilly’s generous support, dues in the first few years are low. Incrementally, by 2015 Lilly’s level of support will decline and future network activities will become self-supporting by dues from participating institutions, along with fees for some programs, events, and services.
History of NetVUE
In 1999, Lilly Endowment Inc. launched Programs for the Theological Exploration of Vocation (PTEV) to support independent colleges and universities in establishing or strengthening programs that would (a) help students examine the relationship between their faith and vocational choices; (b) provide opportunities for young people to explore Christian ministry leadership; and (c) enhance the capacity of an institution’s faculty and staff to teach and mentor students in this regard. The objective was to identify and nurture a new generation of highly talented and committed leaders for religious communities and for society.
Over the subsequent years, Lilly supported 88 colleges and universities with PTEV programs. Efforts on each of these campuses encompassing the callings of students, faculty and staff were supported by a series of national conferences for representatives of participating institutions. As the Lilly Endowment’s active support concluded, a number of college and university presidents, pleased with the positive results of these programs, asked the Council of Independent Colleges to extend and expand a nation-wide campus-supported network for the theological exploration of vocation.
In early 2008, CIC began to craft a vision for such a network, identified its goals and laid the groundwork for an inaugural conference in March 2009. In the fall of 2009, NetVUE was launched as a network of colleges and universities committed to fostering the theological exploration of vocation in their campus communities.