| Concurrent Campus Presentations | Concurrent Campus Presentations | 36 | | | Concurrent Session | <h3>A Different State of Mind: Expanding the Horizons of Vocational Possibility</h3>This presentation will chart the radical changes in, and many successes of, a NetVUE Program Development Grant. While the pandemic induced an initial shock among the team and for the goals of the grant, it also encouraged a more imaginative and global envisioning of the work of grant—and of the vocational goals of undergraduates. Team meetings were moved to the grant director’s back yard; trips to visit local organizations were restructured as opportunities for speakers (including Bethany graduates) to join classes virtually, whether from the local community or from the other side of the world. The discovery of the qualitative wealth of these resources will serve the community for many years to come.<br>
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<strong><em>Arminta J. Fox</em></strong>, Associate Professor of Religion, Bethany College (KS)<br><strong><em>Rebecca Miller</em></strong>, Assistant Professor of Communication, Bethany College (KS)<br><strong><em>Andrea Ring</em></strong>, Associate Professor and Chair of Psychology Department, Bethany College (KS)<br></blockquote>
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<h3>Calling and the Disciplines: Literary Studies, Vocation, and Difference</h3>As an academic discipline, literary studies can provide rich ground for cultivating vocation and expanding our conversation about purpose and meaning with undergraduates. The process of literary reading—paying close attention to language, form, figures, and voice—can inspire a commitment to diverse worldviews and ethical decision-making within the discernment process. This session will also suggest how other academic disciplines, interdisciplinary fields, and cross-disciplinary programs can examine their own potential for cultivating vocation.
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<em>Geoffrey W. Bateman</em></strong>, Associate Professor of Peace and Justice Studies and Associate Dean for Student Support and Experiential Learning, Regis University (CO)<br><strong><em>Stephanie L. Johnson</em></strong>, Associate Professor and Chair of English and Director of Honors Program, The College of St. Scholastica<br><strong><em>Esteban E. Loustaunau</em></strong>, Professor of Spanish and Director of the Center for Purpose and Vocation and SPOHIA Program, Assumption University<br></blockquote>
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<h3>Centering Vocation: Re-thinking the First-Year Seminar and Community Engagement</h3>Alma College’s revamped First Year Seminar program, as well as its new Center for College and Community Engagement (CCCE), focus on the exploration of vocation and serve as opportunities for students to learn about and reflect on the college’s mission. This session will outline the process of revising the first year seminar, shifting from a set of largely disparate classes to a highly collaborative program exploring meaning, purpose, and the good life. Presenters will then describe the more recent inauguration of the CCCE, focusing on its vision and initial programming—highlighting what has worked well and suggesting opportunities for growth that could be implemented at other NetVUE campuses.
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<blockquote>
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<em>Kathleen Poorman Dougherty</em></strong>, Provost & Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Philosophy, Alma College<br><strong>Andrew Pomerville</strong>, Director of the Center for College and Community Engagement, and Senior Chaplain, Alma College<br><strong><em>Daniel I. Wasserman-Soler</em></strong>, Director of the First-Year Seminar Program and Associate Professor and Chair of History, Alma College<br></blockquote>
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<h3>Courage, Creativity, and Calling in the Wake of the Pandemic </h3>Trinity Christian College’s recent NetVUE grant catalyzed a multi-year revision to its general education curriculum, prompting campus-wide reflection on the relationships among vocation, joy, suffering, courage, and creativity. The last two elements in this list are foregrounded in a required sophomore course titled Courage, Creativity and Calling. Presenters will share lessons learned from the development of the course, its content, and how its themes extend beyond its impact on students—relating as well to the ability of educators to sustain and deepen their work as scholar-practitioners in the wake of the pandemic.
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<blockquote>
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<em>Aaron J. Kuecker</em></strong>, Provost, Trinity Christian College<br><strong><em>Rebekah L. Starkenburg</em></strong>, Vice President for Student Life, Trinity Christian College<br><strong><em>Jeff J. Timmer</em></strong>, Director of Vocation & Career Development, Trinity Christian College
<br></blockquote>
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<h3>Engaging with Vocation on Campus: Faculty and Staff Development across a Diverse (Co-)Curriculum</h3>Promoting vocational discernment among students is best achieved when faculty members and staff pursue a common set of goals, adapted to the students whom they teach and lead. This critical insight arose through the process of co-editing <cite>Engaging with Vocation on Campus</cite>, a recently published collection that describes efforts to address vocation in the courses and programs that are taught and delivered at Dayton. Presenters will share the lessons learned while editing the book, then guide participants through the process of articulating their own institution’s vocational ethos, sharing successful approaches to professional development, and identifying methods of further supporting vocational discernment in diverse settings.
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<em>Karen Lovett</em></strong>, Director of Experiential Learning, University of Dayton<br><strong><em>Stephen Wilhoit</em></strong>, Professor of English and Assistant Director, Ryan C. Harris Learning Center, University of Dayton<br></blockquote>
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<h3>Integrating Vocational Discernment through All Four Years: Advising with Purpose</h3>Two institutions set out to engage undergraduates in vocational exploration through an advising program supported by a variety of campus offices—including academics, student affairs, athletics, and chaplaincy. Each institution created multi-year, developmentally rich vocational exploration programs that have become signature experiences on each campus. Presenters will describe successes, challenges, and lessons learned, with the goal of encouraging participants in creative, strategic thinking around campus-wide programming that engages the whole student. The use of peer mentoring and ePortfolios will be described as strategies that have most efficiently capitalized on the investment of time by faculty members and staff.
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<blockquote>
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<em>Robert M. Bellin</em></strong>, Professor of Biology and Director of Vocare, College of the Holy Cross (MA)<br><strong><em>Amy J. Santas</em></strong>, Professor of Biology, Muskingum University<br></blockquote>
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<h3>The Pendle Hill Story: Shaping Institutional Culture through Vocational Exploration</h3>A recent NetVUE Vocation Across the Academy grant became the impetus for institutional culture change at Malone University. This presentation tells the story of the Pendle Hill Initiative—Malone’s vocation exploration program developed in collaboration with NetVUE. The presentation will highlight four major lessons from our process: connecting to institutional roots; engaging faculty, staff, and students; finding champions on campus; and focusing on activities that advance purpose, meaning, and service for all members of the campus community.<br>
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<strong><em></em></strong><strong><em>Scott Waalkes</em></strong>, Professor of International Politics, Director of General Education, and Co-Director of the Pendle Hill Initiative, Malone University<br></blockquote>
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<h3>Threading Vocation to the Core: A Case Study of the Student Experience</h3>The program will focus on the trajectory of the student experience, following some of the threads of a new university core curriculum—particularly those related to equity, inclusion, and community engagement. Student voices (provided via video interview clips) will illuminate the progress of a new core curriculum adoption and the infusion of calling and purpose into two academic courses (the first year seminar and one theology course), as well as various co-curricular experiences hosted by campus ministry and the career development center. The presenters will share insights from the holistic, interconnected process of infusing calling and purpose into ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion work on campus—particularly through academic and career advising.
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<em>Elizabeth M. Cassady</em></strong>, Assistant Vice President for Career and Community Engagement, Bellarmine University<br><strong><em>Laura Kremer Kline</em></strong>, Director of Campus Ministry, Bellarmine University<br></blockquote>
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<h3>What Is Ours to Do: Vocational Leadership and Learning through Pilgrimage</h3>Alvernia University’s commitment to experiential learning crosses international borders. This presentation showcases a unique pilgrimage program to Assisi and Rome and its lasting effects on drawing students, faculty, and staff into the Franciscan tradition. Participants will explore the relationship between pilgrimage and experiential learning and its role in holistic student development. Small group discussion, a showcase of artifacts brought back from a recent pilgrimage, and video interviews with student, faculty, and staff pilgrims will engage participants in the ways vocation can touch everyone’s role within the university community.<br>
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<strong><em>Jamie Caporizo</em></strong>, Senior Director of Mission and Ministry, Alvernia University<br><strong><em>Glynis Fitzgerald</em></strong>, Senior Vice President and Provost, Alvernia University<br></blockquote> |
| Campus Role Discussions by Institutional Size and Type | Campus Role Discussions by Institutional Size and Type | 3 | | | | <p>Participants will meet in small groups of campus leaders who serve in similar roles at institutions of similar size and type. The groups will discuss their reactions to the keynote address and will describe how the “call to community” is understood at their own institutions. Each group also will consider ways to sustain vocational reflection efforts on their campus, focusing on the conference themes of engagement and difference.<br><br><em>Note: Please consult the Participants List in Guidebook for your table number .</em><br></p> |
| Pre-Conference Workshops Continue | Pre-Conference Workshops Continue | 33 | | | Workshop | <div><span><span></span></span><span><span>These workshops require
pre-registration as space is limited. Registration is open to anyone
also registered for the NetVUE Conference. If you have already registered and would like to
add a pre- or post-conference workshop to an existing registration,
please contact Tabitha Truscott, CIC conference and program manager, at
<a href="mailto:ttruscott@cic.nche.edu">ttruscott@cic.nche.edu</a>.</span></span></div><div><span><span></span></span><br><br></div><div><h3>Bringing Vocation into the Classroom</h3><blockquote>Facilitators:<br><strong><em>Darby K. Ray</em></strong>, Donald W. and Ann M. Harward Professor of Civic Engagement and Professor of Religious Studies, Bates College<br><strong><em>Paul J. Wadell</em></strong>, Professor Emeritus of Theology and Religious Studies, St. Norbert College<br><br><strong>7:30–9:00 a.m.</strong>
<h4>Breakfast</h4> <br><strong>9:00 a.m.–Noon</strong>
<h4>Second Workshop Session</h4>
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<strong>Noon–1:30 p.m.</strong>
<h4>Lunch<br></h4></blockquote>
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<h3>Vocation and Career: Helping Students Ask the Right Questions</h3><blockquote>Facilitators:<br><strong><em>Mary Claire Dismukes</em></strong>, Director of the Office of Career and Professional Development, Belmont University<br><em><strong>Lisa Hinkley</strong></em>, Associate Vice President and Executive Director for Career and Professional Development, Carthage College<br><br><strong>7:30–9:00 a.m.</strong>
<h4>Breakfast</h4> <br><strong>9:00 a.m.–Noon</strong>
<h4>Second Workshop Session</h4>
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<strong>Noon–1:30 p.m.</strong>
<h4>Lunch<br></h4></blockquote></div> |
| Concurrent Campus Presentations | Concurrent Campus Presentations | 38 | | | Concurrent Session | <h3>Bridging Curriculum and Co-Curriculum through Community Engagement</h3>Through a recent NetVUE Program Development Grant, St. Norbert has sought to expand its vocational work by bridging co-curricular student development and faculty development through the lens of community engagement. This session will explore how a new pathway experience for students, Scholars for Community-Engaged Vocation, serves as a partnership between colleagues in academic affairs and student affairs that integrates the development of community-engaged faculty with the student experience. Participants will be invited to consider ways in which their institutions might use their own work in vocation to create similar bridges.<br><blockquote><strong><em>Deirdre E. Egan-Ryan</em></strong>, Professor of English and Director of Academic Service Learning, St. Norbert College<br><strong><em>Derek B. Elkins</em></strong>, Protestant Chaplain and Co-Director of the Emmaus Center for Spiritual Life & Vocation, St. Norbert College<br><strong><em>Rebecca J. Lahti</em></strong>, Co-Director of the Emmaus Center for Spiritual Life & Vocation, St. Norbert College<br></blockquote> <br><h3>Calling + Completion: Toward a More Socially Just Model of Purpose</h3>Undergraduate education is a powerful force in student development and decision-making in pursuit of a life’s calling. But given the demographic shifts within higher education (with an increasing presence of women, low-income students, first-generation students, and students of color), academic institutions must offer more than access and a chance to explore vocation. They must also help students build social capital to ensure the completion of a bachelor’s degree and a successful fulfillment of their calling. This presentation will focus on a Guided Pathways framework, which is designed to develop an ecosystem approach to providing access, equitable student outcomes, exploration for finding one’s calling, and ensuring completion. This session will help participants learn how the equation of “calling + completion” can offer a powerful way to help students at the individual level and make good on the institutional promise of greater access to higher education.
<br><blockquote><strong><em>Maura Devlin</em></strong>, Dean of Institutional Effectiveness and Accreditation, Bay Path University<br><strong><em>Gretchen Heaton</em></strong><strong><em></em></strong>, Associate Dean of Career and Leadership Development, Bay Path University<br><strong><em>Dinah Moore</em></strong>, Executive Director of the WELL Program, Bay Path University<br></blockquote><br><h3>Engaged Departments: A Collective Call into Community</h3>With support from our current NetVUE grant on vocational reflection, St. Olaf College is working with two departments—physics and music—in a year-long process of becoming an “engaged department.” This work provides faculty with adequate time to learn about community-engaged practices and to begin building relationships with potential community partners. It also encourages them to dig deeply into their personal and departmental vocations, alongside their students’ vocational discernment processes. This session will share the practices of this work, feature a case study of one faculty member who is participating in this process, and allow time for discussion among participants about how to begin or deepen department-level work on their own campuses.<br><blockquote><strong><em>Rehanna L. Kheshgi</em></strong>, Assistant Professor of Music, St. Olaf College<br><strong><em>Alyssa Herzog Melby</em></strong>, Program Director for Academic Civic Engagement, St. Olaf College<br></blockquote><br><h3>Letters from One Humanities Colleague to Another
</h3>A mid-career professor who teaches philosophy at a small, teaching institution writes a letter to a mentor professor who is also in the humanities and serves as the institution’s point person for vocation initiatives. The younger professor, who has over 10 years’ experience, is nearing a crisis in vocational discernment, and is experiencing struggles that are being noticed by some students in that professor’s general education courses. The mentor replies, offering empathy and advice. This fictional correspondence will be offered as a starting point for a conversation about the evolving vocations of faculty members at NetVUE institutions.
<br><blockquote><strong><em>Paul R. Burmeister</em></strong>, Assistant Dean of Advising and Professor of Art, Wisconsin Lutheran College<br><strong><em>Amy K. Hermanson</em></strong>, Associate Professor of English, Wisconsin Lutheran College<br></blockquote><br><h3>Purposeful Pathways: Vocational Reflection in the Third and Fourth Years</h3>Furman University offers an “integrated four-year pathway” for students, designed to encourage them to engage in the exploration of, and reflection on, what is meaningful to them. It also seeks to prepare students for accelerated professional and community impact after college. This presentation will focus on NetVUE-grant-funded programming and resources for students in their third and fourth years, designed to facilitate the exploration of vocation and purpose within each student’s major discipline. The session will offer lessons learned from the efforts to build campus-wide support for the initiative, the content of the program, and the importance of cross-campus partnerships to ensure long-term sustainability of the initiative.
<br><blockquote><strong><em>John M. Harris</em></strong>, Faculty Director, Cothran Center for Vocational Reflection and Professor of Mathematics, Furman University<br><strong><em>Michelle Horhota</em></strong>, Associate Dean for Mentoring and Advising and Professor of Psychology, Furman University<br></blockquote><br><h3>Reshaping Teacher Education through Anti-Racist Curricula and Recruitment of Students of Color</h3>Nearly three decades of research indicates that teachers of color can improve the academic success and overall social experience for both students of color and white students, yet 80 percent of all teachers are white. In addition to the dearth of teachers of color, educational systems have long been complicit in furthering structural racism. In an attempt to reimagine and revolutionize the teaching profession, Roanoke College created BRIDGES, with two closely-related goals: the recruitment, retention, and mentorship of students of color; and the integration of programming related to race and racism across the curriculum, in order to improve the preparation of all students for teaching diverse populations. The session will provide an opportunity to consider how similar efforts could be developed on other campuses.<br><blockquote><strong><em>Lisa G. Stoneman</em></strong>, Associate Professor of Education and Department Chair, Roanoke College<br></blockquote><br><h3>Roadmaps for Vocational Formation: An Integrated Approach to Student Development</h3>Abilene Christian University recently launched Compass, an initiative that guides students “toward becoming a Christian servant and leader for the sake of the world.” By creating roadmaps tailored to the unique curricular and co-curricular opportunities in each academic department, Compass provides an integrated pathway for vocational discernment and formation. Student experiences on the roadmaps align with ACU’s progression of formation themes: first year, pursue community; second year, pursue hospitality; third year, pursue calling; fourth year, pursue wisdom. The session will describe how the creation of integrated roadmaps can utilize the rich experiences available at other institutions— including global education, experiential learning, leadership development, career preparedness, and spiritual formation—for vocational formation and discernment.
<br><blockquote><strong><em>Laura B. Carroll</em></strong>, Executive Director of the Adams Center for Teaching and Learning, Abilene Christian University<br><strong><em>Derran Reese</em></strong>, Director of Experiential Learning, Abilene Christian University<br><strong><em>Benjamin J. Ries</em></strong>, Associate Dean for Vocational Formation, Abilene Christian University<br></blockquote><br><h3>Vocation and Values: A New Approach to Vocation in the Core Curriculum</h3>This presentation reports on a sequence of vocational courses in the core curriculum at Tabor College. Its primary focus is six discipline-specific courses in which students of a given major—or what we intend to be complementary majors—study and reflect together on how to live out one’s vocation, both individually and collectively, within those professional disciplines. Student learning outcomes and course assignments will be included in the presentation. The session will share lessons learned from the process through which these courses came into existence, how they are managed, and some of their benefits and challenges.<br><blockquote><strong><em>Douglas B. Miller</em></strong>, Emeritus Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies, Tabor College</blockquote> |
| Breakfast and Optional Conversations | Breakfast and Optional Conversations | 5 | | | | Breakfast is provided for all registered conference participants. Please feel free to sit with others or alone, according to your comfort level. To-go boxes will be available. Some tables will be marked for informal conversation with participants who have recently published books related to vocation or other conference themes. |
| Presidents Forum | Presidents Forum | 36 | | | | <em>Open only to currently serving college and university presidents.)</em><br><br>Presidents are invited to participate in a candid conversation regarding changing institutional contexts and approaches to broaden and sustain vocational exploration initiatives while attending to institutional mission and resources. Two NetVUE member presidents will facilitate the discussion.<br><blockquote><strong><em>Susan S. Hasseler</em></strong>, President, Muskingum University<br><strong><em>Lester C. Newman</em></strong>, President, Jarvis Christian College</blockquote> |
| Orientation Session for Those New to NetVUE | Orientation Session for Those New to NetVUE | 21 | | | | First-time participants in the NetVUE Conference are invited to gather for an orientation to NetVUE, its approach to vocation, and its programs and services. This session will provide guidance about how to benefit from the NetVUE Conference and will allow newcomers to get to know each other. One experienced conference participant will be seated at each table to answer questions and provide informal advice about getting the most from the conference experience.<br><blockquote>Conveners:<br><strong><em>David S. Cunningham</em></strong>, Director of NetVUE, CIC<br><strong><em>Harold V. Hartley III</em></strong>, Senior Vice President, CIC<br><strong><em>Marjorie Hass</em></strong>, President, CIC</blockquote> |
| Chief Academic Officers Forum | Chief Academic Officers Forum | 38 | | | | <em>(Open only to currently serving college and university chief academic officers.)</em><br><br>Chief Academic Officers are invited to participate in a candid conversation regarding changing institutional contexts and approaches to broaden and sustain vocational exploration initiatives while attending to institutional mission and resources. Two NetVUE member chief academic officers will facilitate the discussion.<br><blockquote><strong><em>Graciela Caneiro-Livingston</em></strong>, Provost, Nebraska Wesleyan University<br><strong><em>Kerry D. Fulcher</em></strong>, Provost and Chief Academic Officer, Point Loma Nazarene University</blockquote> |
| Conference Registration | Conference Registration | 32 | | | | <p>Please stop by the registration desk to pick up your name badge and a conference program, which includes a “schedule at a glance” and hotel maps.</p> |
| Book Signing | Book Signing | 54 | | | | <p>Author: <strong><em>Kathleen A. Mahoney</em></strong></p> |
| NetVUE Advisory Council Meeting | NetVUE Advisory Council Meeting | 55 | | | | <p>Presiding: <strong><em>Marjorie Hass</em></strong>, President, CIC</p> |
| Networking and Refreshment Break | Networking and Refreshment Break | 17 | | | | |
| Lunch by Campus Role | Lunch by Campus Role | 9 | | | | <p>If you are comfortable doing so, please join a table marked with your campus role. Additional tables will be available in the Preconvene Foyer for those who prefer to sit alone when unmasked. To-go boxes will also be available.<br></p> |
| Pre-Conference Workshops | Pre-Conference Workshops | 43 | | | Workshop | <div>These workshops require pre-registration as space is limited. Registration is open to anyone also registered for the NetVUE Conference. If you have already registered and would like to add a pre- or post-conference workshop to an existing registration, please contact Tabitha Truscott, CIC conference and program manager, at
<a href="mailto:ttruscott@cic.nche.edu">ttruscott@cic.nche.edu</a>.</div><div><br><br></div><h3>Bringing Vocation into the Classroom</h3><blockquote>Facilitators:<br><strong><em>Darby K. Ray</em></strong>, Donald W. and Ann M. Harward Professor of Civic Engagement and Professor of Religious Studies, Bates College<br><strong><em>Paul J. Wadell</em></strong>, Professor Emeritus of Theology and Religious Studies, St. Norbert College<br><br><strong>1:00–5:30 p.m. </strong><h4>First Workshop Session</h4><br><strong>5:30–6:30 p.m.</strong><h4>Break</h4>Please use this time to check into your hotel room if you have not already done so.<br> <br><strong>6:30–8:00 p.m.</strong><h4>Dinner<br></h4></blockquote><br><h3>Vocation and Career: Helping Students Ask the Right Questions </h3><blockquote>Facilitators:<br><strong><em>Mary Claire Dismukes</em></strong>, Director of the Office of Career and Professional Development, Belmont University<br><strong><em>Lisa Hinkley</em></strong>, Associate Vice President and Executive Director for Career and Professional Development, Carthage College<br><br><strong>1:00–4:00 p.m. </strong><h4>First Workshop Session</h4><br><strong>4:00–5:00 p.m.</strong><h4>Break</h4>Please use this time to check into your hotel room if you have not already done so.<br><br><strong>5:00–6:00 p.m.</strong><h4>Social Hour</h4><br><strong>6:00–8:00 p.m.</strong><h4>Dinner<br></h4></blockquote> |
| Business Meeting of NetVUE Members | Business Meeting of NetVUE Members | 11 | | | | The biennial meeting of NetVUE members will include a review of NetVUE goals; membership; programs, services, and activities; and finances. Members also will consider future plans and directions, and have an opportunity to ask questions and offer suggestions regarding NetVUE’s continuing development. Each member institution should be represented by at least one senior member of the campus team.<br><blockquote>Presiding: <strong><em>Marjorie Hass</em></strong>, President, CIC<br><br>Reports:
<br><strong><em>David S. Cunningham</em></strong>, Director of NetVUE, CIC<br><strong><em>Lynn Hunnicutt</em></strong>, Assistant Director of NetVUE, CIC<br><strong><em>C. Hannah Schell</em></strong>, NetVUE Online Community Coordinator, CIC<br><strong><em>Harold V. Hartley III</em></strong>, Senior Vice President, CIC</blockquote> |
| Networking Reception | Networking Reception | 12 | | | | <p>All NetVUE Conference participants are encouraged to connect informally with colleagues old and new.</p> |
| Dinner on Your Own | Dinner on Your Own | 13 | | | | <p>This evening provides an opportunity for conference participants to join others for dinner, whether within their own campus teams or across institutions. Participants make their own arrangements.</p> |
| Breakfast, Hotel Checkout, and Optional Conversations | Breakfast, Hotel Checkout, and Optional Conversations | 14 | | | | Breakfast is provided for all registered conference participants. Please feel free to sit with others or alone, according to your comfort level. To-go boxes will be available. Some tables will be marked for informal conversation with participants who have recently published books related to vocation or other conference themes.<br><br><em>Please note: The hotel checkout time is noon; thus, we encourage you to check out of your hotel room before the campus presentations begin.</em> |
| Opportunities for Worship (Optional) | Opportunities for Worship (Optional) | 25 | | | | <h3>Roman Catholic Mass</h3><blockquote>Celebrant: <strong><em>Fr. Eric A. Zimmer</em></strong>, President, University of Saint Francis (IN)<br></blockquote><br>
<h3>Morning Prayer in the Protestant Tradition</h3><blockquote>Worship Leaders:<br><strong><em>Jeremiah Gibbs</em></strong>, Director, Lantz Center for Christian Vocations and Formation, University of Indianapolis<br><strong><em>Terri Ofori</em></strong>, Director of Religious and Spiritual Life and Chaplain, Ursinus College</blockquote> |
| Concurrent Campus Presentations | Concurrent Campus Presentations | 27 | | | Concurrent Session | <h3>Aligning Vocation within Your Institution</h3>How can we integrate vocation at our institutions in meaningful and mission-aligned ways? In alignment with its mission, its sense of place, and its shared governance model, Colby-Sawyer College recently re-imagined the curriculum of its liberal education program, combining professional preparation with a new approach to the traditional liberal arts curriculum. Central themes include social justice, health and wellness, and diversity/equity/inclusion issues; key design elements include experiential learning, sustainability, and community engagement. The college has also launched the Blueprint, designed to facilitate students’ vocational exploration and reflection across the four-year college experience. Participants will be invited to consider possible alignments of vocation at their own institution.<br>
<blockquote>
<strong><em>Laura A. Sykes</em></strong>, Academic Vice President and Dean of Faculty, Colby-Sawyer College<br><strong><em>Peter A. White</em></strong>, Professor of Biology and Director of Liberal Education, Colby-Sawyer College<br><strong><em>Hilary Walrod Williams</em></strong>, Dean for the School of Arts & Sciences, Colby-Sawyer College<br></blockquote> <br>
<h3>Developing Your Emotional Intelligence to Enhance Your Calling</h3>Emotional Intelligence (EI) is crucial for all types of relationships, both personal and professional. As leaders, we influence and guide people from varying backgrounds with differing perspectives and temperaments. Research demonstrates that high EI levels permit leaders to better support and relate to employees and students, allowing them to perform at higher levels. More specifically, the work of guiding students in vocational exploration and discernment requires a high level of emotional labor, and our work will benefit from learning how to increase our personal EI levels. This presentation will be delivered in a conversational format, providing multiple opportunities for structured interaction.
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<blockquote>
<strong>
<em>Robert L. Overstreet</em></strong>, Director, Center for Teaching Excellence, Southern Adventist University<br></blockquote>
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<h3>Expanding the Community of Calling through NetVUE Grants</h3>King University has used NetVUE resources to expand ideas about the nature of a college community, extending the community of call both within the curriculum and beyond the college years. Our professional development grant encouraged faculty to reflect on and develop a vocational focus across core courses (freshman seminar, sophomore humanities, and senior capstone), which has not only fostered student community but also brought together faculty from widely different disciplines. Our Institutional Saga grant is extending that community’s welcome to both prospective students and alumni, and a new initiative encourages continued vocational reflection for small groups of graduates many years after their time at King. We will share lessons learned from fostering an expansive and inclusive communion of calling, offering vocational direction and shared resources across the curriculum and beyond the undergraduate years.<br>
<blockquote>
<strong><em>Martin H. Dotterweich</em></strong>, Professor of History and Director of the King Institute for Faith and Culture, King University<br><strong><em>Glenn E. Sanders</em></strong>, Dean of Arts and Sciences, King University<br><strong><em>Alexander W. Whitaker</em></strong>, President, King University<br></blockquote>
<br>
<h3>Finding the Intersections: Vocational Reflection, Social Justice, and Diversity</h3>Established three years ago through a NetVUE Vocation Across the Academy Grant, Butler’s Social Justice and Diversity Vocational Fellowships have successfully engaged instructors from across the University to read, reflect on, and incorporate Critical Race Theory and Vocational Studies into their curricula. As a result, students have been invited to explore the intersection between vocational reflection and issues of social justice and diversity, which has in turn shaped their visions of the kinds of work to which they hope to dedicate their lives. This session will explore the substance, the outcomes, and the impacts that this work has had for faculty members, staff, and students. The session will provide key practical strategies for faculty and staff to use in order to develop and revise their own courses along similar lines.
<br>
<blockquote>
<strong>
<em>Daniel G. Meyers</em></strong>, Director of the Center for Faith and Vocation, Butler University<br><strong><em>Courtney Elkin Mohler</em></strong>, Associate Professor of Theatre and Assistant Dean of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access for Jordan College of the Arts, Butler University<br></blockquote>
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<h3>From the First Year to the Last: Equity-Based, Interdisciplinary Vocational Reflection</h3>As part of its 2030 Strategic Plan and funded by a NetVUE grant, Augustana University established a Center for Interdisciplinary Studies (CIS) and launched several new degree programs (e.g., Environmental Studies, Medical Humanities) to foster ongoing vocational reflection. Students were also introduced to vocation during a reimagined first-year seminar that focused on diversity, high-impact practices, and the needs of one’s community. Thereafter, students continued to engage in reflection through vocational pathways published for each major, a sophomore retreat, ePortfolios, and capstone courses. This session will describe these curricular components and offer ways to spark continuous vocational reflection in other campus settings.<br>
<blockquote>
<strong><em>Colin Irvine</em></strong>, Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs, Augustana University (SD)<br><strong><em>Joni Krueger</em></strong>, Registrar and Associate Dean of Interdisciplinary Programs, Augustana University (SD)<br><strong><em>Billie Streufert</em></strong>, Assistant Vice Provost of Student Success, Augustana University (SD)<br></blockquote>
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<h3>Mentoring for Vocation and Virtue: An Example from the Sciences</h3>This session explores how the training of future STEM leaders can be positively impacted by explicit discussion of communities and the virtues that enable communities to thrive, framed by a discussion of vocation as a call to live a certain type of life. Presenters will describe the curriculum that is being developed to achieve these ends, offer a small-scale faculty development session on the topic, and discuss the potential applications and reach of this kind of program across NetVUE institutions. The program’s curriculum and training provide mentors, teachers, and students the opportunity to give sustained attention to the ways that vocation and virtue shape how we think about our work.<br>
<blockquote>
<strong><em>Rachael A. Baker</em></strong>, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Calvin University <br><strong><em>Amy Wilstermann</em></strong>, Professor of Biology, Calvin University<br><strong><em>Julie E. Yonker</em></strong>, Professor of Psychology, Calvin University<br></blockquote>
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<h3><i lang="la">Ora et Labora</i>: A Promising Approach to Career Development </h3>Saints Promise is a mission-congruent program at Saint Martin’s University that provides a unique opportunity to bring together partners from the career center and community businesses, faculty, academic advising, and campus ministry. Its goal is to actively engage students in career discernment and readiness in ways that incorporate the ideals encapsulated in the Benedictine order’s motto, <i lang="la">Ora et Labora</i> (prayer and work). This session will offer lessons learned from developing a series of core courses designed to reflect the Benedictine values of hospitality, ethics, stewardship, community, service, and dignity of work. Building on a curriculum that focuses on identifying and applying talents for the greater good, Saints Promise students commit to career planning and vocational discernment for four years with the promise of graduate school admission or an internship after graduation.<br>
<blockquote>
<strong><em>Ann Adams</em></strong>, Director of the Office of Career Development, Saint Martin’s University<br><strong><em>Kathleen M. Boyle</em></strong>, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Saint Martin’s University
<br>
<strong>
<em>Colleen Dunne</em></strong>, Director of Campus Ministry, Saint Martin’s University<br></blockquote> <br>
<h3>Pre-Ministry Vocational Programming: Nurturing Church Leadership </h3>Randolph-Macon College offers a co-curricular pre-ministerial program for students of all Christian traditions preparing for vocations in ministry. This presentation will focus on the creation of a pre-ministry program, content considerations, and challenges that may arise. Discussion will include the role of financial aid in the program, internship requirements and guidelines, post-graduation requirements, and the dynamics created within groups of students from multiple Christian traditions. The session will also consider the topics addressed over the past four years through a student-created “lectionary” of helpful themes over a four-year cycle. The session will allow time for brainstorming about how a pre-ministerial program might develop and grow in other campus settings. <br>
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<strong><em>Kendra Grimes</em></strong>, Chaplain, Director of Church Relations, and Director, A. Purnell Bailey Program for Ordained Ministry, Randolph-Macon College <br></blockquote>
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<h3>The Tomcat Way: Vocational Discernment, Leadership, and Student Success</h3>Inspired by the ideas and practices of NetVUE, the Thiel College community created a new holistic model for student development that engages <em>all</em> students as they journey through college. This four-phase model—informed by research in developmental psychology—supports students’ academic, social, emotional, and spiritual growth, preparing them for careers and lives of meaning and purpose. This session will provide an overview the model, followed by facilitated discussion as to how it might be adapted for use at other institutions.<br>
<blockquote>
<strong><em>Greg Q. Butcher</em></strong>, Associate Academic Dean for Student Success, Thiel College<br><strong><em>Brian Riddle</em></strong>, Campus Pastor, Thiel College<br><strong><em>Liza A. Schaef</em></strong>, Director of the Career Development Center, Thiel College<br><strong><em>Susan Traverso</em></strong>, President, Thiel College<br></blockquote> |
| Networking and Refreshment Break | Networking and Refreshment Break | 26 | | | | |
| Bobby Fong Memorial Keynote Address: Eddie S. Glaude, Jr. | Bobby Fong Memorial Keynote Address: Eddie S. Glaude, Jr. | 2 | Eddie S. Glaude, Jr. | | Plenary Session |
<em>The keynote address is offered in memory of Bobby Fong (1950–2014), who was president of Ursinus College and Butler University and played a key role in the founding of NetVUE.</em><br><br>
<h3>THE PARADOX OF EDUCATION AND THE CALL TO BE AGENTS OF CHANGE</h3><p>In 1963, James Baldwin delivered his famous “A Talk to Teachers” (originally, “The Negro Child—His Self-Image”) to an audience of educators. His words are still relevant to the educational environment of today, which is being called to address generational poverty, inequity, and institutional racism—what Baldwin called being “born in the shadow of the stars and stripes.” Baldwin spoke of “the paradox of education”: that education is designed to socialize one into the basic structure of society as it is, yet it is also designed to make students into critical thinkers. What does that contradiction mean to Black and Brown college students who are observing the ugliness in the worlds from which many of them come? How does this paradox shape their process of discernment of their own callings, and those of their peers of all races, to address the needs and hopes of those worlds? How are we, as educators, being called to create an environment that refuses to socialize students into the structures of inequity and oppression, instead preparing them to expose, criticize, and change those structures? This is a time for educators, whom Baldwin called “those who deal with the minds and hearts of young people,” to become agents for societal change—and to help students discern their own paths for doing so as well.<br><br>Chair: <strong><em>Vivia Fowler</em></strong>, President, Wesleyan College (GA)<br></p> |
| Closing Plenary Address: Kathleen A. Mahoney | Closing Plenary Address: Kathleen A. Mahoney | 18 | Kathleen A. Mahoney | | Plenary Session | <h3>THE RESILIENCE OF RELIGION AND THE ROLE OF VOCATION</h3><p>Higher education has long been considered a bellwether of secularization. Commentators have largely accepted the prognosis that the once vibrant ties between the church and the academy, and more broadly between religion and higher learning, have frayed—propelling the American campus toward a wholly secular future. Such a shift would seem to have significant implications for issues surrounding vocation and calling, since these issues are often (even if not always or necessarily) intertwined with questions of religious faith. But the prevailing view of higher education’s secular shift has been upended with new research documenting the vitality of religion on many American campuses. Religion has staged a comeback at colleges and universities—even if this change has been uneven and complex, with growing attention to the sacred and to spirituality (and a much broader awareness of religious pluralism). How will vocation-related programs address these changes, in light of their own secular and religious commitments? How will the differing assumptions of faculty members, staff, and students affect this work? The resilience of religion in higher education has significant implications for those who are charged with guiding students as they explore their many callings in life.<br><br>Chair: <strong><em>Mary Dana Hinton</em></strong>, President, Hollins University<br></p> |
| Boxed Lunches and Departures | Boxed Lunches and Departures | 19 | | | | |
| Executives in Church-Related Higher Education | Executives in Church-Related Higher Education | 44 | | | | <em>(Includes dinner; by invitation only)</em><br>
<blockquote>Coordinator:
<strong>
<em>Mark N. Wilhelm</em></strong>, Executive Director, Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities (NECU), Evangelical Lutheran Church in America</blockquote> |
| Dessert Bar and Social Time | Dessert Bar and Social Time | 4 | | | | |
| Post-Conference Workshops | Post-Conference Workshops | 42 | | | Workshop | These workshops require pre-registration as space is limited. Registration is open to anyone also registered for the NetVUE Conference. If you have already registered and would like to add a pre- or post-conference workshop to an existing registration, please contact Tabitha Truscott, CIC conference and program manager, at
<a href="mailto:ttruscott@cic.nche.edu">ttruscott@cic.nche.edu</a>.<br><br>
These events begin on Saturday, March 26, at 1:00 p.m. and conclude at 4:00 p.m. that afternoon. The price for either workshop is $50. Some participants may wish to remain for dinner at their own expense. For those who need an additional night of accommodation, a limited number of rooms may be available at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel for Saturday night at the conference rate of $184; to reserve your room, please ask for the extra night when you make your hotel reservation for the conference, and pay for the extra night on site.<br><br>
<h4>Measuring Impact: Demonstrating the Value of Vocation-Related Initiatives</h4>Educators recognize the centrality of data to academic decision-making, assessing program initiatives, showcasing successes, and addressing shortcomings. But not all educators have the background and resources to undertake this work, and not all assessment tools work for the entire range of vocation-related activities—from faculty workshops and in-classroom activities to co-curricular initiatives in student affairs, career services, or campus ministry.<br><br>This Saturday afternoon workshop will offer guiding principles and practical tips for those tasked with designing, directing, and assessing vocation-related programming. Participants will leave equipped with tools to demonstrate how well their programs achieve their stated goals. The workshop will focus on helping NetVUE leaders demonstrate the connections between vocation-related initiatives and their institution’s strategic priorities, including improved retention and graduation rates. Throughout the workshop, participants will work collaboratively, developing action plans that they can take back to campus, with the goal of quickly initiating or improving evaluation efforts in their vocation-related programming.<br>
<blockquote>
<strong>
<em>Tim Clydesdale</em></strong>, Vice Provost, Dean of Graduate Studies, and Professor of Sociology, The College of New Jersey<br><strong><em>Lisa Jasinski</em></strong>, Special Assistant to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Trinity University (TX)<br></blockquote>
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<h4>Promoting Vocational Exploration among Minoritized Students</h4>Over the past two decades, programs to help students explore vocation and calling have had a significant impact on their collegiate experience, their career decisions, and the future direction of their lives. Unfortunately, however, the absorption of these programs among undergraduates has been dramatically uneven. In particular, at many institutions, students from minoritized groups participate in vocational exploration and discernment programming at a much lower rate than is the case for other identity groups.<br><br>In this Saturday afternoon workshop, participants will explore some of the reasons for this phenomenon: structural inequities that are built into many academic institutions, well-intentioned pedagogies that miss the mark, and messages that minoritized students have received throughout their lives—long before arriving at college. Most of the workshop will focus on practical steps to create vocation-related programs that are appropriate for the particular circumstances of minoritized students, making it possible for them to take full advantage of these opportunities. Workshop leaders will encourage participants to explore their own institutions’ practices—those that facilitate this work, as well as those that may be creating obstacles (no matter how unintentionally). Participants will also exchange best practices for developing programs that avoid creating a culture of mainstream and margins, but instead provide a “free and ordered space” in which all students can participate on an equal footing.<br>
<blockquote>
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<em>Chris Arguedas</em></strong>, Director, Intercultural Community Center, and Special Assistant to the President for Equity and Justice, Occidental College<br><strong><em>Kiki Kosnick</em></strong>, Assistant Professor of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Augustana College (IL)<br><strong><em>Richard Sévère</em></strong>, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of English, Valparaiso University</blockquote> |
| A Celebration of NetVUE Leaders: Reception, Conversation, Recognitions, and Informal Dinner | A Celebration of NetVUE Leaders: Reception, Conversation, Recognitions, and Informal Dinner | 35 | | | | <p>All participants are invited to celebrate being back together in person at this combination reception and dinner. The event will be held in a large open space so that participants will be free to move about, to converse with others, and to reconnect. Social distanced seating and to-go boxes will be available for those who prefer these options.</p> |
| Plenary Session: Nicholas Adams | Plenary Session: Nicholas Adams | 6 | Nicholas Adams | | Plenary Session | <h3>INTERRELIGIOUS SCRIPTURAL REASONING AS A VOCATIONAL PRACTICE</h3><p>More than ever before, cultural and religious literacy are essential for all those seeking to live into their callings in life. These capacities are required for public work in the political sphere, medicine, law, education, and for the work of corporations and nongovernmental organizations. The vocational trajectories of everyone in higher education—students, staff, faculty members, and administrators—increasingly require us to attend to what shapes one another’s deepest commitments and practices. Although not all campuses have the resources to make intercultural and interreligious engagements a routine part of the collegiate experience, they can easily facilitate productive encounters with the key texts of a variety of religious traditions. The practice of
<a href="http://www.scripturalreasoning.org/" target="_blank" aria-label="Opens in new window" rel="noopener noreferrer">Scriptural Reasoning</a> focuses on reading such texts together to stimulate conversation, empathy, and insight. This practice has developed over more than 20 years across several continents, with centers of practice and research in 12 countries, encompassing many languages and traditions. This plenary session will provide an introduction to Scriptural Reasoning and will guide participants through its actual practice in small groups, facilitated by NetVUE leaders with experience in this work. The session will conclude with guidance for implementing the practice of Scriptural Reasoning on campus and an assessment of its value for vocational reflection and discernment among undergraduate students. Participants will have the opportunity to learn more about bringing Scriptural Reasoning to their own institutional settings in a concurrent session during the 1:15 concurrent workshops on Friday afternoon.<br><br>Chair: <strong><em>John C. Knapp</em></strong>, President, Washington & Jefferson College<br></p> |
| Networking and Refreshment Break | Networking and Refreshment Break | 7 | | | | |
| Registration for Pre-Conference Workshop Participants | Registration for Pre-Conference Workshop Participants | 45 | | | | |
| Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities | Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities | 46 | | | | “Assessing 25 Years of Vocational Reflection Efforts”<br><blockquote>Convener: <strong><em>Mark N. Wilhelm</em></strong>, Executive Director, Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities (NECU), Evangelical Lutheran Church in America<br></blockquote><em>Please note: Separate registration is required for this meeting. Those planning to attend should send an email to Melinda Valverde at <a href="mailto:melinda.valverde@elca.org">melinda.valverde@elca.org</a>.</em> |
| Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities | Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities | 34 | | | | “Talking about Vocation with this Generation: Challenges and Opportunities in Catholic Higher Education”<br><blockquote>Convener: <strong><em>Dennis H. Holtschneider, CM</em></strong>, President and Chief Executive Officer, Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU)<br></blockquote><em>Please note: Separate registration is required for this meeting. Those planning to attend should send an email to Rebecca Sawyer at <a href="mailto:rsawyer@accunet.org">rsawyer@accunet.org</a>.</em> |
| Book Signing | Book Signing | 47 | | | | <p>Author: <strong><em>Eddie S. Glaude, Jr.</em></strong></p> |
| Conference Registration | Conference Registration | 48 | | | | |
| Informational Meetings | Informational Meetings | 49 | | | | <h3>Best Practices for NetVUE Campus Contacts</h3>This session provides gathering time for those currently serving as NetVUE Campus Contacts, as well as those who might be willing to take on that role in the future. NetVUE staff will offer advice on how to make the most of this important role as the primary point of contact for member institutions. Participants will be encouraged to discuss best practices and to offer feedback on how the NetVUE staff might improve communication with, and provide better support for, those who serve as Campus Contacts. <br>
<br>Breakfast will be available in the meeting room for this session, but participants may also eat beforehand if they prefer to remain masked in the meeting. <em>(Note: This session will be offered on both Friday and Saturday mornings.)</em><br><blockquote><strong><em>David S. Cunningham</em></strong>, Director of NetVUE, CIC<br><strong><em>Lynne M. Spoelhof</em></strong>, NetVUE Program Manager, CIC<br></blockquote><br><h3>Developing an Application for a NetVUE Grant</h3>This session will begin with a brief presentation on the array of NetVUE grants that will be offered in the coming year. Participants will then have the opportunity to ask questions about how to encourage conversations on campus in preparation for developing a proposal, as well as application procedures and best practices for successful grant administration.<br><br>Breakfast will be available in the meeting room for this session, but participants may also eat beforehand if they prefer to remain masked in the meeting. <em>(Note: This session will be offered on both Friday and Saturday mornings.)</em><br><blockquote><strong><em>Harold V. Hartley III</em></strong>, Senior Vice President, CIC
<br><strong><em>Lynn Hunnicutt</em></strong>, Assistant Director of NetVUE, CIC</blockquote> |
| Shabbat Prayers | Shabbat Prayers | 50 | | | | Participants from all faith traditions are welcome.<br><blockquote>Prayer Leader: <strong><em>Marjorie Hass</em></strong>, President, CIC</blockquote> |
| Considering Our Vocations: Circles of Reflection | Considering Our Vocations: Circles of Reflection | 51 | | | | This optional after-dinner session provides an opportunity for faculty members and staff at NetVUE member institutions to reflect on their own vocational journeys. Committed as we are to helping undergraduates thrive in their vocations, we do not always find enough time to “practice what we preach.” Leaders in all campus roles are invited to this time of reflection, which draws on the insights of the “Circles of Trust” model developed by Parker Palmer and the Center for Courage and Renewal. After some general introductory remarks, participants will spend an hour in a small group, designed for the purpose of quiet reflection and sharing. What has fortified your sense of calling, and what has challenged it? How have the last two years affected you vocationally? This participatory session focuses on active listening and only asks that we be willing to pause and reflect with others.
<br><blockquote>Facilitators:<br><strong><em>C. Hannah Schell</em></strong>, NetVUE Online Community Coordinator, CIC<br><strong><em>Lori A. Walters-Kramer</em></strong>, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies, Monmouth College (IL)</blockquote> |
| Conference Registration | Conference Registration | 52 | | | | |
| Informational Meetings | Informational Meetings | 53 | | | | <h3>Best Practices for NetVUE Campus Contacts</h3>This session provides gathering time for those currently serving as NetVUE Campus Contacts, as well as those who might be willing to take on that role in the future. NetVUE staff will offer advice on how to make the most of this important role as the primary point of contact for member institutions. Participants will be encouraged to discuss best practices and to offer feedback on how the NetVUE staff might improve communication with, and provide better support for, those who serve as Campus Contacts.<br><br>Breakfast will be available in the meeting room for this session, but participants may also eat beforehand if they prefer to remain masked in the meeting. <em>(Note: This session will be offered on both Friday and Saturday mornings.)</em><br><blockquote><strong><em>David S. Cunningham</em></strong>, Director of NetVUE, CIC<br><strong><em>Lynne M. Spoelhof</em></strong>, NetVUE Program Manager, CIC<br></blockquote><br><h3>Developing an Application for a NetVUE Grant</h3>This session will begin with a brief presentation on the array of NetVUE grants that will be offered in the coming year. Participants will then have the opportunity to ask questions about how to encourage conversations on campus in preparation for developing a proposal, as well as application procedures and best practices for successful grant administration.<br><br>Breakfast will be available in the meeting room for this session, but participants may also eat beforehand if they prefer to remain masked in the meeting. <em>(Note: This session will be offered on both Friday and Saturday mornings.)</em><br><blockquote><strong><em>Harold V. Hartley III</em></strong>, Senior Vice President, CIC<br><strong><em>Lynn Hunnicutt</em></strong>, Assistant Director of NetVUE, CIC<br></blockquote> |
| Concurrent Workshops | Concurrent Workshops | 10 | | | Concurrent Session | <h3>Blog, Webinar, Podcast: New Media Resources for Vocation</h3>New media resources have had an increasing impact on higher education over the past decade, and this trend has only intensified during the pandemics of the past year. Blogs, webinars, online workshops, and podcasts have become standard fare on every campus and within every academic organization. How can these resources be used to strengthen vocation-related initiatives? What are the advantages and drawbacks of various media for professional development and student programming? A panel of experienced users of new media in the academic context will lead participants in an exploration of methodologies, best practices, and lessons learned.<br><blockquote><strong><em>Carr Harkrader</em></strong>, Director, Interfaith Leadership Institute, Interfaith Youth Core<br><strong><em>Lindsay Monihen</em></strong>, Doctoral Candidate, Azusa Pacific University<br><strong><em>Deanna A. Thompson</em></strong>, Martin E. Marty Regents Chair in Religion and the Academy, and Director, Lutheran Center for Faith, Values, and Community, St. Olaf College<br>Chair: <strong><em>C. Hannah Schell</em></strong>, NetVUE Online Community Coordinator, CIC<br></blockquote><br><h3>Books on Vocation for the Undergraduate Setting
</h3>As the literature on vocation and calling has expanded, educators at NetVUE member institutions have found themselves faced with a panoply of choices for student assignments. But how much of the current vocation literature is well suited for use with undergraduates? What features should one consider when assessing these resources and assigning them in the academic context? In this session, four authors who have written books suitable for the undergraduate setting will offer recommendations of other books that can stimulate and supplement vocational conversations among students, both within and outside the classroom.<br><blockquote><strong><em>Jacqueline A. Bussie</em></strong>, Executive Director, Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research<br><strong><em>Jason A. Mahn</em></strong>, Conrad Bergendoff Chair in the Humanities, and Director, Presidential Center for Faith and Learning, Augustana College (IL)<br><strong><em>Charles R. Pinches</em></strong>, Professor of Theology and Religious Studies, The University of Scranton<br><strong><em>Patrick B. Reyes</em></strong>, Senior Director of Learning Design, Forum for Theological Exploration<br>Chair: <strong><em>Maria R. Zack</em></strong>, Special Assistant to the President and Department Chair, Point Loma Nazarene University<br></blockquote><br><h3>Bringing Scriptural Reasoning to Campus</h3>As a sequel to Friday morning’s plenary session on Scriptural Reasoning, this session will provide more detailed suggestions as to how this practice might be employed in the college or university setting. Attention will be paid to the specifics of implementing Scriptural Reasoning among different campus constituencies, including faculty members, staff, administrators, and students. Facilitators will also guide participants in the use of additional resources (many of which are available online) for choosing appropriate texts, training facilitators, encouraging participation, and assessing outcomes.<br><blockquote><strong><em>Nicholas Adams</em></strong>, Professor of Philosophical Theology, University of Birmingham<br><strong><em>Emily A. Filler</em></strong>, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, Washington & Lee University<br><strong><em>Stephen E. Fowl</em></strong>, Professor of Theology and Dean of Loyola College of Arts and Sciences, Loyola University Maryland<br>Chair: <strong><em>Peter Dula</em></strong>, Professor of Religion and Culture, Eastern Mennonite University<br></blockquote><br><h3>Called to Create Just Futures</h3>How can academic inquiry and community partnerships inform public policy on racial justice? How might undergraduate students be brought into this conversation and encouraged to explore their own callings to this work? What programs and activities can help students understand the issues and seek practical ways to respond? These questions will be addressed by leaders at CIC and NetVUE member institutions that are part of the Just Futures initiative of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Panelists will describe projects that bring researchers and community activists together to examine the history of racial injustice in the institution’s community, assess its impact on contemporary inequities, and make recommendations for reparative policies to local and regional governments. The session will focus on how this work might relate to vocational exploration and discernment among undergraduates.<br><blockquote><strong><em>Vivia L. Fowler</em></strong>, President, Wesleyan College (GA)<br><strong><em>Nakia Hamlett</em></strong>, William Meredith Assistant Professor of Psychology, Connecticut College<br><strong><em>James Postema</em></strong>, Professor of English, Concordia College (MN)<br><strong><em>Kimberly A. Rostan</em></strong>, Associate Professor of English, Co-coordinator of African/African-American Studies, and Director, Intercultural Studies Major, Wofford College<br><strong><em>Cynthia Neal Spence</em></strong>, Associate Professor of Sociology and Director, Social Justice Fellows Program and UNCF/Mellon Programs, Spelman College<br>Chair: <strong><em>David G. Brailow</em></strong>, Senior Advisor, Development, CIC<br></blockquote><br><h3>Narrating Vocation: Institutional Mission, Identity, Saga
</h3>The language of vocation and calling has recently expanded its range beyond a focus on individuals and has found a foothold at the institutional level. Speaking about an institution’s mission, identity, and vocation requires a compelling narrative that attends to its past, present, and future. Such narratives do not merely convey information; they presuppose a certain perspective and a particular interpretive stance. This interactive session will examine such narratives as “sagas” and reflect on the connection between personal and institutional vocation as a means of clarifying an institution’s self-understanding. This session will be of interest to those who currently lead (or may apply for) a NetVUE Grant for Reframing the Institutional Saga, as well as others who have responsibilities for stewarding their institution’s mission and identity.
<br><blockquote><strong><em>Joshua Canada</em></strong>, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Azusa Pacific University<br><strong><em>Claire M. Noonan</em></strong>, Vice President for Mission and Planning, Dominican University (IL)<br>Chair: <strong><em>Thomas G. Perrin</em></strong>, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty, Huntingdon College<br></blockquote><br><h3>New Scholarship on Vocation and the Common Good
</h3>The three volumes published thus far through the NetVUE Scholarly Resources Project have served as an introduction for newcomers, as a means of deeper engagement for faculty and staff reading groups, and as resources in the undergraduate classroom. NetVUE has now begun work on a fourth volume, which will focus on vocation and the common good. In this session, the new director of the Scholarly Resources Project will lead an interview-style discussion among five of the contributors to the forthcoming volume, focusing not only on their individual essays but also on the themes of the book as a whole. Participants will have an opportunity to offer suggestions as to the shape and content of the volume as it comes into final form.<br><blockquote><strong><em>Jonathan Golden</em></strong>, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Comparative Religion, and Director, Center on Religion, Culture, and Conflict, Drew University<br><strong><em>Michelle Hayford</em></strong>, Associate Professor of Theatre and Director, Theatre, Dance, and Performance Technology Program, University of Dayton<br><strong><em>Robert Pampel</em></strong>, Director, University Honors Program, Saint Louis University<br><strong><em>Meghan M. Slining</em></strong>, Associate Professor of Health Sciences, Furman University<br><strong><em>Monica M. Smith</em></strong>, Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Augustana College (IL)<br>Chair: <strong><em>Erin A. VanLaningham</em></strong>, Director, NetVUE Scholarly Resources Project, CIC<br></blockquote><br><h3>Self-Assessment Instruments for Vocational Reflection</h3>A number of instruments that are designed to help students explore their own gifts, talents, and strengths are available to faculty members and staff at NetVUE institutions. How useful are these instruments as resources for genuine vocational reflection? When properly used, can they be an important first step for undergraduates who are beginning to consider their many callings in life? Or do they sometimes tend to become a substitute for more rigorous and hands-on vocational conversations? A panel of NetVUE leaders with experience of various instruments will offer advice on the best use of these resources for vocational exploration and discernment. Specific attention will be paid to StrengthsFinder, PathwayU, the Intercultural Development Inventory, and the Life Design/Career Construction instrument.<br><blockquote><strong><em>Bryan J. Dik</em></strong>, Professor of Psychology, Colorado State University–Fort Collins<br><strong><em>Kassia D. Krone</em></strong>, Assistant Professor of Composition, Friends University<br><strong><em>David K. Miller</em></strong>, College Minister and Director of Justice Initiatives, Union College (KY)<br>Chair: <strong><em>René E. Johnson</em></strong>, Director of Vocation and Servant Leadership, Finlandia University<br></blockquote><br><h3>Vocation and the Religiously (In)Different Student</h3>An increasing percentage of undergraduate students at NetVUE institutions have grown up in faith communities other than the ones that have traditionally marked the college or university that they attend. Other students—perhaps a yet larger number—find themselves at the margins of (or completely outside of) traditional religious communities. Although the language of vocation and calling is certainly employed in secular as well as religious contexts, some students may assume that vocational reflection is primarily a religious (and often a specifically Christian) undertaking. How might educators help these religiously different (or indifferent) students recognize the importance of vocational reflection? Three NetVUE leaders who have worked with students who embrace a variety of lifestances will offer advice and resources for bringing these students into the conversation about vocation and calling.<br><blockquote><strong><em>Florence D. Amamoto</em></strong>, Professor Emerita of English, Japanese Studies, and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies, Gustavus Adolphus College<br><strong><em>Younus Y. Mirza</em></strong>, Director of Global Virtual Learning and Religion Scholar in Residence, Shenandoah University<br><strong><em>Matthew R. Sayers</em></strong>, Professor of Religion and Director of Religion and Philosophy, Lebanon Valley College<br>Chair: <strong><em>Nicole L. Johnson</em></strong>, Professor of Religious Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Mount Union<br></blockquote><br><h3>Vocation beyond the Undergraduate Setting</h3>The focus of NetVUE has traditionally been on undergraduates, but member institutions have important constituencies that fall outside this group—including the institution’s graduates, members of the local community, faculty and staff retirees, and prospective students (and their parents). How might NetVUE member institutions extend the conversation about vocation and calling to these constituencies? How might this work also serve as an additional resource for undergraduates who are discerning their own callings? Three academic administrators will describe initiatives and perspectives that can help broaden the scope of vocation and calling beyond the undergraduate setting to those in all stages and walks of life.
<br><blockquote><strong><em>Dorothy C. Bass</em></strong>, Senior Fellow, The Lilly Fellows Program, Valparaiso University<br><strong><em>Jodi L. Porter</em></strong>, Director of Coordination, Forum for Theological Exploration<br><strong><em>Paul C. Pribbenow</em></strong>, President, Augsburg University<br>Chair: <strong><em>Roslyn C. Artis</em></strong>, President and CEO, Benedict College</blockquote> |