In 2017–2018 several NetVUE regional and topical gatherings occurred. Each is described below with links for details.
Vocation and Gen Z: Meaning-Making with Digital Natives
Hosted by Benedictine University (Lisle, IL)
October 13–14, 2017
Purpose: Gen Z is the first group of first true digital natives. This NetVUE gathering will focus on how to understand them and ways to engage them in reflection on vocation in a way that is authentic and gives them critical distance from the world of the glass screen. Critical reflection can help these students integrate their scattered interests, deepen their connections to God and social justice, and commit to sustained personal development of a life of meaning and purpose.
Event registration deadline:
October 10, 2017
Lodging reservation deadline:
October 6, 2017
Note: Registrant should contact hotel to make a lodging reservation–a link to hotel options can be found on institution’s event website.
New Scholarly Resources on Vocation
Held at the American Academy of Religion annual meeting (Boston, MA)
November 17, 2017
Purpose: Even though the language of
vocation and
calling has deeply theological (and even specifically Christian) roots, it is being increasingly employed by a variety of academic institutions, including secular ones and those with multi-faith constituencies. The NetVUE Scholarly Resources Project represents one attempt to think through the impact of this language, drawing on the work of scholars in theology, religious studies, philosophy, and related fields. This one-day gathering is designed to provide an academic setting in which to examine and discuss the Project's three books, all of which are published or forthcoming from Oxford University Press.
Event registration deadline:
November 3, 2017
Lodging reservation deadline:
October 15, 2017
Note: Registrant should contact hotel to make a lodging reservation–a link to hotel options can be found on the event website.
Vocation Across the Academy: Storytelling, Mapmaking, and a Sense of Direction
Hosted by Berry College (Rome, GA)
February 23–24, 2018
Purpose: This NetVUE gathering is a book retreat to discuss content and use of the second NetVUE Scholars book,
Vocation across the Academy: A New Vocabulary for Higher Education. NetVUE scholars will focus on the importance of narrative as students set directions through both liberal arts nad profession-related studies. Thoughtful exchanges about the book will be interwoven with a campus tour and reception as well as other activities on these exceptional campus grounds.
Event registration and lodging reservation deadline:
January 19, 2018
Note: NetVUE staff will make your hotel reservation and you will receive an email confirmation.
Vocation Across the Academy: Calling, Conflict, and the Necessity of Action
Hosted by California Lutheran University (Thousand Oaks, CA)
March 9–10, 2018
Purpose: This NetVUE gathering is a book retreat to discuss content and use of the second NetVUE Scholars book,
Vocation across the Academy: A New Vocabulary for Higher Education. NetVUE Scholars and experienced leaders will focus on the importance of guiding students through competing claims to core commitments. Thoughtful exchanges about the book will be interwoven with practices and experiences that illustrate California Lutheran University strategies for vocational exploration.
Event registration and lodging reservation deadline:
February 2, 2018
Note: Registrant should contact hotel to make a lodging reservation–hotel options can be found on institution’s event website.
Mentoring Undergraduate Students of Color: The Shape of Deep Purpose
Hosted by Elizabethtown College (event held in Washington, DC)
March 23–24, 2018
Purpose: This occasion will explore in community both the general and particular callings, strengths, and possibilities of CIC NetVUE schools related to mentoring undergraduate students of color in both predominantly/historical White institutions and in minority-serving institutions. Leaders will explore cultural interpretations of vocation, spirituality, religion, deep meaning, and purpose in the lives of students of color as well as high-impact practices that support their explorations.
Event registration and lodging reservation deadline:
February 23, 2018
Note: NetVUE staff will make your hotel reservation and you will receive an email confirmation.
The Changing Nature of Work: Career Development and Vocation
Hosted by Augustana College (Rock Island, IL)
June 12–13, 2018
Purpose: This NetVUE gathering provides an opportunity to explore the connections among career development, academic advising, and vocational reflection – and to do so in highly practical ways. Specifically, it aims to foster collaboration across various campus offices and academic divisions. Career services personnel, academic advisors, faculty members, and others may all be promoting vocational reflection and discernment, but they may sometimes find themselves nudging students in very different directions. How might vocational exploration be integrated into a more holistic model of career development, while still validating the liberal-arts orientation of NetVUE institutions? Through keynote presentations, networking, and conversation, participants will learn about best practices, hear from experts doing this work, and think collaboratively as campus teams.
Event registration deadline:
May 25, 2018
Note: Registration fee of $50 includes overnight accommodation at Augustana College on the night of June 12 and all conference meals.