About NetVUE

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The Purpose of NetVUE

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The purpose of NetVUE is to increase the capacity of independent colleges and universities to support their undergraduate students as they explore and discern their many callings in life.

This process of vocational reflection is an interdisciplinary endeavor, bringing together theological, philosophical, ethical, historical, and affective approaches, implementing the theoretical reflections of these fields in vocation-related practices. Campuses are encouraged to support students in this work through a variety of academic departments, pre-professional programs, and campus offices (variously including career services, student success centers, advising programs, offices of religious or spiritual life, and many more). To learn more about how NetVUE understands vocation, read David Cunningham’s article, Why a Journal? Why Vocation? Why Now? in Studies in Vocation and Calling. NetVUE is governed by a principle of subsidiarity: individual member institutions are encouraged to shape their work related to vocation and calling—including the vocabularies that they use to describe this work—in ways that are best suited to their own missions, teaching philosophies, student demographics, and other matters best known to those who lead and guide this work on campus.

Financial Support

Financial support of NetVUE comes from a combination of membership dues and support from Lilly Endowment Inc. Thanks to Lilly’s generous support, dues are modest. In 2020, the number of member institutions had increased to the point that all core network activities became self-supporting. The Lilly Endowment continues to provide generous funding for grants to member institutions, professional development programs, print and digital resources, and a variety of other programs 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 members, 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 exploration of vocation in their campus communities.

NetVUE Staff

Advisory Council

Graciela Caneiro-Livingston (March 2028)
Provost | Nebraska Wesleyan University

Kathleen Poorman Dougherty (March 2030)
President | Marietta College

Tracy Y. Espy (March 2029)
President | Mitchell College

Kerry D. Fulcher (March 2030)
President | Point Loma Nazarene University

Susan S. Hasseler (March 2029)
President | Muskingum University

Marc Hunsaker (March 2029)
Dean of Personal and Professional Development | Berry College

Julie D. Massey (March 2029)
Chief of Staff and Secretary to the Board of Trustees, Retired | St. Norbert College

Kurt Schackmuth (March 2030)
Chief Mission Officer and Vice President for Student Life | Lewis University

Kathleen F. Weaver (March 2028)
Executive Vice President and Provost | Loyola Marymount University

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To report a technical problem with the website, or to offer suggestions for navigation and content issues, please contact Madeline Smanik, NetVUE communications specialist, at msmanik@cic.edu.