Learning and Networking | The Purposeful University

Join us October 2–4, 2025, at Bushnell University in Eugene, Oregon, for The Purposeful University, a NetVUE regional gathering focused on institutional vocation and purpose in the evolving landscape of U.S. higher education. This gathering will explore the unique calling of liberal arts institutions and the key elements that shape vocational reflection at the institutional level. How does a liberal arts institution discern, embody, and live out its calling? How does an institution articulate and communicate its vocation, and how does it infuse and embed that sense of vocation across the academy? Register before the September 12 deadline and join us in Oregon for a variety of presentations, expert panels, and deep dives with colleagues on these poignant questions.

Registration for this regional gathering is now open; the deadline to register is September 12. The $100 registration fee covers all meals and two nights of hotel accommodation. In addition, limited travel assistance will be available for institutions sending two or more individuals to the event; for further information, contact Ashley Woodbeck, NetVUE office manager, at awoodbeck@cic.edu. For complete information on this event, visit the Bushnell University event site. Click here to register.

Groups that are working on two additional NetVUE projects will meet in conjunction with the Bushnell regional event. Prior to the gathering, a group of colleagues will gather to design a forthcoming set of NetVUE workshops and resources to help institutions begin work in a particular area of focus. After the Bushnell event, a group focusing on a new NetVUE initiative on chaplaincy and institutional mission will gather to begin a year-long visioning process on how NetVUE can support chaplains and mission officers in higher education.