CIC is pleased to announce a new seminar for faculty members and staff who are serving in leadership roles at institutions that are members of its Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE). This seminar, Institutional Leadership for Vocation, is designed to bring together a group of current leaders who are eager to explore how vocational exploration and discernment can play a greater role across campus, particularly in the work that these leaders do with members of the faculty and staff, but also in curricular and co-curricular programming for students. The 2026 Institutional Leadership for Vocation will take place June 15–19, 2026 at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, KY; the nomination deadline is November 21, 2025.
Thanks to a generous grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., CIC will cover most costs of participation for those faculty members who are selected.
Scroll down for more information; alternatively, you can download this two-page flyer about the 2026 Seminar, which can be printed or forwarded to interested staff members.
CIC also offers three other NetVUE summer seminars, each of which is described on a separate webpage:
For early- to mid-career faculty whose primary interest is in incorporating vocational exploration into their classroom teaching.
Designed for staff who direct campus programs or serve in other long-term administrative capacities, but who do not also hold faculty appointments.
For faculty members and staff who are considering ways of contributing to the wider national conversation about vocation and calling.
Thanks to a generous grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., CIC will cover most costs of participation for those faculty members who are selected.
About the Seminar
What would it mean for leaders to think of themselves as “called” or “summoned” to use their intellect and abilities to strengthen their institution’s work in vocational exploration and discernment? Leaders committed to vocational exploration often seek ways to help for whom they have responsibilities—the people they supervise, and the programs they oversee, and their institution as a whole—flourish in their efforts to support students who are reflecting on their many callings in life. The transition to a leadership role can represent a significant shift in how vocation shapes one’s work. Leaders need to consider not only their own vocations, but those of the people for whom they are responsible. They must consider not only vocational exploration among students (whether individually or collectively), but also the ways that vocation can be integrated into programming in meaningful and comprehensive ways across the institution.
Participants in this seminar will have the opportunity to reflect on their vocational path into leadership and how that informs the way they seek to continue to lead. They will learn how to make the case for vocational exploration and discernment across their campus, and to explore ways that vocation can be integrated across student-facing programming. In addition to benefiting from the experienced institutional leaders who will facilitate the seminar, participants will also have the opportunity to hear from and connect with their fellow members of the faculty and staff who are taking up various kinds of leadership positions across campus. Ample time will also be provided for participants to build community and receive mutual support and encouragement for their ongoing work of institutional leadership on vocation and calling.
Participants in the seminar will be expected to:
- Undertake a significant amount of background reading, so that the group can start with a common framework of understanding;
- Respond to a series of short writing prompts before the seminar begins;
- Participate actively in the seminar sessions; and
- Arrive in Louisville by early afternoon on Monday, June 15, and remain fully immersed in the event (including meals and social time beyond the scheduled sessions of the seminar) through lunch on Friday, June 19, 2026.
Current Status
The 2026 seminar will take place on June 15–19, 2026 at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, KY. Up to 16 participants will be selected by competitive nomination. Nominations for the 2026 seminar on Institutional Leadership for Vocation are now open; nominations are due on November 21, 2025. NetVUE member colleges and universities may nominate one full-time employee from any division. Selected participants will be notified in January for the following summer’s seminar.
Seminar Leaders
Remylin Bruder serves as provost, vice president of academic affairs, and professor of nursing at Rochester Christian University in Rochester, Michigan. She is a longstanding supporter of the work of NetVUE, having led teams from her institution at a number of regional gatherings and national conferences. She has also supervised a number of NetVUE grants for her institution. She holds a BSN from Wayne State University, an MSN from the University of Phoenix, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Oakland University.
Kurt Schackmuth is vice president for student life and chief mission officer at Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois. He has served for nearly a decade as a NetVUE consultant, visiting campuses and advising their leaders on the best ways to engage with the network. He currently serves on the NetVUE chaplaincy steering committee and has supervised a number of NetVUE grants at Lewis University. He holds a BA and an MBA from Lewis University and a PhD in Higher Education from Loyola University Chicago.
Additional Speakers
This seminar will include opportunities for participants to hear from and network with additional leaders from across the network, including:
Tim Clydesdale is professor of sociology at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) and author of The First Year Out: Understanding American Teens after High School (Chicago, 2007). His best-known work in NetVUE circles is The Purposeful Graduate: Why Colleges Must Talk to Students about Vocation (Chicago, 2015), which is a study of the Lilly-funded Programs for the Theological Exploration of Vocation. With co-author Kathleen Garces-Foley of Marymount University, he also wrote The Twentysomething Soul: Understanding the Religious and Secular Lives of American Young Adults (Oxford, 2019). Presently, he is conducting research with Angela Morenz of Blackburn College and Michael Mitchell of TCNJ for a NetVUE-funded project titled The Purposeful Student Athlete.
Tracy Y. Espy is the eighth president and first African-American woman to lead Mitchell College since July 2020, bringing over 25 years of experience in higher education and servant leadership. Previously, Espy was provost and vice president for academic affairs at Pfeiffer University and vice president for servant leadership at the university’s Francis Center for Servant Leadership. She serves on the Executive Board of the Connecticut Council of Independent Colleges (CCIC), the Leadership Committee of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), and participates in the Governor’s Workforce 2 Council. Espy earned a BA from Berea College, a MS in family studies from Miami University, Ohio, and a PhD in child/family-marriage and family therapy from Syracuse University.
Nomination Details
The ideal candidate for this seminar is a member of the staff or faculty who currently serves in a leadership role at a NetVUE member institution. At least one year of leadership experience (by the time the seminar starts) is recommended for all nominees. This may include, but is not limited to, positions such as assistant or associate dean, assistant or associate provost, or director of a major office on campus. Nominees serving in leadership positions that cut across campus divisions or offices are welcome as well. The strongest candidates will be those with some experience with vocation—whether through participation in another NetVUE seminar, attendance at a NetVUE regional or national event, or participation in vocation-related activities on campus.
Through the generosity of Lilly Endowment Inc., all seminar costs will be covered, including a generous travel reimbursement.
Those who wish to participate in the seminar should ask the cabinet-level officer who has responsibility for their work to submit a letter that makes a case for the nominee’s participation in the program. Each institution may nominate one individual. Each nomination should include the completed nomination form, and the following three items, uploaded as a single document:
- A nomination letter from the cabinet-level officer who has responsibility for the nominee’s leadership work. The letter should emphasize that person’s qualifications, their commitment to the institution’s mission, and the opportunities the nominee will have to provide insights about vocational exploration to their home campus and to lead the campus community to a deeper engagement with vocation;
- Nominee’s résumé or curriculum vitae (no more than five pages); and
- Nominee’s statement (no more than two pages) indicating reasons for wishing to participate in the seminar, current understanding of and experience with leadership and with vocation, and the anticipated results for the nominee’s work for their institution.
Nomination Deadline: Friday, November 21, 2025
Selection of participants will be announced January 2026
Location and Expenses
The seminar will take place June 15–19, 2026 at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, KY. Thanks to generous support from Lilly Endowment Inc., CIC will cover most seminar costs, including materials, lodging, and meals, and will provide a travel reimbursement of up to $800 per participant.
Contact Information
For questions about the seminar or the nomination process, contact Rachael Baker, NetVUE director of professional development, at (616) 526-7939 or rbaker@cic.edu.
About NetVUE
Learn more about NetVUE, including the array of programs and services that are available to member institutions.
To report a technical problem with the website, or to offer suggestions for navigation and content issues, please contact Alex Stephenson, NetVUE communications coordinator, at astephenson@cic.edu.