About the Colloquy
Participants in the NetVUE colloquy on Writing Vocation will become familiar with and better equipped to write about vocation in different contexts. They will learn about opportunities within NetVUE to write about vocation, develop possible projects, and create a writing plan for such work. Colloquy facilitators (Geoffrey Bateman, Krista Hughes, and Erin VanLaningham) will lead participants through a series of sessions and share insights into how to approach writing about vocation in different genres and for different audiences, such as writing for blogs and for professional journals (including venues sponsored by NetVUE). Colloquy participants will be given time to explore writing projects about vocation, to do some writing, and to consult individually with the facilitators. The colloquy is meant for writers from all disciplines, in all institutional roles, and with any level of experience.
Dates & Location for the
2025 NetVUE Colloquy
on Writing Vocation
Application deadline: December 16, 2024
Announcement of participant selection: January 15, 2025
Colloquy dates: February 28–March 2, 2025
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Thanks to a generous grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., CIC will cover most costs of participation for those individuals who are selected.
Current Status
Up to 15 participants will be selected by application to the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), which administers and supports the NetVUE program. Faculty members, staff, and administrators who work at NetVUE member institutions are eligible to apply. Selected participants will be notified in January 2025.
Colloquy Leaders
Geoffrey Bateman is the editor of Vocation Matters, NetVUE’s blog. In this part-time position, he oversees all facets of the blog: recruiting and coordinating writers, editing the work, and writing the occasional post himself. In 2017, he participated in the inaugural NetVUE faculty seminar on Teaching Vocational Exploration. He is also a NetVUE Scholar; his essay, “Queer Vocation and the Common Good,” appears in the fourth volume of the NetVUE Scholarly Resources Project, Called Beyond Our Selves: Vocation and the Common Good (Oxford, 2024). He is professor of peace and justice studies at Regis University in Denver, Colorado.
Krista Hughes is NetVUE’s director of resource development. In this role, she is responsible for the development of new print and digital resources for use throughout the NetVUE membership, including the NetVUE conversation cards. She is particularly interested in how institutional vocations contribute to the vocational formation not only of students but also of staff and faculty members, and in the communal dimensions of vocation. Krista teaches in the religious studies department at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina and is former director of the Muller Center for Exploration and Engagement at Newberry College in Newberry, South Carolina.
Erin VanLaningham is director of the NetVUE Scholarly Resources Project. In this role, she recruits contributors for future NetVUE publications, facilitates the seminars through which they develop their contributions, and edits their work for publication. Erin is the editor of NetVUE’s newest volume of scholarship, Called Beyond Our Selves: Vocation and the Common Good (Oxford, 2024). She also co-hosts the NetVUE podcast, Callings: Conversations on College, Career, and a Life Well Lived. Erin participated in the NetVUE faculty seminar on Teaching Vocational Exploration in 2017, subsequently adapting and leading a similar seminar at her own institution through a NetVUE Professional Development Award. She serves as professor of English at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa.
Application Process
CIC will select up to 15 participants from a pool of interested applicants. A nomination is not required. To apply, candidates should submit a letter of interest indicating reasons for wishing to participate in the colloquy and their current understanding of and experience with vocational exploration. Candidates should address the following items in their letter:
- Provide a brief narrative that explains your own vocational journey, especially as it relates to your writing (e.g., Are you new to writing about vocation? Are there particular gifts and talents that you will bring to the colloquy, whether you are a novice or experienced writer? Do you have specific resources that you want to contribute? Have you previously written and/or published about vocation?)
- What challenges do you face as a writer?
- How would this colloquy help you grow as a writer?
- What are the topics or themes related to vocation about which you are interested in writing?
Please keep letters between 500 and 750 words.
Application Deadline:
December 16, 2024
Selection of Participants Announced:
January 15, 2025
Location and Expenses
The colloquy will take place in Indianapolis, Indiana. Thanks to generous support from Lilly Endowment Inc., CIC will cover most colloquy costs, including materials, lodging, and meals, and will provide a travel reimbursement of up to $800 per participant.
Contact Information
For questions about the colloquy (content, expectations, requirements for applicants), contact Erin VanLaningham, director of the NetVUE Scholarly Resources Project at 563-213-8659 or evanlaningham@cic.edu. Questions regarding the application process should be directed to Lynne Spoelhof, NetVUE director of NetVUE operations at 616-632-1060 or lspoelhof@cic.edu.