Sessions

Literary studies might seem a somewhat surprising place for the teaching of vocation. After all, students tend to approach issues of vocation looking for answers—what should I do with my life?—and yet the close reading techniques privileged in literary studies often generate more questions than answers. Nevertheless, literary studies can in fact be a useful […]

“Know the facts, learn the algorithms, and employ the problem-solving strategy.” This approach is a common characteristic of college math and science courses; when students work hard and follow this method, they learn that they will get “the right answer.” But this pedagogical framework can also hinder science students, particularly when they wrestle with questions […]

Refreshments in Pre-Function North and South; Bookstall in Galleria

This session seeks to share and explore strategies toward a richer connection between vocational inquiry and the life of our student athletes. Using a workshop format, panelists will facilitate critical thought about campus structures that encourage (as well as those that sometimes prohibit) a two-way relationship between vocational discernment and campus athletic life. The panelists […]

Gladness, bliss, and passion are among the many positive terms regularly invoked in conversations about calling. But the reality of calling is often very different, both for our students and for ourselves. Vocation unfolds within messy and complicated lives—sometimes even in response to unexpected and unwelcome tragedy, debility, or hardship. This session invites participants to […]

What animates us, and how has this brought us to our work? What barriers to bringing our whole selves to our campuses do we see—for ourselves, our colleagues, and our students? What conditions or elements are needed for everyone to lead fully-lived lives at your institution? These questions will be central to this workshop’s exploration […]

Some of our students arrive on campus with activist mindsets and practices—feeling a call to serve, advocate, and engage with their communities. For others, this facet of their identity blossoms during their collegiate journey, as their institutions intentionally encourage both vocational discernment and informed and active citizenship. This workshop invites participants to consider the curricular […]

Vocations, despite the challenges and hardships they sometimes bring, are meant to be paths to life; they are also indispensable sources of meaning, hope, and even joy. And yet—increasingly today—many people find themselves barely hanging on, enduring their callings more than flourishing in them. They find themselves stressed and exhausted, stretched way too thin, and […]

How can institutions introduce questions of vocation and purpose to diverse student populations with a multitude of needs, responsibilities, and expectations? How might this endeavor be deepened by an intentional focus on character formation and leadership development? How can institutions design and assess creative courses and co-curricular programs that educate character effectively? This session presents […]

We often assume that student wellbeing is promoted by programs outside of the classroom—in dorms, in student health centers, and in co-curricular activities. But what if the classroom could also serve as a positive space for the intentional cultivation of human flourishing? Join the conference keynote speaker, Meghan Sullivan, and two of her colleagues at the […]