This session will explore how Methodist University and D’Youville University have institutionalized vocational discernment through their general education curriculum. Presenters will describe Methodist’s “Life on Purpose” core—a three-course sequence designed to explore vocational discernment—and D’Youville’s SRV 101/102 initiative, which embeds service-learning and health equity into the first-year experience. Participants will explore how the two institutions embedded vocation-centered learning into general education requirements, implemented institutional infrastructure to support the project (including faculty development and student transportation), and utilized NetVUE resources to secure funding. The session will offer actionable insights on fostering an evolving sense of purpose and community engagement for all students from day one.
Denise DiRienzo, Chief Mission Officer, D’Youville University (NY)
Patricia Fecher, Associate Provost of Academic Operations, Associate Professor of Education, and Director, Center for Teaching and Learning, Methodist University (NC)
J. R. Hustwit, Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Sciences and Professor of Religion and Philosophy, Methodist University (NC)
Suzanne Blum Malley, Executive Vice President and Provost, Methodist University (NC)