Cornell College is one of 46 higher education institutions to receive a Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE) Professional Development Award this year.
The one-year, $20,000 award allows a team of Cornell faculty and staff on the Hilltop to explore their own sense of vocation, as well as ways to support students as they discover their vocation, or purpose in life. The grant funds several events organized by the team throughout the year, including one that was held off campus at Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center in Hiawatha, Iowa, on Aug. 5–6.
“My hope is that by the end of this journey we have sprinkled language into our conversations, as mentors and advisors to students, around vocation so that we've created an enlarged understanding of who our students are and who they want to be,” said Kate Kauper, one of the core team members initiating the grant work.
While this work is already at the heart of what Cornell does to support students, this grant award supports time to create guides and engage in discussions about a united process.
“This is a more formal way of infusing it into what we do and broadening it beyond the individual work we’re already doing and making it a collective effort,” said Melea White, who is also on the core team initiating the grant work.
Plus, this grant supports the college’s current strategic plan. One piece of that plan is “Preparing,” which is where mentors and advisors help students tackle the next step in their journey and better understand their life goals.
“This gets into some of the deeper questions about why students persist and why they want to continue on their path. If they feel like they can be connected to a sense of place, if they feel like they can be connected to a sense of purpose, sometimes that’s a more existential connection,” Kauper said.
During the Aug. 5–6 event, the group discussed their own vocations and callings, mapping out the path they took to where they’re at today, which is an activity that could be used to support students as they create their own plans. The grant team is also collaborating on a Cornell definition of vocation and thinking about what resonates with the Cornell community.
“Vocation is a lifelong journey, and it isn’t just about the work we do here at Cornell, but we know what we do is an important part of a student’s journey,” White said.
Once the professional development phase of this grant is completed, the college plans to apply for a programming grant to implement new programming for students related to vocation and purpose in the future.
The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), through NetVUE, has awarded the 2026 Professional Development Award to 46 institutions in the total amount of $972,013, supporting initiatives that develop campus conversations about vocation and deepen the capacity of those who lead vocational exploration efforts at NetVUE member institutions. CIC and NetVUE are grateful for the support of Lilly Endowment Inc., which makes this grant possible. This is the 13th year that this NetVUE grant has been awarded, bringing the total to 379 Professional Development Awards granted to member institutions.
On Thursday, March 4, the Cornell NetVUE team will take the lessons learned throughout the fall semester and begin creating a vision for future, student-facing programming. All Cornell employees are welcome and encouraged to attend and take part in this planning session.