St. Olaf receives grant to support student vocational development
St. Olaf College is one of 17 higher education institutions to receive a grant from the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE), a program of the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC). The grant will support a study of how existing St. Olaf programs support the sophomore experience. This work will focus on deepening sophomore students’ campus engagement as they explore their vocation related to future employment and a meaningful life.
“We are building on existing feedback and data to understand how sophomores engage with campus resources and opportunities that support their reflection on purpose and vocation,” said Associate Dean for the First-Year Experience and Sophomore Thriving Diane LeBlanc.
LeBlanc, who is also a director of the writing program and a professor in the English Department, explained, “the story that emerges from that data will inform advising, which supports sophomores as they approach their majors, build social networks, and make connections to do research, internships, and design their lives at and beyond St. Olaf.”
The $6,835 grant builds upon three existing sophomore programs that center vocational reflection and exploration:
- Fall Semester Advising: connects sophomore students with a pre-major advisor and success coach.
- SophoMORE Symposium: composed of five interactive workshops, students have the opportunity to connect with other like-minded students, explore academic interests, connect with mentors and alumni, and expand their community on campus.
- The Sophomore Experience: a series of intentional events held every spring semester that focus on supporting student well-being, making connections on campus, and engaging with academic and career resources.
“Professor LeBlanc is turning the ‘sophomore slump’ into the sophomore triumph as she elevates the focus of programs and initiatives aimed at second-year students –– aka Oles –– toward their vocations,” said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Tarshia Stanley. “It’s not enough to get a job — Oles get to have careers. It’s not enough to get a life — Oles find meaningful lives.”
“The innovative approach that St. Olaf is taking in supporting sophomore students is leading the way in how higher education can elevate vocation through meaningful interaction and student engagement,” said President Susan Rundell Singer. “I’m grateful for the work that Professor LeBlanc and the Office of Student Activities are doing to advance these efforts and cheer on our Oles.”
This grant opportunity from CIC and NetVUE is supported by the Lilly Endowment Inc. View the inaugural cohort of grantees in this NetVUE program. Being awarded a NetVue grant for vocational exploration supports the goals in St. Olaf’s strategic plan to ensure that every student has access to vocational discernment and creating a culture of community and belonging. These goals are to: elevate vocational discernment through academic and campus programs; sustain a culture of belonging and well-being; and cultivate innovation, creativity, and synergistic connections across campus.