Marwa Elkashif, an assistant professor of graphic design at Wartburg College, was one of only 15 faculty members from around the country selected to participate in the Council of Independent Colleges’ (CIC) seminar on Teaching Vocational Exploration.
The seminar, offered by CIC’s Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE), allows early- and mid-career faculty members to learn more about strengthening the teaching of vocational exploration in their own classrooms. Participants also are encouraged to use their seminar experience to deepen conversations about vocation and pedagogy with colleagues on their campuses.
At Wartburg, vocation is central to the college’s mission, with all faculty and staff empowered to help students discover who they are called to be and what they are called to do. Students explore vocation through essential education courses, opportunities in their majors and experiences on and off campus. Faculty and staff are encouraged to participate in ongoing discernment through professional development and mentoring opportunities.
Throughout the week, seminar participants examined different meanings of vocation and its importance in undergraduate education; considered content and teaching methods for courses that focus on vocational exploration; and reflected on the shape and experience of the academic vocation. The seminar was led by Darby Kathleen Ray, who serves as the Donald W. and Ann M. Harward Professor of Civic Engagement at Bates College, and Paul Wadell, professor emeritus of theology and religious studies at St. Norbert College.
Share
