Month: March 2025

Article of Note: Navigating Vocations with a Chronic Illness

In this post, Deanna A. Thompson comments on Amy Colbert’s reflection on navigating academia with a chronic illness, which highlights the identity challenges faced after an unexpected diagnosis like Parkinson’s. While she successfully finds new opportunities, the transition may not be attainable for all. Colbert emphasizes the importance of redefining one’s narrative and recognizing diverse vocations beyond career roles.

Deanna A. Thompson

A recent Inside Higher Ed piece by Amy Colbert offers a brave and instructive reflection for anyone navigating a vocation in the academy while living with a chronic illness. In it, Colbert recounts her meaningful work as chair of a department—one full of great colleagues and abundant strategic planning—that provided her with a strong sense of purpose. Then an unwanted Parkinson’s diagnosis came along and interrupted it all, upending the vision she had for her life before she got sick. As she reflects, Colbert shares the lessons she’s learned about how to navigate this vocational path that she did not choose.

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Change Maker: Abel Chávez

This podcast Callings features an interview with Abel Chávez, the tenth president of Our Lady of the Lake University. Chávez discusses his background as a first-generation college graduate and his commitment to supporting first-generation students. He emphasizes the importance of education in improving civic life and encourages listeners to engage as change makers in their communities.

Abel Chávez

NetVUE’s podcast Callings is pleased to release its recent interview with Abel Chávez, the tenth president of Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas. In this role, he has energized university efforts in fundraising and outreach, developing strong partnerships at the local, state, national, and international levels. An integrative leader and learner, he has served in multiple roles in higher education, including his work as a civil and environmental engineer. Abel is himself a first-generation, first-in-family college graduate, and a son of immigrants. As such, he brings his bilingual skills and bi-cultural heritage to all of his work, reflecting his commitment to enhancing the quality, access, and affordability for all students while serving the needs of families and communities—all with an eye for their economic prosperity.

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Bridging Vocational Theory and Practice through Teaching Environmental Stewardship

The author reflects on designing an impactful course for students that emphasized experiential learning and environmental stewardship. By integrating a campus transportation campaign and aligning with Pope Francis’s encyclical, Laudato Si’, the course transformed student engagement, encouraging them to connect academic work with community service and cultivate their skills, thereby fostering a sense of agency and hope.

shallow focus photo of train
Photo by Trace Hudson on Pexels.com

In my first year as a full-time faculty member, I designed a course that aligned with its stated objectives even as its ultimate outcomes extended beyond my control. I embedded a campus transportation campaign into the course, uncertain whether it would succeed. In hindsight, it was an ambitious undertaking—one that reinforced the challenges and rewards of experiential learning. Such an endeavor is not for the faint of heart, but its impact was transformative, particularly in the ways it shaped my students’ understanding of vocation and their engagement with the common good. Through their participation in the campaign, students began to see their academic work as more than an isolated exercise; it became a way to contribute to a larger community, address real needs, and effect tangible change.

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Connecting to the Common Good: A Reflection on NetVUE’s 2025 Regional Gathering at Furman University

Stephan T. Moore reflects on the enriching experience at NetVUE’s regional gathering focused on vocation and the common good at Furman University. The event fostered camaraderie among attendees, encouraging discussions on personal journeys and their impact in higher education. The gathering emphasized the importance of collective commitment to the common good for students.

Stephan T. Moore

Reflecting on my experience in February at Furman University’s regional NetVUE gathering—Vocation and the Common Good: The Call of Belonging and Community—I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to connect with so many remarkable colleagues and scholars from across the country. The environment fostered a deep sense of camaraderie, where five representatives from my own institution, Catawba College, came together with a shared purpose without being influenced by our titles or organizational structures.

As we gathered around stories of laughter, childhood memories, and our vocational work, I was reminded that our individual journeys—both professional and personal—have brought us to this point, where we strive for a common goal: impacting the lives of all of the students we serve, whether they are traditional or non-traditional. Our work is about creating a stable foundation for our institutions to thrive and continue to serve these students for years to come.

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Pathos and Vocation: Cultivating Empathy and Purpose through Emotional Connection

This post explores the intersection of vocation and rhetoric, emphasizing the role of pathos in education and personal development. It discusses how emotional engagement fosters vocational discernment and inspires students to connect deeply with their aspirations. The author highlights the importance of creating inclusive spaces for storytelling and critical reflection on social issues.

A series of posts on the relationship between vocation and rhetoric, focusing on how ethos, logos, pathos, and mythos offer a fresh perspective for creatives, educators, and scholars to conceptualize their professional and personal callings.

Pathos has always been a powerful force in my vocation as an educator and scholar. It serves as a bridge between logic and human experience, allowing us to connect with others on a deeper emotional level. In my view, pathos is not merely an emotional appeal but an essential component of how we discern our callings and live with purpose.

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