Luther College receives grant to support four-year pathway to meaningful work and life for students

Luther College received a two-year grant of $94,802 from the Council of Independent Colleges through its Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE) to support a holistic advising initiative that links learning, purpose, and vocation for students throughout their undergraduate journey.

Maren Johnson, associate professor of Nordic Studies at Luther College, (left) meets with a student during an advising session.

“Over the long term, the NetVUE grant will help further embed vocational exploration into the fabric of a Luther education, ensuring that students graduate with both a strong sense of purpose and the skills needed to navigate an evolving world,” said Dean of Student Success Kate Elliott.

Luther’s Career Center and Advising Center staff will work in partnership with faculty and staff to integrate and implement an array of vocational touchpoints throughout students’ undergraduate journey.

Under the grant proposal, funding will be used to advance the college’s efforts to strengthen the implementation of vocational reflection, a higher education strategy used to connect what students are learning and their professional aspirations or personal values.

“Luther applied for this grant because we believe vocational reflection is most powerful when it is woven throughout the student experience,” Elliott said. “These initiatives give faculty and staff the opportunity to thoughtfully design experiences that help students connect their learning, values, and future aspirations, supporting our commitment to preparing graduates for meaningful careers and lives of purpose.”

Activities funded by NetVUE will include summer workshops, campus professional development training led by experts in vocation and career education, and mini-grants for Luther faculty and staff to research, explore, implement, and share vocation-related experiences.

“Luther is approaching this work with both heart and rigor,” Elliott said. “While vocational reflection has long been part of our mission, we are intentionally using data to evaluate student success, career readiness, and return on investment, while paying close attention to equity measures so that every student can benefit from a meaningful and transformative college experience. As colleges across the country explore ways to help students connect learning with purpose, this project will enable Luther to better understand, measure, and share the impact of that work through both student stories and meaningful assessment.”

A program of the Council of Independent Colleges, NetVUE is a nationwide network of colleges and universities formed to support and enrich vocational exploration and discernment among undergraduate students. Financial support of NetVUE comes from a combination of membership dues and the generosity of Lilly Endowment Inc.

Luther has received many NetVUE grants through the years.

In 2025, the college received a NetVUE Grant for Fostering Leadership for Communities of Faith to fund the “Called Outward: Exploring Skills for Faith-Based Leadership” pilot program. Through this yearlong program, an annual cohort of Luther students engage in experiential learning around leadership in local congregations.

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