Bushnell Honored for Advancing Vocation in Learning

Bushnell University has been awarded a professional development award from the Council of Independent Colleges through its Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education. The award supports Bushnell’s initiative to deepen vocational exploration in online undergraduate education, helping faculty more intentionally integrate purpose and calling into virtual learning environments. Director of Academic Support and Online Learning Sarah Slater, MA ’23, was pivotal in drafting and securing this grant for the university.

Bushnell is one of over 40 institutions nationwide selected to receive the 2025 award, made possible through the generous support of Lilly Endowment Inc. In total, NetVUE awarded $889,000 to member institutions, marking the twelfth year of the grant program and bringing the total number of awards to 287 since its inception. 

Through this grant, Bushnell will create a professional development community for faculty teaching online undergraduate courses. In partnership with experts in vocation and instructional design, this initiative will embed vocational exploration as a distinctive element of online course development and discussion. The program will include vocation seminars, individual coaching, and quarterly meetings to refine and support faculty teaching methods. 

“Bushnell University’s mission is to foster wisdom, faith, and service in every learning environment,” shares Dr. Reed Mueller, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty at Bushnell University. This project supports our efforts to live out that mission to our online classrooms by helping faculty guide students in connecting their studies to their sense of purpose and calling.”

According to Robert Pampel, NetVUE Grants Program Officer, “This year’s Professional Development Award grantees will build capacity among staff and faculty members to develop initiatives that lay the groundwork for future campus engagement around vocation. I am eager to see how these campus teams convert their curiosity and thoughtfulness around vocation into inclusive, reflective, and purposeful initiatives that lay the groundwork for transformational vocation work in the future.” 

The 2025 cohort of award recipients includes institutions advancing the conversation about vocation through advising and mentoring, co-curricular spaces, curriculum development, and inclusive language around purpose and meaning. 

For more information about NetVUE and the Professional Development Awards, visit https://www.cic.edu/netvue.