Lipscomb University receives NetVUE grant to expand Center for Vocational Discovery initiatives

Lipscomb University receives NetVUE grant to expand Center for Vocational Discovery initiatives

Grant will support new peer mentoring program, resources

Kim Chaudoin | 07/21/2026

Lipscomb University has been awarded a Program Development Grant from the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE) to strengthen and expand the university's efforts to help students discover lives of purpose through vocational exploration.

The two-year grant will expand the work of Lipscomb's Center for Vocational Discovery (CVD) through the development of the Vocational Pathways Initiative. The initiative will focus on two key priorities: expanding the CVD Pathfinders program to train students to serve as peer vocational mentors and creating a customizable vocational exploration field guide that faculty can adapt to specific academic disciplines.

Administered by the Council of Independent Colleges through NetVUE and funded by Lilly Endowment Inc., Program Development Grants are awarded to member institutions to strengthen existing campus initiatives that encourage vocational reflection, exploration and discernment. Grants range from $60,000 to $100,000 and support projects over a two-year period. Lipscomb was one of 30 institutions to receive grants totaling over $2,750,000.

"The Center for Vocational Discovery has become an important part of the Lipscomb experience by helping students connect their passions, talents and faith with meaningful lives of purpose," said Lipscomb President Candice McQueen. "This grant allows us to deepen that work, equipping more students and faculty with tools that will strengthen vocational discovery across our campus which will have an impact on the lives of our students for years to come."

Established in 2022, the Center for Vocational Discovery serves as a central hub for vocational exploration at Lipscomb and will begin its fifth academic year this fall. The center helps students discover the intersection of their God-given gifts, passions and purpose through a four-waypoint framework focused on identity, purpose, vocation and location. Since its launch, the CVD has integrated vocational discovery throughout the student experience, including first-year programming, CliftonStrengths coaching, classroom experiences, workshops, retreats and one-on-one vocational coaching. The CVD has created and facilitated over 200 student workshops and events that have impacted more than 4,000 student attendees throughout the first four years.

"One of the greatest opportunities we have is helping students see that vocation is much bigger than choosing a career - it's discovering how their strengths, passions and faith can be lived out in service to others throughout their lives," said Rob Touchstone, executive director of the Center for Vocational Discovery. "This grant will allow us to multiply that impact by equipping students to mentor one another while also giving faculty practical resources to connect vocational exploration directly to their disciplines. Together, those efforts will help students make deeper connections between who they are, what they are learning and how they are called to engage the world."

The new CVD Pathfinders program will significantly expand the center's reach by training 24 to 30 students over two years to serve as peer vocational mentors. Pathfinders will receive specialized leadership development, facilitate one-on-one mentoring, lead small-group discussions, assist with vocational workshops and retreats, and help foster a campus culture where conversations about calling and purpose happen naturally among students.

The grant will also fund the development of a vocational exploration field guide designed for faculty. Built around the center's four-waypoint framework - Identity, Purpose, Vocation, Location - the customizable resource will help faculty connect vocational reflection to specific academic disciplines and integrate those conversations into existing courses.

The Vocational Pathways Initiative builds on the center's early success while addressing growing student interest in more personalized vocational mentoring and discipline-specific guidance. By expanding peer mentoring and integrating vocational exploration more intentionally into the curriculum, the initiative will strengthen Lipscomb's commitment to whole-person education and preparing students for purposeful lives, Touchstone said.

Learn more about Lipscomb's Center for Vocational Discovery at lipscomb.edu/center-vocational-discovery.

About NetVUE
NetVUE empowers independent colleges and universities to guide undergraduates in exploring and discerning their many vocations. This year's cohort proposed inspiring projects in areas such as advising and mentoring, community-engaged learning, the inclusion of vocational reflection in general education and major curricula, and co-curricular vocational exploration in areas such as athletics and student life. The wide variety of programming supported by these grants reflects the diverse and creative ways institutions are engaging with vocation. For more information about each project, visit the NetVUE website.

Photos: Kristi Jones