During the past several weeks, you might have seen a number
of students wearing “Explore Your Purpose, DePaul University” t-shirts, and
wondered what that was, exactly. Well, wonder no more: the university’s
vocation, or purpose, project, “Vincentian Vision and Values” (V3) has changed its
name to “Explore Your Purpose.”
Recent research has shown that when college students are
intentionally connected to their values and purpose when exploring majors and
career options, they are more likely to succeed in college and in the long run,
they are happier. The “Explore Your Purpose Program” is a new program that is
attempting to do just that. With a $50,000 grant from the Network for Vocation
in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE), DePaul hopes to make purpose exploration a
more significant part of the student experience.
Mark Laboe, associate vice president in Student Affairs, and
the person who spearheaded this program at DePaul, explains:
Q. Who developed the program, and how?
A. The program was developed by a group led by the University Ministry staff
and included a core team of people from Enrollment Management and Marketing
areas, Academic Advising, Mission and Values and Teaching, Learning and
Assessment, among others.
Q. What is the main message you hope students take away from
this program?
A. Living a fulfilling life is about more than just getting a job or
experiencing academic or personal success – it is also about finding a way to
contribute in meaningful ways to the world and people around you. Purpose is
not just all about you, but also about how you relate to those around you.
Q. Why change the program name?
A. The name change was simply about making it resonate more immediately and
more easily with students. We still speak of Vincentian vision and values as
part of the project.
Q. How will the program be implemented?
A. We will use the involvement fairs, Vinnie Fest and tabling during the fall
to invite student engagement with purposeful reflection and conversation. We will
also host small, purposed-oriented discussion groups and other activities
throughout the year that will draw students into more opportunities for
reflection.
Q. How do you see this program growing?
A. This is a two-year initiative. The hope is that after two years, we have
woven the content and message of this program into the fabric of DePaul and
into various touch points that students have during their time here, so that it
becomes an integral and common part of the culture at DePaul.
If you are interested in learning how to get involved or would simply
like more information, attend the “Explore Your Purpose” partners meeting
on Thursday, October 13th at
2:30 pm in room 325 of the Lincoln Park Student Center.
Faculty can help contribute to the program by
submitting a video, poem, song, etc. that shares their own inspirational story.
Submit
your contributions here.