With grant support from the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE), Hastings College faculty and administrators are developing a four-year framework for “deliberate mentoring,” long considered a hallmark of the Hastings College experience.
“While we agree that the personalized mentoring students receive from faculty and staff is our signature strength, we have not done all we can to develop intentional pathways for mentoring in our curriculum and co-curricular programs,” said Dr. Daniel Deffenbaugh, project director and chair and professor of religion and philosophy. “Through our efforts, we hope to position Hastings College as a leader in undergraduate mentoring and vocational exploration.”
NetVUE is a nationwide network of colleges and universities that enriches the intellectual and theological exploration of vocation among undergraduates. The network is administered by the Council of Independent Colleges with support from Lilly Endowment Inc. and members’ dues.
The working group of faculty and administrators will meet several times throughout the academic year to consider best practices in mentoring and suggest possible directions for future programming at Hastings College. The group will also have conversations with a diverse group of students representing various disciplines and class years.
“The end result will be a comprehensive plan for further integrating deliberate mentoring and vocational exploration into our curriculum, enrollment and retention efforts, student life, and alumni relations,” Deffenbaugh said.
Hastings College is a private, four-year institution located in Hastings, Nebraska, that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. With more than 60 majors and 15 pre-professional programs, Hastings College has been named among “Great Schools, Great Prices” by U.S. News & World Report and a “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review. For more, go to hastings.edu.
