Equity-Based initiatives to Support Vocational Discernment

NetVUE Regional Gathering

Join us on the beautiful Texas Lutheran University campus as we explore the idea of vocation and calling among culturally diverse student populations by engaging in courageous conversations led by thought leaders with a track record of success and innovation.

Why this theme and why now?

According to 2022 data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), diversity in college enrollment has increased with each passing decade. The representation of all racial/ethnic groups, with the exception of white students, increased on college campuses between 1980 and 2022. White students made up 81% of the undergraduate population in 1980, but only 54% in 2020. The Latinx population increased the most, from 4% of the student population in 1980 to just over 20% in 2020. In other words, Latinx student representation increased an astonishing 408% in the past four decades. The Asian and Pacific Islander student population increased from 2.4% in 1980 to nearly 8% in 2020. The Black student population grew from 9% to 13%.

The time is now for us to re-envision a set of successful strategies that will build equity-based pathways which support vocational discernment for all students.

A Gathering Space for Courageous Conversations

Our opening speaker on Thursday evening will discuss a data-driven approach coupled with observations from the field which will challenge us to address vocational discernment in higher education. On Friday, the presidential panel discussion will delve into specific challenges and opportunities for creating a sense of belonging for Hispanic/Latinx students. The Friday afternoon speaker will provide the latest research on student success and engagement impacting students of color. On Saturday, the presidential panel will provide insight on vocational discernment in fostering inclusivity and justice on college campuses for African American students. Breakout sessions throughout the event will further explore these themes and offer practical strategies for implementing equity-based initiatives for vocation and calling across a diverse student community.

Invited Speakers

Rev. Lamont Anthony Wells (he, him, his) is the Executive Director of the Network of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Colleges and Universities (NECU). NECU is an association of 28 colleges and universities of the ELCA.

Wells also serves as Strategic Advisor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Wartburg Theological Seminary, and is the immediate past National President of the African Descent Lutheran Association (ADLA). Previously, he served as Program Director for Campus Ministry in the ELCA (LuMin). LuMin is a network of inclusive faith-based and service communities on and near campuses at over 240 colleges and universities across the USA.

In the course of his career, he has led programs and communities of multiple denominations in New York, Pennsylvania, and Georgia, including having served as the Lutheran Campus Pastor for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the Atlanta University Center (AUC).

He earned a Professional Certification in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from Cornell University. As a professionally trained coach, he effectively helps individuals, groups, and organizations to unlock their potential and maximize their own performance.

Previously he earned the Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion and Sociology at Morehouse College. Rev. Wells has also earned a Master of Arts in Christian Education and a Master of Divinity in Leadership from the Interdenominational Theological Center/Johnson C. Smith Seminary. He completed Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at Emory University. Pastor Wells has studied Leadership at Harvard Divinity School and Princeton Theological Seminary, and was named a clergy fellow of the Chautauqua Institute.

Pastor Wells is a member of the National Honor Society of Theta Phi and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Along with his years of service, he has received numerous honors and awards signifying his spirit of excellence, including his induction into the prestigious Board of Distinguished Preachers at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.

A dynamic speaker and prophetic preacher, Wells is frequently called to address organizations, churches, conferences, convocations, retreats, and workshops in various public, social, and ecumenical communities. His prophetic message of ecumenism and social justice motivates him as a leader, team builder, and community organizer.

Marybeth Gasman is Samuel DeWitt Proctor Endowed Chair and a Distinguished Professor in the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University. She also serves as the Executive Director of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity, and Justice and the Executive Director of the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions.

Her areas of expertise include the history of American higher education, Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) (with an emphasis on Historically Black Colleges and Universities), racism and diversity, fundraising and philanthropy, and higher education leadership. She is the author or editor of 30 books, including Doing the Right Thing: How to End Systemic Racism in Faculty Hiring (Princeton University, 2022) and HBCU: The Power of Historically Black Colleges and Universities with Levon T. Esthers (John Hopkins Press, 2024). She has penned over 450 opinion articles for the nation’s newspapers and magazines and in 2024 was listed as #28 on Education Week’s list of the Top 200 Most Influential Public Scholars.

Marybeth has raised over $23 million in grant funding to support her research and that of her students, mentees, and MSI partners. She has served on the board of trustees of The College Board as well as historically Black colleges – Paul Quinn College, Morris Brown College, and St. Augustine College. She considers her proudest accomplishment to be receiving the University of Pennsylvania’s Provost Award for Distinguished Ph.D. Teaching and Mentoring, serving as the dissertation chair for over 80 doctoral students since 2000.

She has spoken about her research to, among others, the U.S. State Department, TIAA, the National Science Foundation, and faculty and students at Harvard and Stanford Universities.

Dates and Location

The regional gathering will take place on the beautiful Texas Lutheran University campus in Seguin from Thursday, November 14, to Saturday, November 16, 2024. Seguin is serviced by two major international airports located in San Antonio and Austin.

Registration

Conference Registration Opens: April 1, 2024
Conference Registration Closes: October 15, 2024
Hotel Reservation Deadline: October 15, 2024

Click Here to Register

Hotel Accommodations

The cost of the hotel stay is included in your registration fee. TownePlace Suites by Marriott in Seguin is secured for two nights (Thursday, November 14th & Friday, November 15th). Please click the link below and enter your individual information to reserve your room. Additional nights can be purchased at your own expense.

Click Book your group rate for NetVUE Conference to reserve your stay.

Transportation Service

TLU will provide shuttle service to registrants to/from the hotel and TLU event locations. TLU vans will also provide shuttle service to San Antonio and Austin airports. The vans will leave each airport at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, so please schedule flights which arrive by that time. The vans will return to the airport by 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, so return flights should be scheduled no earlier than 4:00 p.m. if shuttle service is needed.

Contact

For more information on the TLU Regional Gathering, you may direct inquires to Sharon Grant, sgrant@tlu.edu

The regional gathering is made possible by a generous grant from NetVUE (Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education)

Click Here to learn more about NetVUE and how to become an Institutional Member