A grant from the Council of Independent Colleges will enable Carleton to launch a new program to nurture undergraduate students interested in religious and spiritual leadership, according to Chaplain Rev. Schuyler Vogel ‘07.
With the new funds from the CIC’s Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE), Vogel and staff from the Office of the Chaplain will launch the Religious Leadership Fellows Program during the 2025-26 academic year. The program will support a cohort of 5-10 juniors and seniors in exploring potential career paths, including official clergy status or ordination; work with faith-based non-profits, community organizations, or human service/aid organizations; or chaplaincy in the military, higher education, or health care.
In addition to staff from the Office of the Chaplain, 13 religious leaders from Northfield and Dundas, as well as 15 from the Twin Cities and four from outside Minnesota, have expressed interest in hosting and mentoring student fellows. The diversity of the partners’ faith traditions means that the Religious Leadership Fellows will receive valuable grounding in the variety of possible careers that call on religious and spiritual leadership. In addition to financial support that enables them to work intensively with partners, Fellows will be eligible to receive funding for activities such as attending faith-based and denominational conferences or retreats, pursuing vocational training and development, and exploring further vocational opportunities such as discernment visits to theological schools.
NetVUE is a nationwide network of over 300 colleges and universities formed to support and enrich vocational exploration and discernment among undergraduate students. The CIC program receives ongoing support from Lilly Endowment Inc.