Initiatives for the Heart - Center for Vocation and Servant Leadership

Forming the Heart for Service and Leadership

2.A SHELLS: SETON HALL EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP THROUGH SERVICE

Sponsor: Institute for Service Learning
Partners: The Center for Vocation and Servant Leadership, American Humanics, The Career Center
Description: The co-directors of the Institute of Service Learning will recruit and train faculty in the pedagogy of service learning. These faculty members will incorporate service to nonprofit agencies, particularly those operating in the greater Newark area, into the curriculum of new and existing courses. The Institute for Service Learning will issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to area nonprofits soliciting projects that are appropriate for undergraduate skill levels. Faculty will select the most appropriate projects for their classes and incorporate the project requirements into their syllabi.

2.B SETON HALL COMMUNITY RENAISSANCE PROJECT

Sponsor: The Center for Vocation and Servant Leadership
Partners: Institute for Service Learning, Special Academic Programs, Freshman Studies, The Career Center, Seton Hall University Comprehensive Achievement Program (SHUCAP), Institute on Work, Center for Catholic Studies, Division of Volunteer Efforts (DOVE)
Description: Under the auspices of The Center for Vocation and Servant Leadership, a Seton Hall Community Renaissance Committee will be established for the purposes of planning, coordinating efforts and implementing projects based on need, as assessed by members of Seton Hall’s neighboring communities. This committee will include both members of the Seton Hall Community, from collaborating departments such as the Institute for Service Learning, Institute on Work, DOVE Program, Nonprofit Sector Resource Institute, Seton Hall Law Clinics, and EPICS program, as well as leaders of the targeted communities including religious leaders, directors of community-based nonprofit organizations and elected officials.

This group will:

Work with the community to assess need;
Develop community projects to address these needs;
Link various University departments in interdisciplinary collaboration;
Give life to projects that extend beyond the semester system;
Design research to support and evaluate these efforts;
Seek outside funding to support community change initiatives; and
Serve as a showcase (dissemination mechanism) for replicable projects that have had major impacts on these communities and their residents.

2.C VOCATION MENTORING, ADVISEMENT AND DIRECTION

Sponsor: Freshman Studies Program, COMPASS and The Career Center
Partners: The Counseling Center, Seton Hall University Comprehensive Achievement Program (SHUCAP)
Description: The Seton Hall Center for Vocation and Servant Leadership will establish three Coordinator positions corresponding to initiatives for the mind, heart, and spirit:

1. Coordinator of Vocation Advisement for undergraduate, graduate and alumni students will offer the IMPACTS Seminars to all those currently engaged in student advisement and mentoring and to members of the alumni.

The Coordinator will maintain links with Freshman Studies, SHUCAP, and the Counseling Center. The Coordinator will also regularly offer workshops for all faculty involved in mentoring. Experts on vocational mentoring will be brought on campus to facilitate these workshops.
This position will also serve as a resource for students who are in need of academic and vocational advising and for mentors and advisors themselves. The Coordinator will also provide effective online help for mentors as well as for our students. In conjunction with the other entities involved in mentoring, the Coordinator will develop a handbook on vocational advising.

2. Coordinator for Career Mentoring will provide the following services to students and alumni:

Promote “job shadowing” partnerships with church ministries and other non-profit agencies
Development of an alumni career series involving professionals in a web-based online career forum to talk about their vocational choice in non-profit, church ministries
Development of a “Non-profit Alumni Cluster” that will include the identification of alumni who are interested in mentoring and networking opportunities with Seton Hall students and alumni
Creation of Co-op/Internships with faith-based agencies
Train other Career Center staff in the process of mentoring for theological vocation
Implementation of an annual career/vocational forum that highlights careers in ministry, both lay and ordained.

3. Coordinator for Spiritual Direction will work with both resident and commuter students in the following ways:

Provide spiritual direction to students challenged by vocational discernment
Train students in peer mentoring around issues of vocational discernment
Maintain an active role in assisting students from all faith traditions in accessing resources from their own spiritual heritage
Create opportunities for liturgical celebrations focusing on vocation and service
Encourage wider participation in existing formation opportunities.

2.D LETTING DOVE FLY

Sponsor: Campus Ministry (DOVE: Division of Volunteer Efforts)
Partners: Nonprofit Sector Resource Institute (NSRI), Institute for Service Learning, American Humanics Program, The Career Center
Description: The DOVE program provides opportunities for students, alumni, faculty and administrators to serve the community through volunteer work with community-based organizations. This includes both one-time volunteer activities, including DOVE’s SHU 500 (an annual campus-wide day of service), as well as ongoing volunteer placements. DOVE will continue this important work.

With a group of collaborating programs, DOVE will also develop and implement a new program, Volunteers in Religious Ministry. This program will place volunteers in Catholic churches, schools and service organizations, as well as with religious organizations of the other faiths represented in our University and surrounding communities. Individuals may be placed in organizations of their personal faith, but will also be encouraged to volunteer with organizations of other faiths. Placements will be located in the greater Newark area, thereby providing support to faith-based institutions located in one of the most distressed urban areas of the United States.

A ‘Volunteers in Religious Ministry Fair’ will be developed and held annually. Open to both the University community and non-University individuals, this fair will aid in recruiting and placing volunteers in religious ministry. Placements might include such opportunities as youth ministry, religious education, music ministry, social service/community outreach, finance and administration

In addition to the recruitment of Seton Hall students, alumni, administrators and staff, outreach through the Archdiocese of Newark and others will be undertaken in an effort to recruit individuals from the wealthy, suburban parishes to engage in urban church ministry work.