Inspiring, Motivating, Promoting A Call To Service
A Proposal to Lilly Endowment to Establish the Seton
Hall University Center for Vocation and Servant Leadership
Program Purpose and Goals
The purpose of Seton Hall University’s proposal for ‘The
Theological Exploration of Vocation’ is clear: to establish a
Center for Vocation and Servant Leadership at the University.
Through the work of this Center, we want nothing less than to
permeate every process and program in our University and
literally ‘impact’ every person associated with our University
with four energizing processes: (1) self-discovery, (2) skill
and character formation, (3) transitioning toward seeing one’s
work as vocation, and (4) seeing oneself as called to leadership
in the Church and in the world. We believe that this
institutional ‘human investment’ in all our constituencies will
bear rich dividends, namely, the formation of a new generation
of spirit-filled servant leaders for the University, the Church
and the world.
The Center for Vocation and Servant Leadership
Overview of the Center’s work:
IMPACTS for Core Leadership. The Center will
commence its work by offering a series of ‘train the trainer’
seminars under the heading ‘IMPACTS Seminars’ for the core
leadership of our University. Those participating in these
IMPACTS seminars will be trained in the foundational concepts
and dynamics of the four processes: self-discovery; character
formation; transitioning from an instrumentalist view of work as
job/career to vocation; characteristics and dynamics of servant
leadership in the Church and in the world.
IMPACTS for University Constituencies. The Center
will provide the participants with the necessary resources and
institutional support to take what they have received from the
seminars and through a variety of organizational and personal
formats, introduce the concepts, dynamics and benefits of the
four processes to their peers and the University constituencies
they serve. Over a period of three years, the Center will offer
IMPACTS seminars for our faculty, staff, students, regents,
administrators and alumni.
SETON CALLS Initiatives. Finally, we will provide
a series of discrete initiatives entitled ‘SETON CALLS’ which
embrace the following: transformation of the core curriculum
through curriculum development initiatives, seminars,
internships, scholarships, interdisciplinary seminars, and
faculty research on vocation viewed from a faith-based
perspective. These initiatives arise from, and are directed for,
the various constituencies represented in our Lilly planning
process. Their purpose is to incarnate and operationalize the
skills and insights gleaned from the IMPACTS processes.
Our overarching goals of Seton Hall University’s program
are:
1. Through the IMPACTS processes and seminars, to
engender among all our constituencies a more profound sense of
vocation in their work; and
2. Through SETON CALLS initiatives, to offer our
University community specific opportunities to hear and answer
the call to servant leadership in the Church and in the world.