Vocational Identity and Talent in Academic Learning

Faculty Learning Circles

The VITAL (Vocation Identity & Talent in Academic Learning) grant, generously supported by the Department of Education's Title V HSI grant, is dedicated to enhancing the professional development of full-time faculty members at California Lutheran University.

What is VITAL Faculty Learning Circles?

The VITAL (Vocational Identity and Talent in Academic Learning) grant is a Title V HSI grant with a focus on strengthening the link between academic learning and vocational development, rooted in principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJB). The VITAL Faculty Learning Circle (FLC) is a by faculty for faculty initiative, designed to concretize and institutionalize the faculty mentor role at CLU. The FLC is open to full-time faculty members at California Lutheran University who teach undergraduate students. Faculty members participating in this Train the Trainers program are expected to work closely with their respective department chairs to create departmental handbooks on faculty mentorship. They will also take a leading role in training their fellow faculty members and sharing best practices and insights.
*Please note that the following departments have already been represented in cohort 1 and are not eligible for cohort 2 at this time, Business Administration, Chemistry, Communication, Criminology & Criminal Justice, Languages & Cultures, Mathematics, and Sports Management.

The FLC goals are:

Enhance the mentoring skills of faculty members.
Foster a collaborative learning environment to support faculty-led student mentoring.
Craft mentoring plans rooted in a framework of cultural wealth and an asset-based mindset.

Train the Trainers Program

Faculty members in the FLC will:

Create departmental handbooks dedicated to vocational mentorship (career and or graduate school) .
Create campus-wide standards for the Faculty Mentor role with an implementation plan for their own departments.
Be compensated for their time. Please see the call for proposal for more details on compensation.

FLC Chairs

This project is led by the VITAL Grant Director and co-chaired by:

John Garcia, DBA, FLC Faculty Chair, jgarcia@CalLutheran.edu
Molly George, PhD, FLC Faculty Chair, mgeorge@CalLutheran.edu

Timeline

This program will run from January 2025 to August 2025. Please note summer participation is expected.

For questions about this program please contact the VITAL Program Director Rebecca Campos rcampos@CalLutheran.edu

Applications

To apply for the implementation chair position please click here. Applications closes 8/30/2024.

To apply to be a participant please click here. Applications closes 9/30/2024.

To nominate a faculty member please click here.

For questions about this program please contact the VITAL Program Director Rebecca Campos rcampos@CalLutheran.edu