3836 - THE LIVE (LONGITUDINAL INVESTIGATION OF VOCATIONAL EXPLORATION) PROJECT: VISION, SCOPE, EARLY RESULTS

Session: 3834 - ADVANCING RESEARCH ON CALLING AND MEANINGFUL WORK: PATHWAYS AND BOUNDARIES
AUTHORS:
Dik Bryan (Colorado State University (USA) and Optentia Research Unit, North-West University (South Africa) ~ Fort Collins ~ United States of America) , Duffy Ryan (University of Florida ~ Gainesville ~ United States of America) , Daniels Denise (Wheaton College ~ Wheaton ~ United States of America) , Inselman Kyle (Colorado State University ~ Fort Collins ~ United States of America)
Abstract text:
In 2025, the Council of Independent Colleges (USA) launched the LIVE (Longitudinal Investigation of Vocational Exploration) Project. This major study, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc., will follow two cohorts of students as well as faculty members from 39 universities in the U.S. and Canada that are members of NetVUE (Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education). This is expected to be the largest-ever longitudinal study focusing on outcomes related to calling, vocation, and purpose in career decision-making and planning. The project aims to track first-year students annually over their four years of university education, and fourth-year students as they graduate and pursue further education or employment opportunities in emerging adulthood. A central goal for the project is to shed light on best practices in fostering a deepening sense of calling, vocation, and purpose, particularly among undergraduate students at NetVUE member institutions, as they progress through their university years and embark on adult life. While the project is still in its early stages, this initial report will provide insight into the difference that programming in vocational exploration and discernment is making—both for students and for academic institutions. This workshop will present highlights from the initial wave of this research effort—with results from both faculty and student participants—and will invite attendees to consider the implications of the data for individual, counseling, and educational policy applications.