College students face decisions that extend beyond choosing a major or first job. Many are also considering what kind of work fits their interests and values. Rider University is addressing that question through a new vocational exploration initiative.
Rider recently received a 2026 Professional Development Award from the Council of Independent Colleges. The award comes through its Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education, known as NetVUE. Rider is one of 46 institutions selected for the award this year.
The grant will support a new campus initiative focused on vocation and self-understanding. Rider plans six workshops designed specifically for students. Four additional workshops will prepare faculty and staff to support vocational exploration across the university.
The workshops will also create a common framework for discussing vocation on campus. Students can approach those conversations from different majors. Faculty and staff gain tools for supporting the process.
The work will culminate in a new Certificate in Vocation and Self-Understanding. The certificate is designed to prepare participants to help other people explore their calling. Rider describes vocation as a concept that reaches beyond simply finding employment.
That approach gives the initiative a different role within college education. Traditional career preparation often centers on résumés, interviews, internships, and job searches. Vocational exploration asks students to examine why particular work may be meaningful to them.
Darryl Mace, Rider’s vice president of community engagement and belonging, connected calling with purpose and resilience. He said the program should help community members find careers they are passionate about. The workshops create a structured setting for that process.
Rider’s project also extends the work beyond students. Faculty and staff workshops will build their knowledge and capacity around vocational exploration.
Participants can then apply those concepts when supporting students as they consider academic and professional decisions.
The initiative arrives within a national network devoted to this area of higher education. NetVUE includes nearly 350 colleges and universities.
The network supports vocational exploration and discernment among undergraduate students. It is a program of the Council of Independent Colleges.
For a student, vocational exploration can add another layer to career planning. Someone may know which subjects they enjoy but remain unsure about their professional direction.
Guided reflection can help connect academic interests with values, strengths, and possible forms of work.
The project complements Rider’s broad academic structure. The university offers programs across business, humanities, sciences, education, technology, media, and the arts. Its 2026-27 catalog includes undergraduate majors, minors, certificates, and concentrations across its colleges and schools.
Rider’s new initiative focuses on helping people examine the purpose behind those academic choices. The planned certificate also creates a pathway for participants to guide others through similar questions. Together, the workshops and credential bring vocational exploration into a defined educational program.