With the support of a $79,870 NetVue (Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education) Program Development Grant from The Council of Independent Colleges, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota will establish The Academy of Human Flourishing — serving adult, online bachelor’s students.
The Academy of Human Flourishing will integrate virtue, vocation, and well-being across the online bachelor’s student experience at Saint Mary’s. The university plans to grow its enrollment among non-traditional learners by uniting curricular and co-curricular formations rooted in the vision of Human Flourishing – where every academic program helps students grow in wisdom, virtue, and practical skill so they may flourish as persons created in the image of God.
Through interdisciplinary courses, reflection opportunities, and meaningful engagement, the Academy will help online students develop a habitual disposition to the true, good, and beautiful, aligning with the university’s Lasallian Catholic mission.
Through the support of the NetVUE Program Development Grant, Saint Mary’s will implement new vocational activities for non-traditional students and will take time to develop more immersive, relational activities for human flourishing. Over two years, new interdisciplinary course modules in Human Flourishing will integrate theology, psychology, philosophy, and leadership into the online bachelor’s degree academic curriculum. Additionally, students will be invited to participate in online opportunities for spiritual enrichment and prayer, and a virtual speaker series on courageous conversations will be hosted.
The university is also committing $88,090 in matching support, including staff time, funding for student scholarships and event logistics.
“We’re grateful for this capacity building grant, which will expand delivery to both online curricular and co-curricular experiences that guide non-traditional learners in connecting their education, work, purpose and character,” said Father James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D., Saint Mary’s president. “Better serving these online undergraduate students is a central priority of my presidency. Last year, we established the School of Advancing Studies to grow enrollment among these learners and to ensure our programs are relevant, high-quality, and mission-aligned. This new academy integrates rigorous academic coursework with workplace-based learning and is intentionally shaped around character development and vocational discernment.”
Holly Tapper, dean of the School of Advancing Studies, added, “For almost three decades, Saint Mary’s has educated adult/non-traditional learners at our Minneapolis Campus. Many are working professionals seeking skills and credentials that will help them advance in business, education, or health and human services; others are traditional college-age but need the flexibility of online courses. This project will strengthen those pathways by creating new opportunities that span multiple disciplines and engage our faculty — both full-time and adjunct — in meaningful, purpose-centered educational innovation.”
Saint Mary’s is one of 30 institutions receiving grants totaling over $2,750,000 from NetVUE. This is the thirteenth year that this NetVUE grant was awarded, bringing the total to 280 Program Development Grants awarded to member institutions.
About NetVUE
A program of the Council of Independent Colleges, NetVUE is a nationwide network of colleges and universities formed to support and enrich vocational exploration and discernment among undergraduate students. Financial support of NetVUE comes from a combination of membership dues and the generosity of Lilly Endowment Inc.
