Clarke University plans to use a professional development grant to explore and strengthen its community ties in Dubuque and the surrounding area, bringing together college and community officials.

The Dubuque university has announced it the award of a $20,000 grant from the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education, or NetVUE, for professional development and the formation of a mission and vision-focused group of both faculty and employers.

NetVUE is a country-wide network of colleges and universities created by the Council of Independent Colleges to support vocational exploration among undergraduate students, according to its website.

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According to a university press release, this cohort will “discuss vocation and mission” to help inform Clarke officials in future curriculum changes and developments. Clarke faculty and staff will also have opportunities to participate in panel discussions and other activities focused on the same topics as the cohort, and NetVUE will participate in the university’s annual opening workshop.

Gina Burkart, director of learning services and assistant professor of first-year studies at Clarke, said in the release the initiative will “foster deeper and more tangible connections between Clarke and the community” and help create more opportunities for students and university partners. Burkart led the proposal for the grant.

“It is my hope that this project creates more capacity for students to engage in vocational endeavors with community partners—while also weaving the spirit and core values of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the fabric of the Dubuque community,” Burkart said in the release.

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