Bradley Wright, Life Purpose Lab #97. How Colleges Creatively Guide Students into Purpose: Sociologist and Vice Provost Time Clydesdale
Apr 22, 2022
Tim Clydesdale, a leading sociologist and Vice Provost, explores how colleges can better guide students towards purposeful careers. He shares insights from his research on vocation programs funded by the Lilly Endowment, revealing what strategies effectively engage students. The power of narrative and hands-on experiences emerge as key elements in fostering long-term resilience and purpose. Clydesdale also emphasizes the sophomore year as an ideal time to deepen vocation discussions, offering creative suggestions like themed residence halls to enhance student engagement.
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Open Funding Sparked Creative Campus Models
- The Lilly-funded initiative let campuses define 'vocation' themselves, sparking diverse, creative programs across 88 colleges.
- Tim Clydesdale found that open-ended funding produced rich local adaptations rather than one-size-fits-all solutions.
Blunt Dinner Led To Major Evaluation Grant
- Tim recounted bluntly challenging Lilly officers at dinner and later being invited to evaluate their national program.
- That candid exchange led to his multi-year evaluation grant on vocation programs.
Big Grants Came From Unexpected Source
- Lilly's unprecedented grant sizes (around $2M) came partly from prosperity tied to Prozac profits.
- Those large awards transformed small campuses by enabling institution-changing initiatives.
