Academic Programs

The mission of the Lantz Center for Christian Vocations  and Formation is to foster a curriculum that sustains a community of Christian Formation, vocational exploration, mentoring relationships, and Christian service. Named after the sixth president of the University of Indianapolis, G. Benjamin Lantz, Jr., the Center was started in 1998 with his encouragement.

The Christian Vocations Program (CVOC) curriculum is an integral part of the Lantz Center. The curriculum introduces the student into a spiral of learning as each course takes the student deeper and deeper into the Christian journey of vocational exploration and formation. Not unlike a potter who takes time to center the clay on the spinning wheel, the CVOC courses serve to center the students in Christ. In the context of a community, the students have the opportunity to envision new possibilities for themselves.

During the first year of courses (CVOC-110 and 111), students have the opportunity for vocational exploration while becoming more familiar with the practices of Christian spiritual formation. In the second year (CVOC-210 and 211), students build on the foundation of exploration and formation they began in the first year by incorporating the practices they have learned into a Rule of Life. As they live their Rule in the company of their classmates, students have the opportunity to reflect on their practice of the Christian faith. They also have the opportunity to develop mentoring skills.In CVOC-105-01 and CVOC-105-50 ASP, students have the opportunity to volunteer hours of community service and reflect on their experience in light of their Christian faith, such as an alternative Spring Break experience which takes place in a part of the southeastern United States.

An opportunity for students who want to work in a closely supervised context of practical experience in a particular field of Christian service is offered in an internship (CVOC-406).

These courses may be taken at any point in a student’s career provided that this sequence is followed: CVOC-110, followed by (or taken in conjunction with) CVOC-111, then CVOC-210 followed by (or in conjunction with) CVOC-211.  CVOC-105-01 Service Learning has no prerequisite. CVOC-406 has a prerequisite of CVOC-210.

Students who participate in all four courses in their career will be invited to participate in the Christian Vocations Commissioning Service to occur each spring. In addition, students who complete all four courses and the internship course CVOC-406 will receive special emphasis indicated on their academic transcript. Students also will be encouraged to participate in various noncredit retreats, programs, and lectures offered through the Lantz Center. All courses through the center are graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis.

Marianna Foulkrod, Director

The Center for Service-Learning & Community Engagement (CSLCE) at UIndy is a resource center for students, faculty, and staff involved in community service programs through curricular service-learning and other community engagement initiatives. The Center provides service-learning tools and coordinates opportunities for faculty to design new and/or enhance already existing service-learning courses. The Center also coordinates opportunities for service-learning and other curricular service placements, provides grant information for students and faculty, offers evaluation tools and forms for recording service-learning hours, shares service-learning syllabi, and offers general services related to service-learning at UIndy. The Center coordinates and offers faculty development workshops, student services that promote social responsibility and creates spaces for community connections. The primary role of the Center is to promote and support UIndy’s motto, “Education for Service,” through curricular and co-curricular experiences.

Under the leadership of the Provost’s Office, this program also offers the opportunity for students to participate in interdisciplinary service-learning courses. Many of the courses are required for the Community Engagement through Leadership & Service Concentration, which has required introductory and capstone courses in community service learning (CSL). The other courses in the concentration are discipline-based courses utilizing a service-learning through multi and interdisciplinary approaches.