“The Vocation of Teaching”
2024 Lasallian Higher Education Colloquy

Following the successful inaugural Lasallian higher education colloquy last year, Christian Brothers Conference will once again host a higher education colloquy in conjunction with the Huether Lasallian Conference. Both events will take place November 21-23 in Baltimore, Maryland. The theme for the 2024 higher education colloquy is “the vocation of teaching.” All faculty, staff, and administrators in Lasallian colleges and universities, and those with a unique interest in this work, are invited to apply to participate in the colloquy.

More than establishing schools or designing a curriculum, De La Salle contributed to our understanding of the unique role of teachers and how best to prepare them to serve in this sacred role. To be a teacher, according to De La Salle, was essentially a calling from God, a vocation. As De La Salle affirmed, “You must not doubt that it is a great gift of God, this grace he has given you to be entrusted with the instruction of children, to announce the Gospel to them and to bring them up in the spirit of religion.” Indeed, teaching requires far more than content expertise and pedagogical skill. In addition to what a teacher knows and does, it matters who they are. 

This year’s colloquy will explore the vocation of teaching beginning with how it is understood in the Lasallian tradition and how it can be more widely appropriated throughout Catholic education. Foundational questions include: If teaching is a vocation from God, how ought we to understand teacher recruitment and formation? Understood through a vocational lens, what is the relationship between spirituality and teaching? The current Lasallian network includes all levels of education; are there differences in the vocation of teaching for primary and secondary schools and higher education?

This year’s colloquy chairs are Dr. Carol Ann Gittens (Saint Mary’s College of Moraga) and Dr. Michael Hahn (Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota).

Date: November 21-23, 2024 (please consider arriving on Wednesday, November 20 for an opening reception)

Location: Hyatt Regency Baltimore Inner Harbor

Cost: There is no cost for the colloquy. Those who are invited to the colloquy will receive a compliment Huether registration. Ministries or individuals are responsible for travel and lodging ($152 per night, inclusive of tax, at the Hyatt)

Applications should be submitted by Friday, September 27. Acceptances will be sent by Monday, October 7.  

Application and Registration Information
Colloquy participants will be invited based on their applications. The application will ask the following questions: 

• Please provide a brief biography. (up to 250 words)
• Why is the topic of the vocation of teaching important to you? (up to 250 words)
• What do you hope to gain from the experience? (up to 250 words)
• How will you consider connecting your research or praxis to the topic? (up to 250 words)

Photography/Video
By attending this Institute and its events, participants understand and agree that their image may be captured by Christian Brothers Conference and used without compensation in photographs, videos, motion pictures or other recordings or record of the event that contains the image for any purpose, including for future advertising.

Travel Arrangements
All travel arrangements and costs, including airfare, train, bus and/or other ground transportation costs are the sole responsibility of the participant. 

Registration Cancellation
Upon acceptance, you will be asked to confirm your attendance. Once you have confirmed your attendance, Christian Brothers Conference will pay a non-refundable fee to the Hyatt for your attendance. If you cannot make it, we expect that you will let us know as soon as possible.

Contact
If you have questions regarding this information or any other aspect of the Higher Education Colloquy, please contact:

Tom Southard
Christian Brothers Conference
[email protected]
202-529-0047