6 Ducere Est Servire: THE LEADERSHIP JOURNAL OF DALLAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY Higher Education Leadership, Christian Colleges, and Student Development of Calling Layna Evans, Ed.D. Dr. Layna Evans (Educational Leadership,'19) is Assistant Vice President for Communications at Dallas Baptist University. (This article is a revised version of her dissertation which was awarded Dissertation of the Year by the Cook School of Leadership in 2022). INTRODUCTION A critical developmental stage occurs between ages 18 to 24 when young adults form a mature identity, seek purpose, and engage in career exploration.1 Dik and Duffy defined calling as a summons originating from an external source to purposeful work, which seeks to serve others.2 Hall and Chandler demonstrated that calling positively impacts an individual's career success by bolstering resilience to overcome barriers to career entry and improving one's ability to navigate career transitions.3 College students often struggle to determine their calling, leaving them vulnerable to poor work and life satisfaction outcomes.4 Higher education has a rich history of supporting students to explore career choices. Colleges provide an ideal environment for identity exploration and possess great potential to foster the development of calling in students.5 By helping students cultivate their calling, colleges better prepare their graduates to be successful after graduation. Americans continue to grow disenchanted with higher education.6 The Pew Research Center reported 57% of Americans surveyed question the value colleges provide their students.7 In a more recent survey, 55% of Americans felt colleges had a positive effect on the country, down from 69% in 2020.8 Once known for developing leaders for the benefit of
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