Bisbey's other calling led her to the classroom - first as a college student, then as a professor. She calls herself a teacher at heart.

"I really enjoy learning myself," said Bisbey, director of mission effectiveness for the Congregation of Divine Providence and adjunct professor at La Roche College. "The people who have been the most significant in my life - other than my family - are those that have mentored me."

Beginning this fall, Bisbey hopes to become a mentor for La Roche College students. She will return to the classroom full-time as the Ketteler Professor of Theology. The Ketteler Chair, the first endowed chair in the College's history, is named in honor of Bishop Wilhelm von Ketteler, the founder of the Divine Providence Congregation in Germany in 1851. The Ketteler Chair was made possible through the generosity of the Sisters of Divine Providence.

"I didn't know that I would be able to return to a full-time teaching position after an absence of ten years or more," said Bisbey, 52, a La Roche College alumna who was a full-time faculty member at Saint Vincent's College until 1991."This is a wonderful opportunity. I certainly never expected to be able to contribute -in this sense - to the College."

Bisbey believes the establishment of the Ketteler Chair does more than underscore the Catholic heritage of the College. It also pays tribute to the Sisters of Divine Providence, who founded La Roche nearly 40 years ago. Bisbey intends to honor the mission of Bishop Ketteler in her new role. Ketteler was known as the apostle of social justice in Germany. Even today, he is still honored by workers in Germany for his efforts on their behalf.

"One of the courses I'll be teaching is a course entitled 'Religion and Justice.' It will focus on the fact that justice is the work of the people, and it is the way that we make the gospel real," said Bisbey.

Some might argue that modern society is facing a moral crisis. Young people are bombarded by images of sex and violence on television. What was once taboo in the media is now the norm. With such a shifting moral compass, will students embrace theology courses in college, classes dedicated to the study of God?

"What I have found is that stu-dents are very open to what religion has to offer and are searching for an authentic spirituality," said Bisbey. "In the whole journey of life, what sustains us are our values, not just information that we have. Without the values to use as measuring rods, all we have is intelligence. That is not enough. It's just the partial truth."

For Bisbey, the charge is to create an atmosphere where exploration can take place.

"I never see my role in teaching as one that imparts information which needs to be given back in the same form in which it was delivered," said Bisbey, who wants students to be nourished as the search out the truth for themselves. She strongly believes that the goal of any educator should be to turn young students into critical thinkers.

"That's when we grow, when we learn to take what's presented to us and assess it against the value systems that we're building," said Bisbey.

In the years to come, Bisbey hopes that the theology department will continue to expand at La Roche College. She envisions a time when it might offer pursuits in Jewish or Islamic studies.

For now, she is content to return to the classroom and help to shape the lives of young men and women who are pursuing their college degrees.

"When people make life decisions based on what they've been exposed to in the classroom, that's pretty exciting," said Bisbey. "It's what makes a difference in the world. It's what allows us to change systems and affect people's lives."