Review: Building Catholic Higher Education, Part I | National Catholic Reporter by MSW. MGB: When I started out, I did not expect much applicability outside the school. I am not sure whether this is true or not, because in the review, MSW generalizes and I am not sure whether that is MSW or the authors. I am no expert at Notre Dame. When I was picking schools it was too far away and had too high a drinking age compared to Iowa. I liked the reputation, but it was off the list.
Catholic identity issues seem to be a major discussion point. I suspect the degree of Catholic identity has to do with the students, not any attempts to program it by the Administration or the faculty. While it is essential that Masses be offered daily and on Sunday (and I condemn anyone who does not think that is vital), long gone are the days where we take attendance. Whether floors are mixed sex or not and whether who sleeps with who is an issue is a difference between Catholic and secular schools. Of course, that may be an Elmer Gantry issue - college students tend to behave the same regardless of creed.
Academics are interesting. Some courses could be taught anywhere. I was in political schience for a third of my program - including an internship where I was housed at Catholic University of America. The readings in Mullen Library I neeed for my last three credits had nothing to do with Catholicism, although I am sure there was an ethics course at the Nursing School where I read one of my books (because I could not check it out). My history program, as well, had not religious referents. That cannot be said for the All College Honors Course I was invited to take or the philosphy department courses. Also, because I had some background from High School, I confidently attempted to test out of three religious studies courses (one by the skin of my teeth - and it was offered by a priest from my High School!).
I am sure the whole identity thing would have been stronger had I taken these courses instead. Spanish courses were religion neutral, as were economics (at least they were Keynesian, not Austrian) and one of my English courses: critical writing for poetry and drama - yuck, should have waited for prose. I am glad I did not, because my teacher in World Literature, Part II, was Fr. Richard Shroeder. Father was one of the foremost Shakespeare scholars on the planet, along with a Catholic priest at Oxford - who we met. The course was amazing and the moral issues of Hamlet and of More's Utopia were discussed. My biggest regret is not taking both World Lits and all four of his Shakespeare courses. He would read the plays in his amazing voice and anyone who did not hear at least one of them does not know he has not lived.
Having Catholic professors may or may not be important. I now when I was a doctoral student at American, we vetted the candidates. Undergrads at Loras, as far as I know, had no such privilege. What made the difference was having priests for faculty and within certain deparments, like Classical Studies (Fr. William Most was at Loras - another one you had to know) and Philosophy and Religious Studies - we did not call it theology. Of course, some of the teachers were not at all orthodox and I don't think any were priests (maybe one). I am quite sure the Archibishop did not know of this or did not care - although this was before Fr. Curran upended all of the theology study by refusing to condemn masturbation and was fired by CUA. Totally silly but probably would happen today at CUA. Not sure if that would happen at Notre Dame. The priests also lived on our floor - although none of them reported any student morals violation - and they were ot necessary hidden. Still, it added to the place to have priests not only as teachers, but as dorm mates. I image locating consecrated religious would have the same effect. Is that a cocoon. I don't care, I enjoyed.
Notre Dame, Georgetown, CUA, Marquette (where I should have gone due to a certain redhead), Creighton and all the rest of that division are likely generalizable. Meanwhile the small midwestern schools - Loras, Regis, St. Thomas et al. have different circumstances - and these matter. The Jesuit schools are likely more alike then different and are not like the other Catholic Schools. The colleges owned and run by Sisters are liekly very different (and in my era were just getting around to admitting men). You can keep going and each would be a chapter in and of themselves - with much different data gathering than a case study on Notre Dame. I think that kind of thing would be more important than giving Fighting Irish alums a warm and fuzzy.
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