Catholic colleges and universities have long promoted principles of social justice, inclusion, compassion and dialogue, even in the face of fierce protest.
There are certainly winds of change impacting Catholic colleges and universities across the nation.
Loyola University New Orleans, for example, has its first-ever layperson president who also happens to be a woman. While Tania Tetlow, an attorney and law professor, brings a fresh perspective to institutional leadership, she says espousing the fundamental mission of Jesuit education promotes much-needed tolerance, acceptance and advocacy.
“This is a moment in our world’s history when the pace of technology is outstripping the careful consideration of ethics; a moment when we’re cleaving into tribes; when the voices of conspiracy and polemic have drowned out the search for truth,” says Tetlow, who is completing her first year on the job. “At the core of Jesuit Catholic education is the mission of teaching our students how to question assumptions and to push on systems to make them more just. If you were to design an antidote to the ways the world seems to be falling apart… it would be a place that teaches students the wisdom and perspectives of many disciplines so they can solve the toughest problems.”
Diversity
Fordham University is a private, competitive Jesuit research university. Its two New York City campuses (Manhattan and the Bronx) strive for excellence in research and teaching and, according to its mission, guarantee the freedom of inquiry required by rigorous thinking and the quest for truth.
Dr. Michael C. McCarthy, vice president and presidential assistant for planning, works in the office of mission integration and planning. Part of his job involves explaining what is distinctive about a Jesuit Catholic university and helping faculty, students and staff understand how they can contribute to the university’s overall mission.
