Catholic and jesuit identity in higher education christian higher education - Peck & Stick

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Catholic and Jesuit
Identity in Higher
Education
Authors: Kirk Pecka; Sheldon Stickb
Affiliations: a Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska,
USA
b
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska,
USA
DOI: 10.1080/15363750701818394
Published in: Christian Higher Education, Volume
7, Issue 3 July 2008 , pages 200 - 225
Publication Frequency: 5 issues per year

Download PDF (8 MB) View Related Articles

To cite this Article: Peck, Kirk and Stick, Sheldon 'Catholic and Jesuit Identity in
Higher Education', Christian Higher Education, 7:3, 200 - 225

Abstract
This study incorporated an instrumental embedded case study design to explore how
15 faculty members and an administrator at one Catholic institution of higher education
describe their responsibility to promote the academic mission of Ignatian spirituality.
Interviews included Jesuit, Catholic, and non-Catholic faculty, and the president of
Holy University. It was determined that participants' ability to foster Ignatian spirituality
was dependent upon their religious beliefs and a willingness to promote values
common to Catholic and Jesuit faith traditions, despite facing multiple challenges to
fulfilling the academic mission. A conceptual model developed that demonstrated
relationships among academic administrators, faculty, and students, and how the
interactions influence the ability to foster Ignatian spirituality and preserve a
faith-based identity at Holy University. Additional perspectives from members at Holy
University and other Jesuit institutions of higher learning need to be explored to
develop a greater understanding of the academic mission of Ignatian spirituality.

Introduction
Johnson (1997) and earlier Veysey (1965) stated that nearly all institutions of higher
education support a tripartite mission of teaching, research, and service grounded in
historical significance. It was, and continues to be, an amenable declaration, but in
1998 Buckley altered that claim by saying Catholic universities added a “full faith-
experience moving towards intelligence and of finite intelligence moving towards its
satisfaction in transcendent completion” (p. 16). The implication of Buckley's
pronouncement was that Catholic institutions of higher education are not distinct from

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the church, and are expected to foster a “search for the whole truth about nature, man
and God” (Ex Corde Ecclesiae, 1990, p. 1). The power behind Buckley's claim was
magnified by the “Ex Corde Ecclesiae,” issued in 1990 by Pope John Paul II, which
described and outlined an Apostolic Constitution for Catholic Universities.

Ex Corde Ecclesiae

Ex Corde Ecclesiae is a constitution that called for Catholic universities to renew their
identities as being both “universities” and “Catholic,” and stipulated four essential
characteristics:

(1) Christian inspiration not only of individuals but of the university
community as such; (2) A continuing reflection in the light of the Catholic
faith upon the growing treasury of human knowledge, to which it seeks to
contribute by its own research; (3) Fidelity to the Christian message as it
comes to us through the Church; and (4) An institutional commitment to the
service of the people of God and of the human family in their pilgrimage to
the transcendent goal which gives meaning to life. (Ex Corde Ecclesiae,
1990, pp. 2-3)

In addition, Ex Corde Ecclesiae contained a list of General Norms to assist Catholic
academic institutions to accomplish their missions while being in concert with the
desires of the Holy See.

Two norms in Ex Corde Ecclesiae pertained to faculty teaching at Catholic institutions
of higher education, and served as the genesis for the work reported in this article.
Paragraph 3, Article 4 stated, “Catholic theologians, aware that they fulfill a mandate
received from the Church, are to be faithful to the Magisterium of the Church as the
authentic interpreter of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition” (1990, p. 9). Second,
Paragraph 4, Article 4 stated, “In order not to endanger the Catholic identity of the
university or institute of higher studies, the number of non-Catholic teachers should
not be allowed to constitute a majority within the institution, which is and must remain
Catholic” (p. 9). The interpretation of those norms was that the church had authority
over certain practices in Catholic colleges and universities. But not everyone agreed to
the literal authority Ex Corde Ecclesiae claimed. Some expressed doubt regarding a
judicial interpretation, particularly in institutions where the apostolate was not formally
adopted (Currie, 2001; Heft, 1999; Moser, 2002; Wilson, 2001).

In addition to generating conversation regarding Ex Corde's ostensibly authoritative
position, the document expressed a concern for retaining the Catholic identity in
institutions of higher education. It stated, “All professors are expected to be aware of
and committed to the Catholic mission and identity of their institution” (National
Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2000, p. 15).

A literal interpretation of those two norms led to the conclusion that the Holy See's
declaration meant that faculty persons at Catholic institutions of higher education had
to act in accordance with the mission of the church if not its tenets. Adding to the
cauldron was the importance for educating respective faculty about Catholic values,
because in so doing the result would be enhanced retention of the Catholic identity.

Buckley (1998) claimed that Ex Corde Ecclesiae (1990) was a “call for a much
stronger, much more concrete affirmation of the Catholic character of (American)

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universities, the grasp of the promise inherent in such an identity, and the direction
that its character or identity be found in its purpose, an organic unity between the
gospel and culture.” Furthermore, it was contended that “American Catholic
universities will not likely receive a more authoritative summons to articulate their
identity, to develop a deeper sense of what they are” (pp. 23-24).

Study Location

Holy University, a pseudonym for an institution located in the Midwest, was founded in
1878 through the execution of the will of Mary Holy. She was the widow of Edward
Holy, an early pioneer of the transcontinental telegraph, who wanted to establish a
university in the Midwest. The Jesuit Order was asked to manage the university and
has done so since the institution's doors first opened in the late 1800s (Holy
University Bulletin, 2001). Currently, Holy University is one of 28 independent Jesuit
institutions of higher education in the United States, is a comprehensive teaching
institution consistently ranked as a top-rated private institution of higher education in
the United States (Holy University Bulletin, 2001), and has more than 6000 students
matriculating in its various colleges and graduate programs of study (Aschenbrenner,
1982): medicine, dentistry, business administration, the arts and sciences, law,
nursing, pharmacy and other health-related professions.

An overarching goal of the institution has been to foster a sense of spiritual well-being
as a part of developing graduates for the betterment of society. Achieving that goal has
been accomplished through Holy University's identity with the Society of Jesus and its
association with the principles and morals encompassing the Catholic faith.

Holy University and Ex Corde Ecclesiae

During his inaugural address as the 23rd president at Holy University, Rev. John P.
Spirit, S.J., reaffirmed the importance of the relationship between the Jesuit mission
and that of the Catholic Church, and reemphasized the relationship Holy University
had with the church by stating:

Holy University has recognized its special relationship to the Catholic
Church at both the local and the universal level. In this context of a Catholic
university, theology, philosophy, and moral behavior are integral as we
provide a setting where religious experience and secular experience join in
dialogue to meet the issues of the day. (Spirit, 2000, p. 3)

According to Father Spirit (2000), Ex Corde Ecclesiae was an exemplary instrument
encouraging renewed efforts “to foster the Catholic identity and mission of Holy
University and other like institutions” (p. 5). It was a living document developed by the
Catholic Church but subscribed to for the purpose of reuniting the faith and traditions
of Catholicism with the intellectual underpinnings of higher education.

Holy University was chosen for this case study due to its faith-based philosophy rooted
in the Jesuit mission and declared emphases on maintaining an integral relationship
with the Catholic Church. An inherent assumption was that faculty persons at Holy
University upheld the mission of the institution as a center for both intellectual and

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spiritual development. Support for that premise came from President Spirit (2000)
who stated the university “interprets the church to the world and the world to the
church” (p. 5). Those words strengthened the belief that Holy University was an
institution not only espousing the importance of gaining knowledge and wisdom, but
was a center of learning where the academic community and students alike actively
sought to explore the true spirit of humanity.

This case study attempts to explore how selected faculty members at one Jesuit and
Catholic institution of higher education describe their responsibilities for fulfilling the
academic mission of Ignatian spirituality. By doing so they are directly fostering the
Catholic and Jesuit identity of the institution.

Grand Tour Question

How do selected members of the faculty at one Catholic/Jesuit institution of higher
education describe their responsibility in fulfilling the academy's academic mission of
Ignatian spirituality?

Subquestions

1. How do faculty persons at Holy University describe its academic mission with
regard to promoting the teachings of Ignatian spirituality?
2. How do faculty persons at Holy University describe the Catholic Church's
expectations for the institution to influence, directly or indirectly, the teachings of
Ignatian spirituality?
3. How do faculty persons at Holy University describe administrative expectations
for fostering Ignatian spirituality?
4. How do Jesuit, Catholic (non-Jesuit), and non-Catholic faculty persons at Holy
University perceive their religious orientation with regard to fostering Ignatian
spirituality?
5. How does the personal spirituality of the participant faculty persons at Holy
University influence their academic role?
6. How do the participant faculty persons at Holy University describe challenges
when fostering Ignatian spirituality?
7. How do the participant faculty persons at Holy University describe professional
and/or personal rewards when working in a faith-based institution seeking to be
in compliance with a directive to instill Ignatian spirituality?
8. How do participant faculty perceptions of Ignatian spirituality compare to the
views held by the president for Holy University?

Method

Data were collected using semistructured interviews with the university president and
15 participant faculty persons representing multiple undergraduate degree disciplines.
Excluding the president, interviewees were selected purposefully to obtain
representation from three religious backgrounds: (a) Jesuit faculty, (b) Catholic
(non-Jesuit) faculty, and (c) non-Catholic faculty. In addition, all participants held
primary academic appointments consisting of a minimum 50% teaching workload of
undergraduate education.

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Participants

Fifteen faculty participants and the president of Holy University were selected for the
study. A chaplain employed at Holy University recommended 31 faculty members for
the pool: 8 Jesuit, 10 Catholic, and 13 non-Catholic faculty persons. A second list of
candidates was solicited from an institutionally based Faculty Mission and Identity
Group to ensure that a diverse group of potential candidates were being considered.
That list contained: 1 Jesuit, 4 known Catholics, and 7 unknown religious affiliations.
Finally, a third list of 8 candidates was obtained by consulting with the Office of
Campus Ministry at Holy University, again to diversify the selection of potential
participants. That list contained: 0 Jesuits, 2 Catholics, and 3 unknown religious
affiliations. All of the potential participants were separated according to being Jesuit,
Catholic, and non-Catholic. In situations when the religious orientation of a prospective
participant was not available, the name was placed in a category labeled “unknown”
until personal contact could be made for verification. From the completed list of
potential participants a listing was made with names representing each of the three
religious affiliation categories. The rationale was to ensure there would be sufficient
participants in each of the three categories.

Prospective participants were contacted initially by telephone. The title, purpose, brief
explanation of the study, and time commitment to participate all were described to
each individual. Upon receipt of a verbal consent to participate, an informed consent
form and letter explaining the study were provided through use of an on-campus mail
service. All participants received, signed, and returned a copy of consent prior to being
interviewed. Only one person, who originally agreed to participate, later declined. That
individual was a non-Catholic faculty member, and after reviewing the list of interview
questions, notified the researcher of an inability to discuss Ignatian spirituality for lack
of understanding the concept. All remaining persons initially contacted for the study
agreed to participate during the initial phone conversation. A replacement participant
was chosen from the list developed.

Participant Demographics

Relevant demographics appear in Tables 1-6. Importantly, an inclusionary criterion
was that a person had to have been employed at Holy University for a minimum of
three years to ensure they were acculturated into the community of the institution. The
15 faculty members consisted of 10 males and 5 females, with the sole administrator
being the university president, a male.

TABLE 1 Demographics according to Faculty Rank or Title (N = 15)*

Associate Assistant
Professor Instructor Director
Professor Professor

*Administrator/University President (16th person interviewed)

N = 1.

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Associate Assistant
Professor Professor

N=5 N=5 N=3 N=1 N=1


N = 1.

TABLE 2 Average Number of
Years Employed at Holy
University (excluding the
President)

Male Female Aggregate

16.2 yrs 11 yrs 14.4 yrs

TABLE 3 Departments Represented

Academic Department Number of Participants

Political Science 1

Classical and Near Eastern Studies 3

Sociology and Anthropology 1

Arts and Sciences 2

English 1

Justice and Peace Studies 1

Education 1

Theology 4

Fine Arts 1

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Administration (President) 1

TABLE 4 Selected Characteristics of the Non-Catholic Faculty Participants (N =
5).

Claire Marco Ronaldo Wonka Sister Anne

Highest
Ph.D. Ph.D. Ph.D. Ph.D. Ph.D.
Degree Earned

Academic Associate Associate Assistant
Professor Professor
Rank Professor Professor Professor

Classical and Classical and Classical and Sociology
Academic Political
Near Eastern Near Eastern Near Eastern and
Department Science
Studies Studies Studies Anthropology

Length of
Employment at 28 years 8 years 9 years 10 years 4 years
Holy University

Undergraduate
100% 30% 99% 100% 90%
Teaching Load

All had earned their terminal Academic Degree and varied between the ranks of
Assistant through Full Professor. One participant (Marco) had a modest
undergraduate teaching assignment (30% FTE).

TABLE 5 Selected Characteristics of the Catholic Faculty Participants (N = 5).

Bill Harry Jane Eyre Martin Rose

Highest
Ph.D. Ph.D. Ph.D. M.A. Ph.D.
Degree Earned

Academic table it can be seen that four ofAssociate
In the above Professor Associate Director Associate
the five participants held the highest
Academic Degree for their discipline. The one person without a terminal degree was
assigned the title of 'Director' for the Department of Justice and Peace Studies. All
persons in this category had instructional assignments ranging from 50% to 100%
FTE. Justice and
Academic Arts and Arts and
English Peace Education
Department Sciences Sciences
Studies

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TABLE 6 Selected Characteristics of the Jesuit Faculty Participants (N = 5)

RJH Inigo Murphy Andy Bobadilla

Highest 2 Masters 3 Masters
Ph.D. Ph.D. Ph.D.
Degree Earned Degrees Degrees

Academic Assistant Associate
Professor Professor Instructor
Rank Professor Professor

Academic
Theology Theology Theology Fine Arts Theology
Department

Length of
Holy University

Undergraduate
75% 75% 100% 100% 100%
Teaching Load

Table 6 shows three Jesuit faculty persons held terminal Academic Degrees, four of
them were Theology Instructors, and they ranged in faculty rank from Instructor
(Murphy with two Masters Degrees and three years of tenure at Holy University) to
RJH with 31 years at Holy University.

All participants in this study chose a personal pseudonym for the purpose of
anonymity, but were aware that the information culled would be made available to the
professional community in aggregate form, except for the Holy University president.
The resident of Holy University was assigned the pseudonym Fr. Spirit by the
researcher. The following tables display demographic data regarding the participants
from each faculty unit.

Data Collection

Interview Protocol

Interviews were scheduled at a time and place convenient to each participant. The
average time for each interview session was between 40 and 60 minutes. All interviews
were audiotaped, using two microcassette recorders sequentially, and the researcher
made handwritten notes to complement the recordings. Each person interviewed was
provided with 14 predetermined questions prior to data collection following a procedure
outlined by Creswell (1998). Open-ended questions were utilized, and when
necessary, question probes (also on the questionnaires) were incorporated. Of note is

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that the interview process used in this study was piloted in a previous research project
(Luparell, Wackel, & Peck, 2003).

Interview Transcripts

Each set of interviews was transcribed by the researcher within three days using a
portable electronic transcription unit. To enhance internal validity the transcriptions
were returned to respective participants by electronic mail for a review of content and
accuracy, a process Merriam (2001) referred to as member checks. After receiving
feedback from individual participants, transcript data were then manually coded into
categories and themes as outlined by Creswell (1994) and Strauss and Corbin
(1998).

Data Coding

Transcript data were analyzed using both open and axial coding procedures as
described by Strauss and Corbin (1998). Strauss and Corbin explained open coding
as a process whereby text data were analyzed by identifying, naming, categorizing,
and describing phenomena. Text data in this study were organized for open coding
analysis by organizing participant responses to the sequence of interview questions
into 13 distinct segments, one for each participant's response to a given question. The
14th question asked was not related directly to any aspect of the study, and therefore
not coded. It was open-ended in the sense of inquiring whether a participant wanted to
add information or address something not covered.

Open coding of text data consisted initially of identifying key words and word phrases
characterizing the overall meaning of participant responses in relation to each interview
question. The initial coding process continued for the 13 questions until the researcher
determined data collection had been exhausted. The findings from that initial coding
process yielded a list of 13 distinct groups of open codes that related to the 13
interview questions. Then that set of 13 groups of coded word and word phrases were
analyzed further and coded into conceptual subcategories. Depending on the number
of open codes listed in each group, between one and eight subcategories was
generated. Subcategories were written in the right-hand margins of participant
transcripts, and used later for axial coding.

Results

The axial coding process yielded 10 unit themes. Catholic and non-Catholic participant
units each were described by three themes, while four themes emerged from the
Jesuit participant unit. Unit themes from all participants then were used to derive
aggregate case-study themes.

Strauss and Corbin (1998) described a method of constant comparison used to
compare two or more data sets to identify emerging phenomena. The method was
incorporated in this study to compare all 10 participant unit themes. Unit themes were
grouped by similar meanings, and then analyzed to identify aggregate case-study
themes. A total of three aggregate case-study themes emerged. Figures 1, 2, and 3

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display the three case-study themes, and corresponding participant unit themes used

for analysis.

FIGURE 1 Case study: Aggregate Theme One.

FIGURE 2
Case-Study: Aggregate Theme Two.

FIGURE 3
Case-Study: Aggregate Theme Three.

Discussion

Theme One: Faculty Role to Foster Ignatian Spirituality Influenced by
Religious Beliefs

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The ability to foster Ignatian spirituality varied according to religious faith beliefs, but it
was an important factor reflecting the overall identity of Holy University. In this study,
non-Catholic participants were less inclined to openly express or discuss Ignatian
spirituality presumably because of not fully understanding the concept.

For example, Marco revealed how his non-Catholic faith background influenced his
ability to foster Ignatian spirituality. He said, “I have a conservative Jewish background
which is not, as one might think, the most traditional. It is Orthodox Jewish, but in a
world where we really did not discuss spiritual matters, it was not a part of my
upbringing.” He added,

Although the institutional history betweens Jews and Catholics has not
necessarily been very good, nonetheless, there is a lot of commonality
between Jews and Catholics. There is a sense of history, there is a strong
sense of ritual that is both a life cycle, and the annual cycle, there is a
sense in which the biblical text is very important, but it does not limit it is
not God's revelation that limits it to that.

Marco's comments were viewed as meaning he was willing to find commonalities
between his Jewish faith, and Catholicism; however, it also indicated a recognized
limitation. He was not able to adequately address the concept of Ignatian spirituality
because it was a form of spirituality uncommon to the Jewish faith.

Regardless of perceptions, non-Catholic participants expressed a sense of comfort
and belonging at Holy University. They reported having faith beliefs similar to or, at
minimum, not contradictory to Ignatian spirituality. When expressing her beliefs about
fostering Ignatian spirituality, Sister Anne replied,

Well, I think that is largely because I am Lutheran and we are so close to
Catholicism. You know, in a real deep sense, Lutheranism is still
Catholicism without the Pope. So we try to foster real reflective and almost
a bold bold is the word Luther said bold spirituality. So it is very
consistent with my own spiritual development.

Jesuit and Catholic participants were comfortable with and agreed to the general ethos
of Ignatian spirituality. However, Jesuit participants described being more overt about
discussing the topic with students, and colleagues. That was not surprising because
Ignatian spirituality was considered an essential element to the Society of Jesus, and
thus an integral part of being a Jesuit faculty member at Holy University.

Theme Two: Academic Mission of Ignatian Spirituality Fostered by a
Responsibility to Instill an Ethos of Shared Values

The second theme to emerge emphasized the importance participants placed on
promoting and role modeling a shared system of values as a way to foster Ignatian
spirituality. Charisms, such as cura personalis (Latin for care for the whole person), the
magis (Latin for the more), and men and women for and with others, were just a few
examples of values mentioned by participants. Participants described several
mechanisms to foster Ignatian-based values including faculty role modeling,
interactions with colleagues and administrators, and demonstrating an attitude of care
towards students in their personal growth. When asked about opportunities she had to
foster Ignatian Spirituality, Claire stated,

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I would like to think that a lot of what I do fosters spirituality in a very
indirect sense because I confront students to think about their values, and I
certainly confront people to think comparatively about religion, and about
what they are going to do with their lives.

Another point of view was expressed by Jane, who offered a more definitive description
of how Ignatian spirituality was manifested in human behavior. She stated,

I think the way spirituality is integrated is in your disposition. Disposition is
the word I would use, your disposition toward your work, your disposition
toward your students.

Finally, RJH reflected on a personal concern he had for fostering Ignatian values.
When asked what he liked about his faculty role and ability to influence students, he
described the freedom he and other faculty in the theology department had to express
personal beliefs, and “safe commitments.” He stated,

Kids are trying to find meaning in life, and we can help them. I think we
could help them more than we do if we overcome our self-consciousness
about our own faith. And maybe it is just outside of class we feel free to
share, but I still think there is a role in class for integrating the finding
God in all things not as a major, but at least in context for the study of a
discipline.

Theme Three: Prevailing Institutional Tensions Pose Barriers to
Fostering Spirituality

The third theme identified concerns participants had regarding their ability to
adequately foster Ignatian spirituality at Holy University. The participants cited multiple
challenges to fulfilling the academic mission due to a lack of faculty commitment, a
lack of personal time to develop spiritually, increased faculty and student
secularization on campus, and a lack of a formal rewards system recognized by
administration. When asked about academic administration's expectations for faculty to
foster Ignatian spirituality, Andy replied,

I think the key is in the hiring process. When people are asked they are
given Holy University's mission statement, which is rather simple, and
asked, “Do you think that you can support the Catholic and Jesuit
worldview as a faculty member here?” And of course most people say yes.
It is making everyone conscious that this is a sectarian university.

Another challenge to fostering Ignatian spirituality was articulated as a lack of a formal
rewards system. RJH explained that faculty members typically were recognized for
accomplishments by elevation in rank and awarding of tenure. His issue dealt with,
“What if a person is an active person practicing and witnessing to the centrality of the
Christian life on campus. Should not that be a factor for tenure? Is not that person
embodying the identity we are trying to teach?” Harry echoed the thoughts of RJH
when he stated,

We try to foster this celebration of truth in all forms, and they call it an
integrating vision of reality. The way we do stuff here, I think, the trying
interdepartmental, interdivisional faculty forums and things like that I think
works to foster that. Beyond that, expectations do not get to the point of job

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performance though.

Additional challenges mentioned, by selected participants, as inhibiting an ability to
foster Ignatian spirituality included a lack of time and resources. When asked about
the challenges to fostering spirituality, Sister Anne stated,

I think I alluded to that earlier, that there is this notion that lots of times our
jobs are based on something other than spiritual ends, that there are all
these busy agendas. The numbers and the time and all that stuff that just
take you away from thinking about what am I really here for, what am I
really doing, when behind the scenes, there is never any doubt you know.
And the support is there if you really reach out for it. But you can get
caught up in thinking, really what I am doing is working in a salt mine,
because I have got so much work to do, so little time, and everybody is
under pressure, and you know if you do not look for the spiritual part, you
might miss it.

Bill added that the amount of time he spent fostering the intellectual growth of
students and developing professional relationships with colleagues deterred him from
personal spiritual growth. He poignantly stated, “I have come to a fate where time with
my students is more important than time with my God.”

So lack of time for faculty to foster their own spirituality was perceived as another
challenge to addressing the academic mission at Holy University, a challenge Murphy
may have summarized best when he said, “Time You know, I would go there first,
but I am busy, and I know my colleagues are busy, they are going 15 different ways
from Sunday, and what any spirituality, any spiritual discipline takes is time, and to
reflect, to pray, to journal. I think that is one of the keys.”

Limitations on participants' abilities to foster Ignatian Spirituality were multifaceted.
However, no particular challenge superseded another in terms of significance; rather
they were all equally expressed as creating tension among faculty to fulfill the
academic mission of Holy University.

Administrative Perspective

Father Spirit, president of Holy University, was interviewed to learn how faculty
members' observations on fostering Ignatian spirituality compared to the perceptions of
a key academic administrator. His position granted him authority to govern,
communicate with faculty, and function as a human liaison between Holy University
and the Catholic Church. His opinion about the role of faculty at the institution was
considered instrumental in this case study.

Four themes emerged from Father Spirit's interview: (a) spiritual mission fostered by
engaged faculty and administration, (b) spirituality fostered through values, and
respect for Catholic identity, (c) institutional identity challenged by secularism, and (d)
academic mission sustained by graduate outcomes.

Interview questions for Father Spirit were modified from the faculty questionnaire. The
intent was to address his role as an academic administrator being in a position to
encourage faculty members in the academic mission of Ignatian spirituality.

In relation to the first theme of “engaging faculty in the spiritual mission,” Father Spirit

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said that he encouraged faculty to foster Ignatian spirituality by challenging them
during faculty orientation speeches. When asked to address new faculty hires, he told
them to “be hard on the students, and to engage the students, give them the tools for
inquiry but not the answers, and how to make ethical decisions without the answers.”
When he spoke to students he relayed a similar message by saying, “I have told the
faculty to challenge you, and I have told the faculty to give you the tools but you have
got to reach your own conclusions.”

To engage students in the Jesuit mission, Father Spirit emphasized the importance of
quality teaching, and how it relied upon the methods used for instruction. He stated,

You know it is not Jesuit education simply to amass the facts, and pass an
exam. That will get you into medical school, but it will not get you a place in
heaven kind of thing. You know there is more to life than that. The mere
acquisition of knowledge is not a Jesuit education. There has to be the
reflection that goes with it. And that is both sides, I mean that is service
learning to me is an absolute dead end, just another trend or novelty if
there is not a reflective piece in there.

Engaging students by incorporating methods of active reflection on personal behaviors
was a hallmark of Ignatian pedagogy. Father Spirit emphasized the concept of using
reflection as a pedagogical strategy and explained it by providing examples during the
interview, including projects related to student engagement with the poor.

Research Implications

Theme One: Faculty role to foster Ignatian spirituality influenced by religious beliefs.

Implication: Hiring faculty members who supported the academic mission of
Ignatian Spirituality might have implications on preserving identity in Catholic and
Jesuit institutions of higher education.

Theme Two: Academic mission of Ignatian spirituality fostered by a responsibility to
instill an ethos of shared values.

Implication: A high level of importance was placed on fostering human values in
fulfilling the academic mission of Ignatian spirituality at Holy University. Catholic
and Jesuit institutions might benefit from further exploration and faculty
education on promoting a set of shared values to foster an academic mission of
Ignatian spirituality.

Theme Three: Prevailing institutional tensions pose barriers to fostering spirituality.

Implication: Administrators and faculty in Catholic and Jesuit institutions of higher
education need to consider many factors creating potential barriers to fulfilling
academic mission.

Themes: Father Spirit

Theme One: Spiritual mission fostered by engaged faculty and administration.

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Implication: Both academic administrators and faculty members are accountable
to fulfilling academic mission, and collaboration between the two entities is
essential.

Theme Two: Spirituality fostered through values, and respect for Catholic identity.

Implication: This finding supported the second participant case study theme. Its
implication was discovering the importance of teaching shared values, as
opposed to requiring faculty to foster Ignatian spirituality explicitly.

Theme Three: Institutional identity challenged by secularism.

Implication: The concern about increased secularization in higher education
implied the need for ongoing dialogue between Catholic and non-Catholic faculty
and administration in Jesuit higher education; an important reminder for both
administrators and faculty alike.

Theme Four: Academic mission sustained by graduate outcomes.

Implication: This theme was specific only for Father Spirit, but was deemed as
being significant when identifying a tool to measure success in Jesuit education.

Delimitations and Limitations

This study was limited by several factors, including both delimitations and limitations.
The three delimitations were (a) a relatively small number of participants (N = 16), (b)
the study was conducted at only one out of the 28 Jesuit institutions of higher
education in the United States, and (c) only faculty members teaching undergraduate
education were interviewed for this study.

Delimitations

In this study, only 15 participants were selected. Including a larger number of
participants might have resulted in data leading to different unit and aggregate case
study themes. In addition, including more participants would have increased the
chances of selecting persons from a greater number of scholastic disciplines and
academic departments.

The decision to explore faculty perceptions at only one Jesuit institution of higher
education composed the second delimitation of the study. Holy University was chosen
as a site of convenience. The researcher was affiliated with the institution, thus
providing a better understanding of the campus culture, and simplifying the process of
participant selection. In addition, this research was designed to be a case-study
exploration; therefore, it was logical to select only one Jesuit institution for study. This
design, however, limited the ability to generalize the findings to other Jesuit or secular
institutions of higher education.

A third delimitation to this study was selecting participants who were primarily
responsible for teaching only undergraduate education at Holy University. This
delimitation was established intentionally to maintain a level of homogeneity in the type
of participants interviewed. It was assumed that faculty members in graduate and

15 de 23 11/04/2011 10:53 p.m.


professional programs at Holy University held different perceptions about fostering
Ignatian spirituality, based on the type of student they encountered, as opposed to
faculty in undergraduate education. Based on that assumption, faculty persons
assigned to teach graduate level education were intentionally excluded.

Limitations

Four limitations to this study were acknowledged. First, participants were selected
using a “snowball or chain sampling” procedure described by Patton (1990, p. 176).
This technique was used intentionally to select participants who might provide rich,
thick data regarding Ignatian spirituality. Had other faculty at Holy University been
chosen, different themes might have resulted from data analysis.

Second, the faculty questionnaire used in this study might have biased participant
responses. Thirteen questions were developed based on modifications made from an
unpublished study using a similar questionnaire (Luparell, Wackel, & Peck, 2003).
However, the same questionnaire was used during all interviews, and questions were
asked in the same order to decrease researcher bias.

The research questions used in this study might have influenced participant
responses. For example, an operational definition of Ignatian spirituality intentionally
was never offered to participants prior to or during data collection. Had one been
provided, data might have resulted in different case study themes.

A third limitation is related to the procedures selected for data analysis of participant
interviews. Data in this study was analyzed without using computer software
commercially designed for qualitative research projects. Although use of computer
software might have resulted in alternative thematic development, participant data in
this study was perceived as being adequately manageable for manual coding without
a computer database.

A fourth limitation in this study was researcher bias. Data analysis was conducted
solely by the researcher and thus subject to the sensitivity and integrity of one
interpretation (Merriam, 2001). In this case, the researcher was a declared Catholic; a
character trait potentially influencing data interpretation based on personal beliefs and
assumptions. As a result, generalizing the findings of this study to a larger population
of Holy University, or to other institutions of higher education, was limited.

Recommendations

Five recommendations were derived from this study. First, this investigation was based
on a small number of participants at Holy University. Although appropriate for
case-study design, future research might incorporate a greater number of participants
to explore the potential for additional thematic results. In addition, participant
representation from other academic departments at Holy University, or other
institutions, should be considered.

Second, this study was designed to explore faculty responsibility to foster the
academic mission at only one Catholic and Jesuit institution. A future study
investigating the same phenomenon at other Jesuit and/or Catholic institutions might

16 de 23 11/04/2011 10:53 p.m.


shed a different light on the topic.

Third, data from this study were dependent upon the faculty questionnaire used for
interviewing participants. Standardizing the questionnaire or using an alternative
approach to the interview process might result in different findings.

Fourth, this study interviewed 15 faculty members, and one administrator (president)
at Holy University. Future studies should consider interviewing other constituents such
as authorities in the Catholic Church, a greater selection of academic administrators,
and students directly involved with participants selected for data collection. The
additional perspectives might be instrumental in acquiring a more in-depth
understanding about how Ignatian spirituality is fostered in Jesuit education.

Finally, aggregate themes from this study would benefit from a more in-depth
investigation. Two themes indicated fostering Ignatian spirituality at Holy University was
based on the religious beliefs of participants, and an ability to foster Catholic and
Jesuit-based values. A third theme described several factors challenging the ability for
faculty to foster spirituality. Collectively, those findings were interpreted to mean that
faculty responsibility for fostering the academic mission of Ignatian Spirituality was
multifaceted, and subject to various interpretations. Further research might benefit
those interested in exploring faculty responsibility to fulfill a faith-based academic
mission, and how it contributes to preserving institutional identity.

Conclusion

In this study, motivation to foster Ignatian spirituality was not expressed explicitly by
participants. Instead, it was viewed as an activity reflecting individuals values in an
academic environment open to freedom of expression. Jesuit, Catholic, and
non-Catholic participants were inclined to discuss responsibilities in relation to
fostering spirituality in more general terms.

Multiple challenges limited the ability of participants in this study to foster the mission
of Ignatian spirituality at Holy University including a growing concern over increasing
faculty secularization. Although findings from this study are limited in scope of
generalization they are relevant to institutions of higher education where fostering
academic mission is paramount to upholding specific faith-based traditions for
preservation and strengthening of identity.

In a publication entitled The Illustrated Book of Sacred Scriptures, Timothy Freke
(1998) described the concept of spirituality as being a complex phenomenon when
explored through a perspective from ancient scripture and wisdom. In the book's
introduction, Freke described a “common human spirituality,” a spirituality of cohesion
rather than diversion among various cultural religious beliefs. He stated,

Each tradition offers something unique and yet essentially similar. Is this
really surprising? Aren't people of every race and time different and yet
universally human? If our common ground is to be found anywhere, it is in
our spirituality which takes us beyond the apparent separateness of things
to a vision of oneness, lifting us beyond our personal differences to the
unifying knowledge of God. (p. 12)

Father Kolvenbach (1989) described a similar vision about spirituality, and one even
more specific to those affiliated with Jesuit institutions. He proclaimed,

17 de 23 11/04/2011 10:53 p.m.


The many views of all members of the higher education community who
follow Ignatius with their own perspective must come together to affect the
university's life and the developing Ignatian tradition. In this way value-
centered education evolving out of the ideals of Ignatian spirituality and the
Gospels will continue in Jesuit institutions. (p. 7)

If Ignatian spirituality truly does imbue more similarities than differences between faith
beliefs, then it should be viewed less as a threat, and seen more as a commonality to
be embraced by all religious traditions, including those represented by faculty
members at Holy University.

References

1. Aschenbrenner, G. (1982) The Jesuit university today: An introduction to the
Ignatian vision in higher education. The Scranton Journal pp. 2-10.
2. Buckley, M. (1998) The Catholic university as promise and project Georgetown
University Press , Washington, DC
3. Creswell, J. W. (1998) Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing
among five traditions Sage , Thousand Oaks, CA
4. Currie, C. (2001) As I see it: Ex Corde Ecclesiae's challenge to the Catholic
University — Retrieved January 15, 2003, from http://www.companysj.com
/v181/asiseeit.htm
5. Ex Corde Ecclesiae (1990) — Retrieved March 12, 2001, from
http://www.cin.org/jp2/excorde.html
6. Freke, T. (1998) The illustrated book of sacred scriptures. Theosophical
Publishing House, Godsfield Press , Wheaton, IL
7. Heft, J. (1999) Have Catholic colleges reached an impasse?. The Chronicle of
Higher Education, 46 (12), B6-7 — Retrieved July 31, 2002, from
http://chronicle.com
8. Holy University Bulletin (2001) Holy University mission statement, 92(4).
Omana, NE Holy University Publications
9. Johnson, E. Goodchild, L. and Wechsler, H. (eds) (1997) Misconceptions
about the early land-grant colleges. The history of higher education (2nd ed) (pp.
222-233). ASHE Reader Series Simon & Schuster Custom Publishing , Needham
Heights, MA
10. Kolvenbach, P. (1989) Themes of Jesuit higher education. Extracted from two
addresses by the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, delivered June 7,
1989, at Georgetown University and Georgetown Prep. Heartland III Conference,
Creigton University, May 22-25, 2000 — Retrieved October 24, 2002, from
http://www.creighton.edu/Heartland3/r-themes.html
11. Luparell, S. , Wackel, J. and Peck, K. (2003) Faculty perceptions of their
responsibility in fulfilling the academic mission of spirituality: A single case study
in one Catholic Midwestern university — Unpublished manuscript, University of
Nebraska-Lincoln.
12. Merriam, S. (2001) Qualitative research and case study applications in
education Jossey-Bass Publishers , San Francisco, CA
13. Moser, M. (2002) A warm heart and a clear eye: Ex Corde Ecclesiae and the
university. Conversations 22 , pp. 19-23.
14. National Conference of Catholic Bishops (2000) The application of Ex Corde
Ecclesiae for the United States. United States Catholic Conference Washington,
DC — NCR Online. Retrieved November 26, 2002, from http://www.natcath.com

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/NCR_Online/archives/102502/102502.u.htm
15. Patton, M. (1990) Qualitative evaluation methods (2nd ed.) Sage , Thousand
Oaks, CA
16. Spirit, J. (2000) President's inaugural response embracing the future together
— Retrieved June 24, 2002, from http://www.Holy.edu/President/Speeches
/Inaugural.html
17. Strauss, A. and Corbin, J. (1998) Basics of qualitative research: Techniques
and procedures for developing grounded theory (2nd ed.) Sage , Thousand Oaks,
CA
18. Veysey, R. (1965) The emergence of the American university University of
Chicago Press , Chicago, IL
19. Wilson, C. (2001) Implementation of Ex Corde Ecclesiae in the United States:
The civil law implications for American Catholic colleges — A presentation to the
Annual Meeting of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities.
Retrieved November 26, 2002, from http://www.accunet.org/ece/wilson.asp

List of Figures

FIGURE 1 Case
study: Aggregate Theme One.

FIGURE 2
Case-Study: Aggregate Theme Two.

19 de 23 11/04/2011 10:53 p.m.


FIGURE 3
Case-Study: Aggregate Theme Three.

List of Tables
TABLE 1 Demographics according to Faculty Rank or Title (N = 15)*

Associate Assistant
Professor Professor

N=5 N=5 N=3 N=1 N=1


N = 1.

TABLE 2 Average Number of
Years Employed at Holy
University (excluding the
President)

Male Female Aggregate

16.2 yrs 11 yrs 14.4 yrs

TABLE 3 Departments Represented


Political Science 1

20 de 23 11/04/2011 10:53 p.m.



Classical and Near Eastern Studies 3

Sociology and Anthropology 1

Arts and Sciences 2

English 1

Justice and Peace Studies 1

Education 1

Theology 4

Fine Arts 1

Administration (President) 1

TABLE 4 Selected Characteristics of the Non-Catholic Faculty Participants (N =
5).


Highest
Ph.D. Ph.D. Ph.D. Ph.D. Ph.D.
Degree Earned

Academic Associate Associate Assistant
Professor Professor

Classical and Classical and Classical and Sociology
Academic Political
Near Eastern Near Eastern Near Eastern and
Department Science
Studies Studies Studies Anthropology


21 de 23 11/04/2011 10:53 p.m.



Length of
Holy University

Undergraduate
100% 30% 99% 100% 90%
Teaching Load


TABLE 5 Selected Characteristics of the Catholic Faculty Participants (N = 5).

Bill Harry Jane Eyre Martin Rose

Highest
Ph.D. Ph.D. Ph.D. M.A. Ph.D.
Degree Earned

Academic Associate Associate Associate
Professor Director

Justice and
Academic Arts and Arts and
English Peace Education
Department Sciences Sciences
Studies

Length of
Holy University

Undergraduate
50% 100% 66% 100% 60%
Teaching Load

In the above table it can be seen that four of the five participants held the highest
Academic Degree for their discipline. The one person without a terminal degree was
assigned the title of 'Director' for the Department of Justice and Peace Studies. All
persons in this category had instructional assignments ranging from 50% to 100%
FTE.

22 de 23 11/04/2011 10:53 p.m.


TABLE 6 Selected Characteristics of the Jesuit Faculty Participants (N = 5)

RJH Inigo Murphy Andy Bobadilla

Highest 2 Masters 3 Masters
Ph.D. Ph.D. Ph.D.
Degree Earned Degrees Degrees

Academic Assistant Associate
Professor Professor Instructor
Rank Professor Professor

Academic
Theology Theology Theology Fine Arts Theology
Department

Length of
Holy University

Undergraduate
75% 75% 100% 100% 100%
Teaching Load

Table 6 shows three Jesuit faculty persons held terminal Academic Degrees, four of
them were Theology Instructors, and they ranged in faculty rank from Instructor
(Murphy with two Masters Degrees and three years of tenure at Holy University) to
RJH with 31 years at Holy University.

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