After recounting the historical circumstances of the establishment of independent boards at Catholic colleges and universities, this paper considers the present conditions of boards at six Holy Cross institutions. Interviews and correspondence with the presidents of these institutions provided answers to a number of questions, including: How are…

The Land O' Lakes Statement set the stage for dramatic changes in the life of Catholic colleges and universities. Not least among these changes was the introduction of primarily lay-led boards of trustees. In the 50 years since the statement's publication, these institutions have faced dwindling numbers within their sponsoring religious orders, as…

This paper explores what some have described as a 'crisis in meaning' in religious education (RE). One region, Northern Ireland, is chosen as a focus for exploring the question of meaning-making as it provides an example of 'agreed ambiguity' -- where a common syllabus for RE is believed to be ascribed different meanings by different schools. The…

Preparing employees to become stewards of Marianist values has become a priority at Marianist institutions because employees impact the institutions' environment, and faculty and staff directly impact student learning. To date, there is a lack of research conducted among employees of Marianist institutions on how new understandings of the…

Religious education in Australian Catholic High Schools is the raison d'etre for the Catholic education system and religious education teachers are critical to this mission. This paper offers a framework for investigating the self-efficacy of religious education teachers.We first describe the nature and context of religious education in Australian…

There is a movement toward "corporatization" evident in Catholic hospitals, Catholic schools, and Catholic social service agencies taking up management structures and other features and behaviors employed by corporations. Many see these practices as threatening the identity and influence of religion as the profit concerns begin to take…

This article provides an example of how the traditions and values that have long underpinned the work of Christian higher education are of particular relevance to how Christian universities might partner with communities to address critical 21st-century challenges in groundbreaking new ways. The University of Dayton's Catholic and Marianist…

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee's system of Catholic schools currently consists of 95 elementary schools and 15 high schools in the 10-county region of southeastern Wisconsin. According to the National Catholic Educational Association's (NCEA's) 2017-2018 "Annual Statistical Report on Schools, Enrollment, and Staffing," Milwaukee ranks 12th…

International branch campuses (IBCs) are ventures in higher education that continue to make a global footprint in the delivery of higher education transnationally. However, there is limited knowledge on the intentionality of key leaders about whether to replicate the campus culture of home institutions at their respective IBCs. The purpose of this…

This study describes the experiences of a group of individuals who attended a southern California Catholic boys' high school, and the men who taught them. The goal of this study was to relate a narrative that explained how an education, steeped in the Christian Brothers' mission provided a quality education for the poor, and shaped the lives,…

This ethnographic case study describes how civically engaged students understand their commitment to social change. Literature on civic engagement and service-learning abounds, yet gaps remain in understanding how students understand and act on campus mission and culture with respect to civic engagement. Using the frameworks of transformative…

This essay presents a Catholic perspective on the growing concern for student mental health on college campuses. Drawing on the three characteristics of Catholic undergraduate education put forward by the seminal 1967 Land O'Lakes summit, which together engage the intellectual, social, and spiritual dimensions of campus life, the authors argue…

Many issues facing modern Catholic colleges and universities -- such as how to differentiate their curriculum from that of secular institutions, how to incorporate a Catholic perspective into professional education, and how to maintain a Catholic identity with a diverse student body -- are as old as the universities themselves. This article…

The purpose of this study was to explore personal and organizational values, their influence and alignment, in the ethical decision-making of Catholic school principals. Semi-structured interviews allowed the 12 participants to explore personal and school values, areas of congruence and dissonance, methods for resolving dissonance, the process of…

This study examined the promising practices employed by the West Coast Diocese that were perceived to build the leadership capacity of future Catholic school principals. Additionally, this study sought to ascertain the challenges to building leadership capacity in the principal residency program. One diocesan program, the principal residency…