.jpg)
The University of Notre Dame has reversed a recent change to staff values by reinstating “Catholic mission” at the heart of its core values.
In a 21 November staff announcement, President Fr Robert A. Dowd, CSC, acknowledged that its earlier decision to drop the “Catholic mission” – in terms of specific wording – from its official guidance to staff had sparked confusion over the institution’s Catholic identity.
Fr Robert A. Dowd explained that while the “Catholic mission” had been referenced in the preamble to the newly introduced value framework, “placement is causing confusion and … some could interpret that not as elevating our mission as we intended but as a sign of diminishing commitment”.
Under the corrected values, the phrase “Catholic mission” now leads a list of five core values for staff, accompanied by the directive: “Be a force for good and help to advance Notre Dame’s mission to be the leading global Catholic research university.”
Fr Dowd emphasised that the institution’s Catholic ethos “guides and informs all that we do and how we work together”, adding that “our Catholic mission has animated our common work from the university’s founding, and it will always be our guiding force".
Speaking directly to staff, he said: “I could not be more grateful for the many ways you embody the very best of Notre Dame. You inspire me with your generosity, kindness and dedication to Our Lady’s university.”
The reversal comes after the university unveiled in late October a culture-refresh initiative which sought to streamline staff values into Community, Collaboration, Excellence and Innovation, with the aim of making the Catholic mission an overarching theme rather than a discrete value.
In announcing that earlier change, Heather Christophersen, the vice-president for human resources, had argued that the existing values list “had only one value that pointed into mission” and that the new formulation would avoid confusion over what mission meant.
But the move triggered concern among some observers that the university might be diluting its religious identity. Critics pointed to earlier decisions, including the establishment of a new “Centre for Virtue Ethics” and said by some to supplant a prior – and overtly – Catholic centre, as well as to the permitting of events and programmes viewed as inconsistent with Catholic moral teaching.
The re‐insertion of the Catholic mission statement may be read as a reaffirmation of the institution’s religious heritage.
Founded in 1842 by Father Edward F. Sorin of the Congregation of Holy Cross, Notre Dame has long defined itself as “a Catholic academic community of higher learning” rooted in Catholic intellectual life and service.
The institution, which employs around 4,500 staff, also revealed during the mission-wording fracas that it does not monitor religious affiliation among staff in the same way it does for faculty and students.
RELATED: Notre Dame bins Catholic mission statement for staff
Photo: The so-called 'Golden Dome' on the campus of Notre Dame University before a game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Michigan State Spartans at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana, USA, 19 September 2009 (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
.jpg)
.jpg)
