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”.
