Catholic universities need Catholic staff, says prominent academic

[_Abyssinia]

The president of the Catholic University of America defended the identity of Catholic universities at a conference last week

A majority of a university’s faculty “must be Catholic” for a university to be Catholic, the president of The Catholic University of America said in a speech in Napa last week.

“I want to make one point. Building a Catholic university is not a complicated thing,” John Garvey said during the Napa Institute’s annual conference.

catholicherald.co.uk/news/2016/07/14/catholic-universities-need-catholic-staff-says-prominent-academic/

 

[meltzerboy]

catholicherald.co.uk/news/2016/07/14/catholic-universities-need-catholic-staff-says-prominent-academic/

I agree. It would be odd otherwise. And I say this as a non-Catholic faculty member who teaches at a Catholic university. While I am almost certain the great majority of faculty and staff at my university are Catholic, I am not too sure about the majority of students. The university has every right to give preference to Catholics in the hiring process and the recruitment of students, which they do insofar as staff is concerned.

 

[ProVobis]

I agree. It would be odd otherwise. And I say this as a non-Catholic faculty member who teaches at a Catholic university. While I am almost certain the great majority of faculty and staff at my university are Catholic, I am not too sure about the majority of students. The university has every right to give preference to Catholics in the hiring process and the recruitment of students, which they do insofar as staff is concerned.

I think the faculty at Notre Dame is about 50% Catholic; the students around 80%. There is no breakdown, however, on practicing or non-practicing or personal views on abortions, etc. In my view that should matter.

 

[meltzerboy]

I think the faculty at Notre Dame is about 50% Catholic; the students around 80%. There is no breakdown, however, on practicing or non-practicing or personal views on abortions, etc. In my view that should matter.

How would such a litmus test work in the hiring process?

 

[ProVobis]

How would such a litmus test work in the hiring process?

To be honest, I haven’t the slightest idea.

In my personal experience I received my masters (in business) from a Benedictine university. I trusted that the faculty there was competent enough to teach. I doubt if anyone asked their religious beliefs.

 

[_Abyssinia]

How would such a litmus test work in the hiring process?

In Cincinnati for example, they have moral clauses that don’t allow “public advocacy” of things like abortion, same-sex marriage etc. The article says they don’t prohibit a personal view though. But if you work in a Catholic school, you can’t publicly advocate for a position on abortion that is contrary to the Catholic Church: wcpo.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/cincinnati/archdiocese-of-cincinnati-catholic-teacher-contract-edit-to-clarify

 

[meltzerboy]

In Cincinnati for example, they have moral clauses that don’t allow “public advocacy” of things like abortion, same-sex marriage etc. The article says they don’t prohibit a personal view though. But if you work in a Catholic school, you can’t publicly advocate for a position on abortion that is contrary to the Catholic Church: wcpo.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/cincinnati/archdiocese-of-cincinnati-catholic-teacher-contract-edit-to-clarify

Yes, morality clauses in contracts are implemented. Don’t they also sometimes apply to personal behavior off-campus? Anyhow, that sounds like a reasonable solution.