Living the Ideal
“Catholic University aims to form our students spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, and in virtue,” Kilpatrick explains. “We believe it is our role to help our students become the very best version of themselves they can possibly be in all dimensions of their human faculties. As a Catholic university, we believe that this can only happen when a young person discovers themselves in the light of the God-man, Jesus Christ.”
This is the vocation of every Catholic university. Further, what makes a university a university is the commitment to seeing all the truths discoverable by human reason in light of the all-encompassing truth of revelation.
“There must be a grand idea that unites the mission of a university,” Kilpatrick shares. “One can go back to the originating mission statements of all the great universities — including Cambridge, Oxford, Paris, Harvard, Yale — and pursuing God’s truth was at the heart of their mission when they began.”
While these universities might still offer Latinate phrases etched around campus proclaiming their commitment to pursuing truth, forming moral character, and serving Christ, they are now primarily concerned with getting students good jobs. If Catholic University is committed to giving the republic its best citizens, we might understand many modern universities to be committed to giving the market its best workers. Further, these universities no longer gather their various disciplines and areas of study under the wings of an overarching truth.
When this happens, we are left with what Alasdair MacIntyre called a “multiversity.” Institutions become fragmented, splintered, no longer guided by a transcendent vision of the good, true, and beautiful. Academic disciplines devolve into a self-preserving myopia that results in the disjointed formation of students.
“We work hard to prevent the fragmenting of the disciplines at our University. The more we lean into this overarching ideal that our mission is to give our republic our best citizens, to serve God, the better at keeping the University integrated,” Kilpatrick explains.
The fruits of such an approach are many. Not only does it offer students a more holistic vision of reality and themselves as unique and unrepeatable individuals created in the image and likeness of God, but it also enables all members of the university to fruitfully collaborate since they see themselves as a collective whole as opposed to a loosely assembled group of scholars.
Dr. Kilpatrick cites the example of Catholic University’s psychology professor David Jobes, Ph.D., who is working across several disciplines, including media communications and athletics, to tackle the enormous societal issue of suicide prevention. Instead of remaining isolated within his own discipline, Jobes is seeking the expertise and insights of the entire academic community with a spirit of collegiality and humility.
The Market Advantage of Catholic Identity
The benefits of striving to be a true University extend even further. Today, many universities are in danger of shuttering their doors because of market saturation and high operating costs within higher ed. However, certain Catholic schools are experiencing tremendous growth. As Sara Weissman emphasizes in her Inside Higher Ed article, “Religious Colleges That Lean Into Their Identity Make Gains” (November 19, 2024), institutions offering a distinctive Catholic identity are appealing to many looking for something that is truly unique from what most liberal arts and public “multiversities” are offering.
Monsignor James Shea — a Catholic University alumnus, Basselin Scholar, and current president of the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota — sees a Catholic school’s distinctiveness as necessary for its success in today’s higher education landscape.
“I think Catholic colleges’ success has to do with a willingness to not be embarrassed about Catholic identity,” Monsignor Shea explains. “Our goal at the University of Mary is to avoid sinking into a set of institutional priorities that make us indistinguishable from the mid-sized state school down the road, since that would not be a genuine contribution to the diversity of options and to the span of choices students have before them. If we present ourselves as a true and genuine alternative, then we are no longer simply competing with those institutions that might have more resources than us.”
In other words, the more that Catholic colleges and universities water down their faith-based identity, reducing themselves to mere “multiversities,” the more they begin competing with the liberal arts and state schools that often have major advantages in resources and financial support. Success today depends on Catholic distinctiveness. This is not just a theory: the University of Mary is genuinely thriving, pulling in students from all over the country.
“Here we are in Bismarck and we have students coming from San Diego,” Shea says. “How do you account for that? By offering something that students aren’t finding readily at other places.”
Thus, the university that remains true to its vision of bringing forth truth, beauty, and goodness through the light of Christ not only helps shape students holistically and fosters a collaborative academic environment, but it offers a tangible path for remaining relevant in an increasingly overcrowded marketplace.
Of course, a university should still be judged, in part, on a key metric that secular institutions have not forgotten: its ability to help its students obtain good jobs after they graduate. More and more people are less convinced that college is worth the money, time, and labor precisely because it is not always clear the investment will pay off.
Innovation Without Compromise
Kathleen deLaski, founder and board chair at Education Design Lab, discusses innovative ways for addressing these problems within higher education in Who Needs College Anymore? Imagining a Future Where Degrees Won’t Matter (Harvard Education Press, February 2025). In the book, deLaski unpacks the rise of students for whom the traditional, four-year experience might not be possible or reasonable due to cost, family circumstances, geographic limitations, and so on.
While deLaski believes the traditional college experience does not effectively serve everyone, she affirms that it certainly has its place, especially for those who want to pursue certain professional jobs (medicine, law, STEM-related careers, etc.) where a bachelor’s degree remains vital. Still, she believes universities need to do more to meet the needs of all students.
“Today’s modern workforce demands a different model for college than the one we adopted from the universities in Europe nearly 400 years ago,” deLaski explains. “With that model, we shouldn’t be surprised that only a little more than one-third of American adults have a four-year degree. A step ladder approach would allow students to move in and out of higher education at their own pace, to provide incremental educational offerings that students can piece together like Lego blocks.”
The idea is that in addition to their traditional program offerings, universities would also offer micro-credentials, certificates, or modular tracks at a lower cost that allow students to continue to work. For instance, a nursing student could work at a hospital part-time while stacking up individual credentials at an affordable cost and on a reasonable timeline, eventually enabling the student to earn an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
However, the challenge with such an approach for Catholic universities is ensuring they still offer what is distinctive about them — a holistic and balanced formation rooted in intentional community and the pursuit of truth.
Catholic University offers a compelling example for a path forward with its distance campus in Tucson, Arizona. Students accepted into the business and interdisciplinary programs in Tucson pay very little, thanks to national grants and generous alumni donations, allowing them to earn a degree in a way that aligns with their circumstances. While students are effectively prepared for the world of work through this innovative step ladder approach, they still receive an education that is distinctive to Catholic University’s holistic vision of truth, beauty, and goodness. And students in Tucson cite the same familial environment that students experience at the main D.C. campus.
As part of the Education Design Lab, deLaski worked closely with Catholic University and potential students in Tucson to ensure the program captured a distinctive Catholic identity. For example, students have taken an online course taught by Andreas Widmer, associate professor of practice in entrepreneurship, on integrating business principles with Catholic identity and mission. The Tucson campus program therefore offers a unique solution — an affordable, convenient degree program still aimed at “giving the Republic her best citizens,” while spreading the truth of Christ to those within and well beyond the walls of the main campus in D.C.
A Firm Foundation
Ultimately, this approach can serve as a sign and solution for other Catholic universities across the country facing the challenges of modern higher education.
“My whole vision for Catholic higher ed arises from my experience as an undergraduate and graduate student at Catholic University, and the ingenious way that the Catholic faith is woven through every aspect of the education,” Monsignor Shea shares. “It has allowed me to lead the University of Mary with integrity and the certitude that it’s possible to achieve the vision of what a Catholic university should be.”
