Characteristics of Jesuit Colleges and Universities in the United States: A Reciprocal Interdependence Analysis

Abstract

What common values do diverse Jesuit institutions share? In what ways are Jesuit colleges and universities working to maintain mission, identity, and traditions within the context of 21st-century higher education? To ground their response to these questions, the researchers first review the historical and ecclesial developments that have influenced the mission and identity of Catholic institutions of higher education (IHEs). They discuss the resulting changes in the vision of US Jesuit colleges and universities and trace the impact of the theological shift fostered by Vatican II documents and the Land O’Lakes statement on Catholic colleges and universities in general and Jesuit institutions in particular. Finally, the study critically analyzes the reciprocal interdependence of the seven AJCU characteristics to provide insights and recommendations for implementation of a reimagined articulation of Jesuit, Catholic mission and identity for member institutions, and other Catholic IHEs.