<p>There is a constant struggle within the Catholic church and Catholic colleges about the role Catholicism plays at the colleges: [News:</a> The Catholicity Test - Inside Higher Ed](<a href=“http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/11/17/catholic]News:”>http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/11/17/catholic)</p>
<p>I was wondering what people here have experienced. I expect that it varies a lot by college.</p>
<p>You’ve answered your own question! I attended a Catholic University for my master’s in Psychology and found absoultely no church influence despite the fact that several of my professors were priests.</p>
<p>DW attended two years at a Jesuit College. The only influence was the requirement to take religion classes (religion being very broadly defined). One she took was “religions of the world”, I don’t remember the other.</p>
<p>The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College lists colleges which require a mandatum - a formal acknowledgment by the church that a theologian is teaching within the full communion of the Catholic Church–of its theology professors. (i.e. He/she will not be teaching dissent in the classroom.) Some of the more established colleges on the list have changed over the years, some departments will have a more Catholic reputation than others. (I notice CUA is on the list–their philosophy/theology might be conservative, but I wouldn’t say that the whole school is.) And of course it depends what the course is–whether any “Catholic” content is involved or necessary to the topic.</p>
<p>If someone is looking for a more liberal Catholic school , anything NOT on the Newman list is fair game. Even Notre Dame, while the students are mostly Catholic and there is a very strong sense of Catholic culture on the campus, is not on the list because its policies aren’t “orthodox.” Jesuit schools, which have a “free thinking” reputation, are often preferred by liberal Catholics/non-Catholics who are looking for a private/values-oriented school without too much theology.</p>
<p>I think the article gives the false impression that to be faithfully “Catholic,” a school must be against academic freedom. (Charles Curren, dissident priest, has been quoted on this topic every time it has come up since 1968. How about some quotes from the founders/presidents/professors of some of the colleges that are faithful to Ex corde Ecclesiae?) Really, no news here. They are reviewing Ex corde and the usual suspects will appear. I think the real question among American Catholics is “What does it means to be Catholic?” How students and parents answer this question will determine which schools they will consider.</p>
<p>There are religious groups that meet on campus if you want to join them. But campus life and the curriculum are pretty much the same as at secular universities. there is some self-selection that may change the feel of some campuses.</p>
<p>Atomom: Thanks. That clarifies the situation.</p>
<p>I personally am not looking for a Catholic college. I am just curious.</p>
<p>We toured a Catholic college where they made sure nothing was scheduled officially (classes, meetings, sports practices etc.) in the hour when Mass was celebrated. I would imagine a policy like that would indicate a stronger “Catholic” presence on campus.</p>
<p>I go to a Catholic college, and I myself was raised Catholic. They have mass in the chapels that are in all the dorms, and we have a beautiful chapel in the middle of campus, and there’s a contemporary mass (colloquially called “ghetto mass” because it’s held in a space that’s in the UD ghetto, which is the student neighborhood) as well. during orientation there was a campus wide mass that was open to students and parents. At least where I go (Dayton), catholicism is there when you want it and pretty easy to not pay attention to when you don’t. I once saw it described as a “choose your won adventure” type of thing, where it’s easy to get involved but also easy to get into other, non-religious stuff. We’ve got one of the largest campus ministry programs in the world.</p>
<p>As far as in classes, my history professor mentions UD’s catholic-ness about once every three weeks, and we talked a lot more about the founder of the Marianists when we were studying the French Revolution, as he was involved in it. No one else really mentions it, as far as I know, but I’m mostly in science classes and labs - there’s nothing to really relate it to when you’re measuring wavelength in chemistry.</p>
<p>overall, I’d say it’s very easy to see and experience, but only if you want to.</p>
<p>DD graduated from a Jesuit university. We are not Catholic. The school’s philosophy of community service was a strength in hers and our eyes. If anything, the Jesuit philosophy of education made the school a better place.</p>