Conversations

ON JESUIT HIGHER EDUCATION Spring 2011 • Number 39 “We hold these truths to be self evident...” Excellence: Where Is It? Excellence & Honors Programs • Best Practices • Alpha Sigma Nu • Obstacles • Talking Back SPRING 2011 NUMBER 39 Members of the National Seminar on ON JESUIT HIGHER EDUCATION Jesuit Higher Education Lisa Sowle Cahill Boston College Excellence: Where Is It? Harry R. Dammer Scranton University Margaret Haigler Davis Spring Hill College Features Susanne E. Foster 2 A Characteristic Impulse Toward Excellence, John W. O’Malley, S.J. Marquette University 5 Aspiring to Be Great, Michael McFarland, S.J. Patrick J. Howell, S.J. Seattle University 9 At the Frontier and in the Heart: Jesuit Schools, Kent Hickey Paul V, Murphy 13 HUMBITION: Excellence in Jesuit Business Education, William J. Byron, S.J. John Carroll University 18 Coming Home: An Immersion Experience, Amanda Malik John J. O’Callaghan, S.J. 22 Obstacles to Excellence, Harry R. Dammer Stritch School of Medicine Loyola University Chicago 24 “Controlled By A Creed?” Chad Flanders Mark P. Scalese, S.J. Fairfield University Raymond A. Schroth, S.J. America Magazine Excellence Aparna Venkatesan 27 Partnership with Pests, Karen Price University of San Francisco Charles T. Phipps, S.J. 29 EXCELLENCE - Marquette University • Boston College • Scranton University Santa Clara University Saint Joseph’s University • Spring Hill College • Rockhurst University Loyola Marymount University • Xavier University• University of San Francisco Seattle University • College of the Holy Cross • Fordham University Conversations is published by the National Seminar on Jesuit Higher Education, which is jointly spon- sored by the Jesuit Conference Board and the Board of the Honors Programs Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The opinions stated 34 Honors Programs at Jesuit Institutions: Learning and Joy, Harry P. Nasuti herein are those of the authors 39 Something Special at Scranton, Ronald H. McKinney,S.J. and not necessarily those of the JC or the AJCU. 43 What We Did Last Summer — Intellectually, Constance Mui and John Sebastian 45 What New Orleans Taught Me, Jacqueline McSweeney Comments and inquiries may be addressed to the editor of 41 Best Practices - Le Moyne University • Gonzaga University Conversations Creighton University • Rockhurst University Raymond A. Schroth, S.J. Regis University/Loyola University Baltimore America House 106 W. 56th Street New York, NY, 10019-3596 Phone: 212-515-0142 46 Alpha Sigma Nu: A SHORT HISTORY, Beatrice Henson-O’Neal e-mail: [email protected] 47 ALPHA SIGMA NU Scholarship, Loyalty, Service: Joan Van Hise For information about subscriptions to Conversations: Charles T. Phipps, S.J. Talking Back Secretary to the National Seminar on Jesuit Higher Education 49 Sex and the Young Adult Catholic College Student, Richard G. Malloy, S.J. Santa Clara University 500 El Camino Real 53 The Dishonesty of “Cores Lite,” D. R. Kouka Santa Clara, CA 95053-1600 55 How Jesuit Stars Can Win the Core Wars, Justin Daffron, S.J. Phone: 408-554-4124 57 Math and Gospels, Richard Escobales Fax: 408-554-4795 e-mail: [email protected] Conversations back issues are available online at Photo Collage http://epublications.marquette. edu/conversations/ 8 Regis University • 44 Wheeling Jesuit University Design and layout by Pauline Heaney. 59 Book Review: Charles R. Gallagher, S.J. Printed by Peacock Communications, Maplewood, N.J. From the Editor Excellence. Where is it? On Doing Things Well xcellence, like beauty, is often in the eye of the In the Jesuit educational tradition, therefore, the high beholder. But in the intellectual life — and especial- school, college, or university is not really “Jesuit” if anything ly in the education profession — we must use less than one’s best becomes acceptable. There is a correla- Ewords as precisely as we can. Inevitably, as Michael tion between how well students perform and how much McFarland, S.J. suggests in his essay, the words “to excel” they are challenged to attempt. Even a college with fewer have the ting of an athletic competition in their resonance. resources — low endowment, students less prepared by It reminds me of a story during the First World War. The their high schools, space shortage, etc. — can pursue elo- troops on the ship on the way to France decided to entertain quentia perfecta, which translates as: demanding lists of themselves by staging a boxing match between the army and required classic readings, daily written assignments, tough the navy, and my father was chosen to fight for the army. All sanctions on plagiarism, frequent exams or quizzes, and assembled on the deck, the bell rang and the boxers came out insisting that every student learn how to stand up in front of of their corners and started sparring around. The fighters got an audience and speak intelligently for ten minuets without into a clinch and the sailor said, “No need to overdo this. Let’s saying “kinda,” “like” or “y’know.” The classic image of the just put on a show for them and take it easy.” Jesuit-trained young man or woman for a long while has “No,” said my father. Let each man do his best.” And he been the one who could analyze and argue rationally. That knocked the sailor out of the ring. is a goal to which every institution can aspire, regardless of Yet, excellence is not synonymous with winning. Watch the size of the football stadium. the marathon runners who stumble across the finish line two Excellence has many faces. In this issue we try to answer hours after the winners have crossed. Some are handi- the question: Excellence, where is it? To some degree we have capped, elderly, very young, blind or lame. They have focused on standard sign posts — honors programs, Alpha excelled in stamina, determination, character. The runners Sigma Nu, etc — but we have reached out. We wrote directly have a saying, ”To compete is to win.” to the presidents of all 28 Jesuit colleges and universities and The various magazine rankings — U. S. News and World invited them to send short descriptions and pictures of one Report and Washington Monthly — are useful, but not the person or activity which illustrates excellence on their campus. last word. Jesuit schools, for the most part, do well. The They responded with a rich list of scholars, an athletic coach, London Times Higher Education World survey includes teaching methods, a book fair, student research, and service Boston College (161) and Georgetown University (164) projects. They demonstrate that the ideal Jesuit student is not among the top 200 universities in the world. U.S. News lists just a walking brain but a complex person who travels, works, Georgetown, Boston College, Fordham, Marquette, St. Louis, runs, competes, prays, and serves. and Loyola Chicago among the top 191 national universities We have opened our discussion with general articles on and 19 Jesuit schools among the best regional universities, the history of excellence as a Jesuit concept, suggested most in the first 10-20 in their regions. Xavier is singled out norms by which it may be achieved, the high school gener- for its first year experience, Loyola New Orleans for its serv- ation approaching our gates, a challenge for excellence in ice learning, Georgetown and St. Louis for study abroad, and professional education, a student’s report on an excellent Saint Peter’s for diversity. service experience, and a warning that we may still have a Washington Monthly, using different criteria, lists eight way to go. Examples follow. Jesuit schools among its top 50 master’s universities, and seven Finally, our Talking Back section exemplifies how the in the first 90 among 258 national universities. Holy Cross, our main goal of this publication may be achieved, with three only strictly liberal arts college, is 15 out of 252. First Things essays following up on the previous “Core Wars” theme and magazine offers 100-word sketches evaluating 103 colleges and one adding more insights to our Donna Freitas interview on universities, including seven Jesuit institutions, on how well the hook-up culture on our campuses. And now we wel- they conform to the editors’ conservative flavor of Catholicism. come your responses. I’m sure we may have left someone or Charts list no Jesuit schools among the 12 “most Catholic” and something out. ■ four among the “least Catholic.” Their conclusions can be enjoyed even when they cannot be believed. RASsj. Conversations 1 A Characteristic Impulse Toward Excellence “We are not born for ourselves alone.” By John O’Malley, S.J. ny school worth talking about into the ethos of the order and thence into the ethos wants to excel. That’s why it hires of the schools. I can point out three sources for it. coaches to produce winning Though the sources can be distinguished from one teams. That’s why it sets up search another, they are so interrelated that they become committees to hire the best facul- one in their historical manifestations. ty. That’s why it sends out agents The first source is the person of Ignatius himself. to recruit the best students, and Like the founders of other orders, he impressed traits why it spends lavishly to build the of his personality on the Society of Jesus. He is often smartest classrooms and the most described as a “Renaissance man.” That designation attractive residence halls. Striving is true up to a point, but we must remember that he for excellence is hardly a monopoly of Jesuit schools, was born into a noble family in which the chivalric Aand we should beware of making silly claims about ideals of the medieval knight valiant were still very our purchase on it. much alive. Before his religious conversion, his Nonetheless, we are heirs of a tradition of edu- favorite reading was stories about great deeds of cation that stretches over four and a half centuries in such heroes, and on his sick bed at Loyola he made which excellence was a consistent leit-motif, some- St.

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