Just a Tad Jesuit: Seattle U Faculty Contest Handbook Changes – The Spectator

A proposed change  in the statement of mission at Seattle University, a Jesuit university, now led by a lay Catholic, Eduardo Penalver has sparked anger among many faculty.

The proposed new language emphasizes both the Catholic and Jesuit character of the university.

Opponents assert that most of the faculty now are atheist or otherwise secular, and that only 25% of the student body is Catholic.

The Church's stance against abortion and opposition to policies such as recognition of same sex union are cited by faculty as grounds for objecting to the assertion of Catholic identity.  They fear that their academic freedom to criticize Church history and policy will be constrained.

The sexual abuse crisis now in its fourth decade, combined with the centrality opposition to abortion in the U.S. Catholic Bishops efforts no doubt contribute to resistance.  The article below - by the University student newspaper - describes the issue on the campus now.

- GWC

Just a Tad Jesuit: Seattle U Faculty Contest Handbook Changes – The Spectator

***A proposed change to the Faculty Handbook would have inserted language into the code which reaffirmed the Catholic and Jesuit identity of the school:

“Jesuit and Catholic signify the distinctive and defining character of Seattle University. Recognition of the transcendent dimension of human life, as expressed in diverse religious and spiritual traditions, is fundamental to the identity of a Jesuit university. Seattle University faculty are a community of teacher-scholars with an acknowledgement of and a respect for Catholic religious, intellectual, and cultural traditions, while maintaining their individual faith commitment.” 

The proposed language was a reuse of the Handbook’s phrasing before 2003. The current statement, which has been in use for two decades, is less specific about the university’s Catholic tradition:

“As a community of teachers and scholars, the faculty acknowledges the University’s religious and cultural traditions and seeks, in a wide variety of ways, to contribute through the professional endeavors of its members to the Jesuit ethos. Seattle University faculty members respect the religious dimension of human life, which is a central element of Jesuit philosophy.” ***