Characteristics of Jesuit Colleges and Universities

Characteristics of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (2021)

The document, A Guide for Mission Reflection was created by the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) to guide the next sequence of Mission Priority Examens (MPEs) for all institutions of Jesuit higher education in North America.

Highlights

This document highlights:

• the recent emphases of the Society of Jesus, including the Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs);
• the importance of the MPE process as the primary tool for institutional self-review;
• the MPE process as a shared endeavor between Jesuit schools and the Society of Jesus;
• and the recognition that Jesuit schools rely on a demonstrated commitment by a community of leaders to live out their Jesuit mission, regardless of how many Jesuits are directly involved.

The Seven Characteristics

of Jesuit Colleges and Universities explored in the document are:

1. Leadership and Public Commitment to Mission: The University’s leadership effectively communicates and enlivens the Jesuit, Catholic mission of the institution.
2. The Academic Life: The University’s academic life and institutional choices clearly represent the Jesuit and Catholic commitment to a liberal arts and Christian humanistic education for all students.
3. The Pursuit of Faith, Justice & Reconciliation: The Jesuit University actively responds to the most morally urgent issues of our times in ways that reflect the deepest sources of the Jesuit, Catholic tradition. Specific areas of reflection include:
   1. Social Justice in the Context of Jesuit Higher Education,
   2. Racial Justice & Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,
   3. Caring for Our Common Home, and
   4. Service and Solidarity with the Community.
4. Promoting an Ignatian Campus Culture: The University works to foster a virtuous life and learning characterized by personal responsibility, compassion, forgiveness, respect, a habit of reflection, and integration of body, mind, and soul.
5. Service to the Church: The University offers resources to build up the local Church so that people of faith can wrestle with difficult questions facing the Church and the world.
6. Relationship to the Society of Jesus: The University lives out its commitment to its Jesuit identity through collaboration and vibrant partnerships with the Society of Jesus.
7. Institutional Integrity: The University demonstrates a commitment to Jesuit values through its administrative policies practices, and community relationships.