More of the same?
Dominican University President Donna M. Carroll has been appointed to serve as a consultant to the Bishops and Presidents Committee of the US Catholic Conference for a three-year term beginning in June 2006.
The mission of the Bishops and Presidents Committee is to advance the Catholic character of Catholic colleges and universities and to recommend strategies that presidents and bishops can employ to develop a positive and collaborative relationship for the good of the church. The committee is made up of five bishops, five presidents and a provost.
So is Dominican University (of Illinois) any kind of template for Catholic identity? Their site seems to be have just the normal boilerplate language used in nominally Catholic universities such as the following from the President's message.
Dominican is a Catholic university committed to independent thought and respect for divergent opinions. Whatever your personal beliefs, you'll appreciate our value-centered approach to education that embraces the whole person.
Does anybody know if this school has implemented Ex Corde Ecclesiae? Though maybe I am just too skeptical, but it would have been better if they had appointed somebody from one of the schools that are authentically Catholic and does not shy away from the fact.
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The UCSSB would NEVER appoint a truly Catholic educator to this position. It might offend someone. It could even *gasp* help save their immortal soul.
I know some very devout people who used to work there, back when it was called Rosary College.
They don't regard it too kindly nowadays.
Just hearsay....
I am an alumni of Dominican University. This is NOT good news.
Donna Carrol came in as the first lay president of Rosary College. It is a Sinsinawa Dominican school so it has hardly been a hotbed of orthodox Catholicism (personal favorite memory - a nun screaming at me that she should be a priest). However under Donna Carrol the Catholic character has declined.
One of her first actions was the change the name to 'Dominican University' from Rosary College. When asked why not 'Rosary University' by an alumni she stated "Rosary is to female and Catholic as a name, and we want to attract more boys and non Catholics".
Let's review... it is a school that had a founding mission to educate Catholic women. Nothing like throwing out a century of tradition.
She has done a great deal to cater to Muslim students and there is a growing Muslim community there. Here is a hint... they ripped out the alter, pews and choir stalls (beautiful hand carved ones) in the chapel and replaced them with chairs and a table in the middle.
In part so the chapel could by more 'flexible' in use as a worship space by different groups. I am still a bit bitter because I would have loved to have been married there.
There are some fantastic theology professors. In particular Clodagh Weldon is young, fabulous and orthodox. But there is at least one horrible one - Hugh McElwain who is the perfect example of the worst of the 'spirit of Vatican II'.
Donna Carrol is an able administrator and has done some great things building the school (computer labs, residence halls) but I would NEVER imagine that someone would think that she was the person to advance the Catholic Character of anything!
The Catholic character of the school has been declining and Donna Carrol has done nothing to stop the slide.
I don't think that it's dragging along the bottom of the pond like DePaul University and its manifest attempts at destroying itself, but as noted already it changed its name from Rosary College to Dominican University; and went from being an all female sancutuary to a coed institution of no great repute. Its most well-known programs may be in library sciences, which considering the state of the ALA doesn't say much.
I would place Dominican U with its cousins here like Xavier and Loyola. Not exactly burning with ardor for the faith, but not overtly sabotaging it either--though who knows about covertly?
I applied to go there and ended up going to a non-Catholic college... I am dropping out to pay off debts to enter the monastery though... but if God brings me back into the world, I will apply at Quincy University :) They have a far more beautiful chapel :)