What About Notre Dame?

In compiling this guide, we researched all Fortunately, there are signs of improve-
Catholic colleges and universities that provide ment. Thanks to the concerns raised by
undergraduate degrees. Clearly, a number of Father John Jenkins, C.S.C., Notre Dame’s
them have fallen victim to secularization and president since 2005, The Vagina Monologues
have chosen to minimize their Catholic iden- finally moved off campus in 2007. He also has
tity. There also are those struggling to deter- launched an initiative to strengthen Catholic
mine their direction. The Newman Guide to hiring, which is sorely in need of strengthen-
Choosing a Catholic College focuses on those 21 ing.
institutions that have been exemplary in liv-
Ultimately, we decided that no guide
ing their Catholic mission, and we are proud
to Catholic universities would be complete
to recommend them.
without discussing Notre Dame. For that rea-
The greatest challenge came in evaluat- son, we are providing the same analysis that
ing the University of Notre Dame. For many we presented for the preceding institutions,
people, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, highlighting the strengths and the significant
Notre Dame symbolizes Catholic higher edu- challenges, but without recommendation.
cation. As we interviewed faculty, students
Notre Dame is not an anomaly among
and alumni, and as we researched the record
large Catholic universities. Most of them
of the university over the past 10 years, we
share a desire to move from their traditional
alternated between excitement and discour-
Catholic liberal arts moorings to a financially
agement.
driven research university model that charac-
Clearly, the academic reputation of many of terizes secular institutions. Among its peers,
its colleges and departments as well its overall however, Notre Dame emerges at the top of
renown is a source of pride for its alumni and this group in terms of its Catholic identity.
supporters. We also are impressed by the vi-
For many Catholic students, attending
brant spiritual life that comes at a time when
Notre Dame is a dream come true. But we
most large Catholic universities have become
alert them and their parents that to thrive at
increasingly more secularized.
Notre Dame requires a good Catholic forma-
But there are issues, many of which have tion and the exercise of caution in their course
concerned us for some time, that prevent us selections and social life. And so, we are pro-
from recommending Notre Dame. Overall, viding a cautionary note.
these involve matters of “academic freedom”
and speaker policies. Among specific exam-
ples are a history of performances of The Va- Overview
gina Monologues, homosexual programs and
faculty members who are critical of Church The University of Notre Dame is the most
teachings. well-known Catholic university in the Unit-

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What About Notre Dame?

ed States. Its impressive 128-year-old Golden Governance

Dome (with the Blessed Virgin Mary on top)
has become a symbol of Catholic higher edu- Father Edward Sorin, C.S.C., founded the uni-
cation. versity, and it remained under the control of
Founded in 1842 by the Congregation of the Congregation of the Holy Cross until 1967,
Holy Cross, Notre Dame achieved promi- when governance shifted. Today there is a 12-
nence in the 1920s as a result of its exception- member Fellows committee, evenly divided
al football teams coached by Knute Rockne. between lay and religious members, which
Millions of Catholics became “subway alum- controls the university.
ni” who aspired to have their children attend The Fellows name the board of trustees, a
the college and be part of the “Fighting Irish” group that is headed by former Qwest execu-
tradition. tive Richard Notebaert. There are currently
Today, Notre Dame consistently ranks 56 members on the board.
in the top tier of U.S. universities, certainly This two-tiered structure, with the higher
helped by a hefty $4.4 billion endowment, the tier largely in the hands of the religious of the
largest—by far—of any Catholic university. Congregation of the Holy Cross, is unusual
In May 2007, the university began an unprec- among larger Catholic universities and pres-
edented $1.5 billion “Spirit of Notre Dame” ents an opportunity to protect the Catholic
capital campaign. interests of the institution.
By all accounts, Notre Dame provides a The president must be a member of both
broad-based, quality education. There are the Congregation of the Holy Cross and the
59 bachelor’s degree programs, and students Fellows. Upon his election, the new president
have the opportunity to prepare for various is not required to take an Oath of Fidelity to
professions. The university has eight colleges the Catholic Magisterium, although the presi-
or schools. dent does have to make a commitment to the
The graduate school dates back to 1918 university’s mission statement and its poli-
and was significantly strengthened by the cies.
late John Cardinal O’Hara when he was presi- The mission statement includes the fol-
dent in the 1930s. The law school, established lowing: “The University of Notre Dame is
in 1869, was the first at a Catholic university a Catholic academic community of higher
in the United States. There are a number of learning, animated from its origins by the
other respected programs, including those in Congregation of the Holy Cross. The Univer-
architecture and at the Mendoza College of sity is dedicated to the pursuit and sharing
Business. The list goes on. As one respected of truth for its own sake. As a Catholic uni-
faculty member said to us, “Notre Dame is a versity one of its distinctive goals is to pro-
special place.” vide a forum where through free inquiry and
open discussion the various lines of Catholic
thought may intersect with all the forms of
knowledge found in the arts, sciences, profes-
sions, and every other area of human scholar-
ship creativity.”

210 The Newman Guide

 What About Notre Dame?

Public Identity no academic department was willing to spon-

sor The Vagina Monologues, which was moved
Concerns off campus. Future campus performances are
less likely than in previous years, but they are
There is no question about the academic rep- not forbidden by any clear standards of stu-
utation of this university. But for those con- dent or faculty conduct.
cerned about faithfulness to Catholic teach- It is also hoped that Father Jenkins will
ing, the story at Notre Dame is sometimes curb invitations to campus speakers and hon-
mixed. orees who clearly are in opposition to Church
Father Edward Malloy, C.S.C., who re- teaching. The Monologues’ author, Eve Ensler,
signed in 2005 after 18 years as Notre Dame spoke in 2005. The following year, President
president, said in 1994 that certain provi- Mary McAleese of Ireland, a critic of the
sions of Ex corde Ecclesiae were “offensive to Church, delivered a commencement address
the Catholic theological community.” Fortu- and received an honorary degree.
nately, his successor, Father Jenkins, endorses And in May 2007, University of Michigan
the principles of Ex corde Ecclesiae, and he has president and biochemist Dr. Mary Sue Cole-
presented to the faculty reasons why a mis- man delivered the commencement address
guided definition of academic freedom needs to the graduate school. She is a strong public
to be addressed at Catholic institutions. supporter of embryonic stem-cell research.
Accordingly, many at Notre Dame and oth- In another conflict with Church teaching,
ers, including alumni and bishops, hoped that Notre Dame has embraced events promoted
Father Jenkins would forthrightly resolve em- by homosexuals even while withholding of-
barrassing contradictions to the university’s ficial recognition of a student homosexual
Catholic identity, such as the annual “queer club. One example is the annual “queer film
film festival” and performances of the lewd festival,” which has featured dissident speak-
and morally offensive Vagina Monologues. Im- ers and films that celebrate a homosexual life-
provements are being made, but many alum- style.
ni told us that they are frustrated by the slow
pace. Father Jenkins has taken steps to reduce
the profile of the “queer film festival” by
For five years, Father Malloy took no steps changing its name and requesting a more ac-
to restrict campus performances of the Mono- ademic approach to discussing the films, but
logues play despite the criticism that it gen- the event still has an apparent goal of cele-
erated among the alumni and Fort Wayne- brating a homosexual “culture” that is hostile
South Bend Bishop John D’Arcy, who called to Catholic teaching.
the play “antithetical to Catholic teaching on
human sexuality.” By contrast, in 2006 Father While concerned about such moral con-
Jenkins publicly expressed concern about tradictions on a prominent Catholic campus,
the content of the play and its variance with we acknowledge the many challenges that
Catholic teaching, even while accepting the face Father Jenkins as he seeks to strengthen
flawed argument that lewd entertainment is Notre Dame’s Catholic identity. We are im-
protected by academic freedom. pressed by his pronouncements on Catholic
identity and are hopeful that as he solidifies
Father Jenkins prevented ticket sales and his influence, questionable activities will be
moved the play to a classroom, and by 2007 curbed.

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What About Notre Dame?

Progress Masses on campus every week, the largest

number of any university in the nation. There
In fact, we see a number of positive signs are chapels in every dorm, and Masses are of-
of Notre Dame’s public support for Church fered every Sunday night in each of them.
teaching. Some of this is student initiated, One student told us that the most memo-
such as the Edith Stein Project, an annual rable experience for him at Notre Dame was
conference that has promoted a paradigm for the presence of the Eucharist. In addition to
a new feminism as an alternative to the ap- Masses, there is a strong adoration movement
proach of The Vagina Monologues. This effort that is promoted by students and is avail-
has been aided by Notre Dame’s Center for able around the clock in the campus ministry
Ethics and Culture, a wonderful institute that building. Such offerings are consistent with a
taps into Catholicism’s rich intellectual heri- large university where the percentage of stu-
tage. The Edith Stein Project was also funded dents who are Catholic is 85 percent.
in part by the Cardinal Newman Society in
2007. Father Jenkins has endorsed this proj- Much of this spiritual life of the campus
ect. revolves around the magnificent 19th-centu-
ry Basilica of the Sacred Heart. It has seven
There have been speakers who represent chapels; a carillon, dating back to 1852, is the
traditional Catholic viewpoints. Father John oldest on the continent; and the grotto is a
Harvey, O.S.F.S., the founder of Courage, has Lourdes replica. The basilica hosts six choirs
spoken on the need for homosexuals to live a and holds Sunday vespers.
chaste life. Among notable Church leaders to
appear on campus was the formidable Francis A cadre of young Holy Cross priests draws
Cardinal Arinze of Nigeria, regarded as pa- high praise for moving spiritual life in the
pabile. Among other good speakers have been right direction. They have helped promote a
papal biographer George Weigel and Francis Eucharistic procession on Divine Mercy Sun-
Cardinal George, O.M.I., of nearby Chicago. day the past several years, and benediction
is offered at four sites, marking the return of
Fortunately, there is a dedicated group a tradition that had been dormant for half a
of alumni, banding together as Project Syca- century. Confessions are offered 15 times a
more, who are working to promote Catholic week during the academic year.
identity at Notre Dame. This group, which
includes former Reagan National Security The Campus Ministry, which has more
Advisor Richard Allen, has raised concerns than 40 staff members, sponsors a broad
about the Monologues, the “queer film festi- range of targeted retreats. It also has outreach
val” and other issues. programs to African American, Latino and
Asian American students. Examples include
Chinese and Korean Bible study and multi-
Spiritual Life lingual Rosaries for Asian Americans. There
is an active RCIA program.
At the heart of a Catholic university is its spir-
itual life, and here Notre Dame shines; this
helps set “Our Lady’s University” apart from
many peers. The university offers about 131

212 The Newman Guide

 What About Notre Dame?

Catholicism in And we learn from Project Sycamore that

of the six credits needed in philosophy, “none
the Classroom [are] in courses necessarily taught from a
Catholic perspective.”
Catholic Fidelity
Fortunately, the theology department,
All freshmen are part of the First Year of Stud- clearly disappointing in the 1980s, has been
ies College. Created in 1962, this program improving largely through the efforts of de-
helps ease students into college life on several partment chair John Cavadini. A 2000 gradu-
levels. They are supported here so well that ate of the university said of Cavadini: “He is
the attrition rate from the freshman to sopho- working in a place that is deeply entrenched,
more year is only one percent, a remarkable and he is trying to make the changes that are
feat accomplished by only a select few Ameri- needed.”
can colleges. Overall, 88 percent of students Foremost among those entrenched profes-
graduate in four years and about 95 percent sors is Father McBrien. Another is Dominican
within six years. priest Gustavo Gutierrez Merino, a 79-year-
As part of graduation requirements, stu- old Peruvian who holds an endowed chair.
dents need to take 13 courses selected from Considered the father of liberation theology,
a number of disciplines. These include a uni- Gutierrez’s work has been criticized by the
versity seminar that provides an academic Vatican.
orientation, a first-year composition course Faculty members are not required to hold
and a course in fine arts or literature. Other a mandatum proclaiming their fidelity to
requirements include one course in history Church teachings—as mandated by Canon
and social science and two courses each in law and Ex corde Ecclesiae—but about 40 pro-
mathematics, natural science, philosophy and fessors have asked for and received it. This
theology. issue becomes especially important when
Catholic identity in these areas varies. A looking at replacements for elderly professors
decentralized approach to faculty hiring over (including Father McBrien, who is approach-
the years has permitted a somewhat haphaz- ing retirement age).
ard mixture of good and disappointing de- The philosophy department had been
partments. The flexibility given to students generally very good, bolstered by several out-
to select from a broad range of courses to standing teachers such as Alasdair McIntyre,
meet the broad 13-course requirement cre- a major contributor to virtue ethics; Thomists
ates an environment which one senior profes- Alfred Freddoso and John O’Callaghan; and
sor called a “Disneyland” to pick and choose David Solomon. Ralph McInerny, a distin-
whatever courses they want. Some can be guished philosopher and a founder of Crisis
very good and some can be very bad. magazine, has been teaching at Notre Dame
Consider, for example, the theology re- since 1955.
quirement. One of two courses needed is Both McIntyre and McInerny are 78 years
Catholic oriented, but the other can be se- old, and they will be missed when they retire.
lected from more than two dozen offerings. Some Notre Dame professors said that with
Among these is a course entitled “Catholi- the loss of the best professors, the depart-
cism,” taught by Father Richard McBrien, a ment is turning toward non-Catholic faculty
controversial critic of Church teachings. and, according to one, is “falling apart.” We

The Newman Guide 213

What About Notre Dame?

are guardedly optimistic that the new hiring lege. Dr. Roche has taken a personal interest
program, described below, might address this in the campaign by engaging the selection
issue. committees and using inducements to attract
Catholic applicants.
There are other especially notable depart-
ments and colleges, including the law school. Dr. Roche announced in May 2007 that he
Among the respected Catholic faculty mem- would be resigning the deanship, effective
bers there are Gerald Bradley and Father May 2008. It is unclear what his resignation
John Coughlin, O.F.M. One faculty member will mean for the hiring initiative. He will re-
observed that a “significant number of the main as a professor of German language and
faculty are into the Catholic tradition. The literature.
law school puts legal studies in the context of
For this venture to succeed, Father Jenkins
faith. Most of the faculty will teach law the
will need to personally step in rather than al-
same as a secular university but with no hos-
low decisions to be made at the department
tility to belief.”
level. According to our investigation, that has
Among other strong faculty is Kent Emery not yet happened. In fact, according to Dean
of the Medieval Institute and the Great Books Roche, 65 percent of the faculty and research-
Seminar, and diplomatic history professor ers hired in 2005–06 were not Catholics.
Father Wilson Miscamble. The Irish Rover, a
But there have been some notable high-
student newspaper, said of Father Miscamble,
level hires. The university benefited from the
“He brings history alive, and perhaps no one
largesse of Donald Keogh, former Coca-Cola
does it better.”
president and one-time Notre Dame board
About 22 percent of undergraduate stu- chair. He has funded two chairs, known as
dents major in business fields. The most pop- the Keough-Hesburgh Professorships, for
ular single major is political science, followed which Catholics are to be given priority.
by psychology, finance, biological sciences
One recent explicitly Catholic addition to
and English. In fall 2006, there were 111 theol-
the faculty was the noted microeconomist Dr.
ogy majors, about one-quarter of the number
Williams Evans, who was selected as the first
of political science majors.
Keogh-Hesburgh Professor in May 2007. He
was attracted from the University of Mary-
land.
Catholic Hiring
And in August 2007 the university an-
nounced the appointment of Dr. Peter Kilpat-
A growing concern at Notre Dame is the rick as the dean of the College of Engineering.
number of Catholic professors, currently esti- In announcing the hiring, Provost Thomas
mated at about 53 percent. This is a significant Burish said Kilpatrick “has unwavering com-
decline from about 85 percent in the 1970s. mitment to advancing the distinctive Catholic
An initiative launched by Father Jenkins to character of Notre Dame.” The new dean had
reverse this trend has been implemented by been chair of North Carolina State Universi-
Dr. Mark Roche, dean of the College of Arts ty’s department of chemical and biomolecu-
and Letters; his school has, by far, the most lar engineering.
faculty and undergraduates. He is aiming to Another initiative comes from additional
raise the Catholic faculty level within the col- money from Keogh to assist a recruitment ef-

214 The Newman Guide

 What About Notre Dame?

fort headed by Father Robert Sullivan, C.S.C., partment. It sponsors scholars, research and
who will look toward compiling a database of conferences that support several of Pope John
solid Catholic academicians. He is a member Paul II’s most notable encyclicals. The center’s
of the history faculty and head of the Eras- advisory board is a virtual who’s who of or-
mus Institute. thodox Catholic intellectuals.
The challenge to achieve success in this Another intellectual center on campus is
area has been encapsulated by a former uni- The Jacques Maritain Center, which has been
versity official, Richard Conklin. He said of promoting the views of that notable French
Father Jenkins and the hiring plan: “His point thinker and Catholic convert since 1957. Mari-
was clear: the DNA for Catholicism on cam- tain (1882–1973) had a close connection with
pus is carried by the faculty, not the adminis- Notre Dame. The Center was once led by
tration or the students. He promised to work Ralph McInerny and now is directed by Dr.
with academic leaders to find ways to attract O’Callaghan of the philosophy department.
‘a faculty which includes a diversity of per-
The university has undertaken significant
spectives and commitments but which has a
efforts to support Catholic education at the
preponderance of Catholics.’”
primary and secondary level. The highest
Father Jenkins recognizes the challenge profile program is this area is the Alliance for
present in working to achieve an appropriate Catholic Education. Every year the university
balance between diversity and orthodoxy. In supports graduates who teach at Catholic el-
the winter 2006–07 issue of Notre Dame Maga- ementary and secondary schools across the
zine, the alumni publication, he discusses the country. No other Catholic university in the
need for attracting Catholic faculty: “Conse- country has made such a broad commitment.
quently, we must remain vigilant about the
Finally, the Office of International Studies
percentage of new hires who are Catholic,
offers semester-long and summer programs
devise strategies to attract superb Catholic
at many locations on six continents, includ-
scholars and explain why we do so.”
ing targeted programs in Rome, London, Cai-
“At the same time,” he said, “I want to say ro and China. While usually not religious in
something that is obvious but may perhaps nature, these offerings enrich the curriculum
need more emphasis: Faculty members who by allowing students to delve into such areas
are not Catholic are indispensable to the life as art and architecture, classical studies, lan-
and success of Notre Dame—in promoting guages, history, politics and many others.
scholarship, in building community, in pro-
voking debate, in pushing for excellence, in
ensuring a diversity of perspectives.” Student Activities
Not surprisingly, following the Fighting Irish
football team is a matter of great interest to
Special Programs
students. The football program, perhaps the
most storied collegiate athletic program in
The Catholic intellectual life of the univer- the nation, helps defines the student body’s
sity also benefits from several in-house think autumn activities.
tanks, two of them particularly noteworthy.
One is the Center for Ethics and Culture, But there are many other intercollegiate
headed by Dr. Solomon of the philosophy de- sports that attract student athletes and fans.

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What About Notre Dame?

The men’s and women’s basketball teams play Less aggressive but equally committed to
in the highly competitive Big East conference. a variety of activities of concern to orthodox
Under coach Muffet McGraw, the women’s Catholics is a co-op known as ND Watch. It
team has been a perennial power and won provides guidance on a range of issues, in-
the national title in 2001. cluding artificial contraception. While it is
clear that ND Watch is hostile to many uni-
Also noteworthy is The Notre Dame Box-
versity policies, its website remains on the
ing Club, with a tradition going back to 1923
university’s main web page. Also of note,
and Knute Rockne. This clean, amateur pro-
though run by faculty and staff, is a feminist
gram—which emphasizes skill, training and
webspace known as Watch.
sportsmanship—has long raised money for
overseas missions. Charles Rice, now retired, The university does not officially recognize
of the law school has been a coach for the homosexual groups, but there is an unofficial
club. Gay-Straight Alliance. Homosexual-oriented
events flourish on campus, including a week-
There are nearly 300 student groups and
long National Coming Out Day in the fall.
organizations on campus. They run the gamut
in every sense of the word. One notable intel- The university confuses students by gen-
lectual one is The Orestes Brownson Council erally forbidding support for such activities
on American Catholicism and Politics, which and The Vagina Monologues through student
regularly meets to help students discuss Ca- clubs, yet allowing them when sponsored by
tholicism in the public square. faculty or deemed appropriate to students’
free discussion and dialogue.
Notre Dame Right to Life is very active
and sponsors an annual bus trip to the March Many of these issues are chronicled in
for Life in Washington in January that usual- student publications. The university’s daily
ly draws about 150 students. The club hosted student newspaper, The Observer, is occasion-
the Pro-Life Collegiate Conference in spring ally disappointing, giving space to offensive
of 2006 and a chastity and pro-life collegiate views. A good alternative to the university-
rally in March 2007. funded Observer is The Irish Rover, an inde-
pendent, 3,500-circulation biweekly founded
There also is a Knights of Columbus coun-
in 2003. Both newspapers have online edi-
cil, Irish Fighting for St. Jude Kids and Spe-
tions.
cial Friends Club of Notre Dame, in which
students work with autistic or special needs
children. There is an extensive number of cul-
tural, political, sports and performing arts or-
Residential Life
ganizations. There is a strong ROTC program
Eighty percent of Notre Dame’s undergradu-
here, too.
ates live on campus in 27 single-sex residence
We are concerned, however, about some halls. The university places a strong emphasis
groups such as the Progressive Student Al- on creating the right academic, social and re-
liance, which advocates for homosexual ligious tone in the residence halls. Every resi-
and workers rights. One area of activity for dence hall has its own rector, who in almost
them concerns the failure of the administra- all cases is a priest, nun or brother.
tion to add “sexual orientation” to its non-
The rector is a full-time university em-
discrimination clause.
ployee who also provides direction to the res-

216 The Newman Guide

 What About Notre Dame?

ident assistants and is responsible for arrang- are Saint Joseph’s Chapin Street Health Cen-
ing Mass on Saturday or Sunday evening in ter volunteers, a tutoring initiative known as
the residence hall. The religious leader is also Slice of Life and Neighborhood Study Help
available to chat with the students and guide Program and a local Habitat for Humanity
them in their studies and social relations. contingent.
“Parietals,” hours when members of the South Bend is about 90 miles east of Chica-
opposite sex are permitted in individual dor- go. The South Shore Lines commuter rail con-
mitory rooms, run from 9 a.m. to midnight nects both cities in about 3.5 hours. Amtrak
Sunday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 2 and a busy South Bend Regional Airport also
a.m. Friday and Saturday; overnight viola- serve the area. Interstate 80, stretching from
tions are punished. The residence halls all the east to west coast, can be accessed a few
have lounges where people can meet 24 hours miles from South Bend.
a day. There also are various places around
The winters are severe, with average snow-
campus that are open 24 hours for studying,
fall that is about double the U.S. average. It is
eating and meeting.
the upper Midwest, after all. But the autumn,
Alcohol has been a problem on the Notre particularly with the sun shining on the land-
Dame campus. As a result, beer kegs are not mark Golden Dome, is a magnificent time to
permitted in any residence halls or elsewhere be on campus.
on university property. Students are not per-
mitted to provide alcohol to any underage
person, including at tailgate events. Hosts of The Bottom Line
tailgating—tailgating is a staple of the football
season—are held responsible for violation of Notre Dame is a high-quality university with
university regulations or Indiana laws. Tail- an international reputation and an extensive
gating during the game is prohibited. There alumni network. In many ways, the universi-
is not a significant drug problem. ty clearly takes its Catholic identity seriously.
But administrators seem sometimes caught
between a commitment to Catholic teachings
The Community and a desire to maintain and build its reputa-
tion as a research university committed to a
The campus is safe, but the adjacent gritty secular view of academic freedom.
town of South Bend is not. This one-time in-
Catholic identity and academic reputation
dustrial city of about 108,000 has an overall
are not incompatible, but successfully pursu-
crime rate that is consistently 50 percent or
ing both requires strong leadership. Despite
more above the national average.
our disappointment with some decisions, we
South Bend is the hub of a 15-county are optimistic about Father Jenkins’s charac-
Greater Michiana region that covers northern ter and ability to achieve reform. The Cath-
Indiana and a portion of Michigan. Stude- olic hiring program is one notable example,
baker cars were once manufactured in South although we are awaiting more evidence
Bend. Now education and other service sector of its impact. We also are impressed by the
businesses support the local economy. existence of a strong spiritual environment,
which is a partnership of both students and
Notre Dame students have been involved
young priests.
with the community. Among the programs

The Newman Guide 217

What About Notre Dame?

The situation at Notre Dame, in our opin- It is our hope that Notre Dame will “wake
ion, is complex. One eminent professor there up the echoes” of its wonderful, faithful his-
told us “a kid who is struggling with his faith tory and be a beacon for other large univer-
will sink like a stone.” Clearly, that is a chill- sities in returning to its original and much-
ing comment. And for that reason, we en- needed mission.
courage students to discern whether they are
prepared for the Notre Dame experience and
what it offers and fails to offer.

218 The Newman Guide