The MPE is a collaborative effort deeply grounded in the Ignatian tradition. Although it shares similarities with academic accreditation processes, its fundamental spirit diverges significantly:
- An invitation by the regional Jesuit Provincial initiates each school's participation in the process and underscores particular areas of emphasis, on which the college or university will focus its reflection. Our Provincial, the Most Reverend Karl Kiser, S.J. invited us to focus on two points: (1) The ways our liberal arts core curriculum and experiential education help distinguish a John Carroll education, and (2) How the Jesuit ideal of cura personalis (care for the whole person) can inform and define the personal formation that John Carroll provides.
- After wide-ranging campus discussion, the school writes a brief self-study and puts forth two to four Jesuit Mission Priorities that lend clarity to its mission plans and commitments. The organizing document for the schools' self-studies, and the MPE process as a whole, is Characteristics of Jesuit Higher Education: A Guide for Mission Reflection. A cross-divisional team of 15 students, faculty, and staff was appointed by the President to review our progress on past priorities and discern three new priorities. Along with the Senior Leadership Team, the committee held 27 listening sessions between March and June, and then engaged in a series of Ignatian conversations and communal discernment to arrive at three new priorities. These were shared with and approved by the Board of Directors and the Senior Leadership Team. In the fall, the committee started sharing the new priorities with various groups of students, staff, faculty, and Board members to seek feedback and implementation ideas for the next seven years.
- A Peer Team of trusted AJCU colleagues -- jointly appointed by AJCU and the Province -- visit the campus to engage in discussions with various campus constituencies, and provide feedback on the school's Mission Priorities. See the schedule listed below.
- The Jesuit Superior General reviews all submitted materials, in order to reaffirm the school's Jesuit, Catholic mission and provide guidance for its growth.
- Finally, the school implements its Mission Priorities and connects them to its strategic plan and other key documents and projects. As indicated in the document, the current plan is to begin implementing the new priorities during Mission Week 2025 from January 26-February 1,
Morgan Anderson, Senior (JCU 25) Leslie Beck, HRIS Analyst Dawn Boettcher, Director of Nursing Edward Hahnenberg, Professor – Chair Theology & Religious Studies Darion Harmon, Junior (JCU 26) Katie Jansen, Asst. Director Student Engagement Christina Kusold, Coordinator, DEIB Malia McAndrew, Associate Professor Diane McTier, Admin. Assistant Michael Noonan, Junior (JCU 26) Edward Peck, Ph.D, VP Mission and Chair Thomas Pipp, S.J., Dir. of Ignatian Formation - Rector Kathleen Sardon, Director, Campus Ministry Brian Saxton, Associate Professor Margaret Schauer, Associate Professor - Faculty Mission Liaison
The following versions of the MPE Self-Study document are penultimate because they await the feedback and suggestions of the Peer Visiting Team and the wider community who participates in the Peer Visit Process. They are intended for internal use only.
The following three mission priorities collectively aim to strengthen John Carroll University's Jesuit Catholic identity, enhance its distinctive educational approach, and foster a community deeply engaged with its mission across all levels of the institution.
Embodying our Mission of Accompaniment. This priority draws inspiration from the Jesuit Universal Apostolic Preference (UAP) of “accompanying youth toward a hope-filled future” and the centuries-old educational tradition rooted in the life, spirituality, and work of St. Ignatius Loyola. It focuses on enabling all faculty, staff, and students to internalize and articulate a shared sense of the university's Jesuit Catholic mission in light of their respective responsibilities. It acknowledges the importance of mission across the university community while also recognizing the need for individuals to internalize and then articulate the meaning of the mission for themselves. This overarching priority aims to foster a deeper sense of community around a shared sense of mission that transcends divisions, roles, identities, and years of service. It addresses challenges including personnel changes, navigating varying levels of mission buy-in across departments, and engaging with all of the diverse intersectional identities within the community.
Illuminating our Jesuit Advantage. This priority invites all departments and programs to discern and promote how core Jesuit values and practices distinguish the transformational experience they provide. It aims to leverage the university's Jesuit Catholic identity as a competitive advantage, especially in the face of rising pressures on private liberal arts education. This priority encourages departments to reflect upon and articulate their role in fulfilling the University's mission, integrate Jesuit values more effectively into major programs, and engage in Ignatian conversations and discernment to highlight this competitive advantage.
Igniting Purpose Through Care for the Whole Person. This priority focuses on providing opportunities for accompaniment and fostering institutional collaboration to help individuals - students, staff, and faculty - discern their passion and purpose through integrated experiences of personal formation for the common good. It seeks to clarify and deepen the understanding of cura personalis (care for the whole person) in practice, emphasizing the distinctive nature of this approach in Jesuit education. This priority aims to create an environment where individuals can explore their passions, learn from diversity and adversity, and discover their purpose in both their careers and lives. It calls for greater collaboration across campus to support this journey and envisions student learning as a continuous, integrated set of experiences.
JCU's Peer Visit is set for November 10-13 and will involve a series of meetings directed by the Peer Visting Team with open sessions for faculty, staff, and students.
Peer Visiting Team Chair Stephanie Quade, Dean of Students, Marquette University
Peer Visitor Team Members: Fr. David De Marco, S.J., M.D., Loyola University Chicago Medical School Cheryl Moore-Thomas, Ph.D., Provost at Loyola University Maryland
Click here to see the visiting team's schedule
Click here to read the Letter of Introduction from the Peer Visiting Team Chair
Five Mission Priorities for 2016-2023
1. Deepen the University's commitment to peace, justice, and sustainability.
2. Integrate an Ignatian pedagogy of experience, reflection, and action more fully into the student learning experience and across the broader campus community.
3. Enable all members of the University community to explore, deepen, and share their faith or worldview in dialogue with people of all cultural and faith backgrounds.
4. Improve the diversity of the faculty, staff, and student body in order to foster a culture of inclusive excellence.
5. Continue to establish and engage a vibrant community of companions in mission who animate the University and train and mentor others for mission.