Hiring to Maintain Mission

Abstract

This article is a direct outgrowth of the appearance of Ex Corde Ecclesiae and the need for Catholic colleges and universities to address their hiring practices in order to maintain their identity as Catholic institutions of higher learning. The author draws a parallel between the personal philosophy of individuals within the community and the perceived, if not real, institutional philosophy of the college or university as Catholic. Catholic institutions can lose their souls while climbing the ladder of success and prestige simply because they have paid insufficient attention to the question of the philosophical fit between their employees and their espoused Catholic mission and philosophy. Hiring the right people will determine, in the long run, whether a Catholic college retains its Catholic identity in fact or in theory.