|

Provincial Council Big Questions Session

1 Leave a comment on paragraph 1 0 Provincial Council Big Questions Session

2 Leave a comment on paragraph 2 0

3 Leave a comment on paragraph 3 0 If Providence College were to be best known for one thing only within the next 10-20 years, what should it be?

  • 4 Leave a comment on paragraph 4 0
  • The Catholic identity and the value of the liberal arts must continue to be a strong emphasis at the College.
  • There must be a strong Catholic identity which is unlike other Catholic colleges.
  • The College should remain mainstream, but still strongly Catholic.
  • The College should not sacrifice its liberal arts identity to focus more strongly on STEM or business.
  • Additional Friars with terminal degrees, especially in fields outside of Theology and Philosophy, could have a strong and positive impact in their departments.

5 Leave a comment on paragraph 5 0 What should the College be doing in the next 10-20 years that it isn’t doing today?

  • 6 Leave a comment on paragraph 6 0
  • There is the challenge of some of the faculty’s notion of Christian anthropology.  We must bring to the forefront of DWC the question of “What is the human person?”
  • DWC is the “trademark” of Providence College.  There are mixed reviews of the revisions made to the Program.  Many of the topics in the 4th semester are considered frivolous.  This should be examined carefully.
  • The role of the Dominican Friars on campus and the relationship between the College and the Province of St. Joseph must be examined.  There is open recognition that there is dissatisfaction with the way the relationship has developed.  The College must be seen as a vital ministry of the Province as opposed to an entity served by some members of the Province.  The Province is not just one other constituent group.  Many of the faculty do not recognize or value the importance of this role.
  • The relation between the College and the Province of St. Joseph must be strengthened.  PC represents the Province and things that happen at the College have an effect on the Province, particularly on the young Friars who are in formation.
  • The role of the Dominicans outside of the classroom should be examined and strengthened.  For example, the Dominicans once had a strong and important role in the residence halls.  This has virtually disappeared.
  • There must be a stronger emphasis on mission-based hiring.  We should “beat the bushes” to find faculty who are “intentionally Catholic.”  Catholic University could serve as a model.
  • The role of diversity and how it is defined must be examined.  The Dominican Order has a rich heritage in virtue-centered approaches to diversity.  Catholic moral teaching should play a rich role in the College’s approach to diversity.

7 Leave a comment on paragraph 7 0 If you had $100M+ new dollars to spend, how would you spend it?

  • 8 Leave a comment on paragraph 8 0
  • We should endow a program to educate the lay faculty about the Dominicans.  Additional friars assigned to the College will help.
  • We should expand the Learning Circles program to better educate the lay faculty as to their role in a Catholic and Dominican college.
  • We should return to our roots of enrolling more first generation students and providing the necessary financial aid to make this possible.
  • We should consider tapping into our mission in Kenya to recruit qualified students.

9 Leave a comment on paragraph 9 0 What should be the most important measure or indicator of the College’s success? Why?

  • 10 Leave a comment on paragraph 10 0
  • Students who graduate reflecting their intentionally Catholic education at PC.
  • PC’s identity as a Catholic, Dominican liberal arts institution that is intentionally, unapologetically Catholic.
Page 54

Source: http://library.providence.edu/fhertr/index.php/provincial-council-big-questions-session/