Research

Every school reflects its character. From public messaging to campus culture, each choice expresses what it believes, the things it values, and how it forms its students.

Challenges to Catholic Identity

Catholic colleges face a complex set of pressures that shape how faithfully they can live their mission. Demographics, faculty commitment, governance structures, leadership decisions, cultural forces, and the formation of students all influence whether an institution can pursue truth with integrity and remain anchored in the Church. Together, these challenges reveal how essential it is for colleges to intentionally safeguard their Catholic identity in every dimension of campus life.

Demographics

The Catholic—universal—Church embraces people of every background, and so do Catholic colleges and universities. The challenge is honoring students of all faith traditions while remaining faithful to the tenets of the Catholic faith. How well does an institution balance openness with clarity of identity?

Faculty

Faculty interact with students more than anyone else and naturally become the institution’s voice, witness, and culture-bearers. Their commitment to the mission directly shapes the student experience. How deeply do they embrace and advance the Catholic identity of the school?

Governance

True academic freedom rests on the pursuit of truth, guided by sound governance. Boards, regulators, and civil authorities all influence how freely a Catholic institution can live its mission. Do governance structures safeguard—or limit—the institution’s ability to remain authentically Catholic?

Autonomy

Colleges operate amid constant societal, political, and cultural pressures that can dilute their mission. Maintaining autonomy is essential for pursuing truth without compromise. How effectively does the institution resist external pressures that pull it away from its Catholic foundation?

Leadership

Leadership sets the strategic direction and ensures the mission is woven into planning, decision-making, and execution. The strength of a school’s Catholic identity depends on how intentionally leaders uphold and advance it. Do they understand the mission deeply—and build it into the institution’s future?

Students

Students are the reason Catholic colleges exist. A faithful institution builds upon their spiritual foundation and helps them grow in virtue, community, and lived faith. Is the impact of this formation visible in student life, choices, and culture?

A groundbreaking new way to see Catholic Identity clearly:
The ACE Framework

Observable markers

Focuses on visible, verifiable elements rather than vague claims or marketing language.

Comprehensive insight

Evaluates Catholic identity across alignment, culture, and engagement for a full-picture understanding.

Reliable tool

Provides a trustworthy way to compare institutions without insider access or hidden information.

Total framework

Gives colleges a constructive roadmap to strengthen their Catholic mission in practical, measurable ways.

The 15 Signal Features of the ACE Framework are a groundbreaking tool—the first of their kind—designed to make the hidden visible in Catholic higher education. Instead of relying on marketing language or assumptions, these features look at what can be seen, verified, and experienced from the outside. They distill years of research into clear markers that reveal how faithfully an institution lives its Catholic mission in practice. By examining alignment, culture, and engagement, the Signal Features offer students, families, and advisors a reliable way to understand a college’s Catholic identity—and give institutions a roadmap for strengthening the witness they offer to the world.

Alignment

Reflects how clearly an institution’s public face matches the Catholic mission it claims. It looks at what the college says about itself—its materials, messaging, curriculum, and visible signs—and whether those elements consistently point toward a faithful Catholic identity. Strong alignment means there is no ambiguity: the institution’s words, symbols, and commitments all speak with one coherent voice.

Colonnade at St. Peter's Square

Materials

Catalog(s), fliers, and campus extracurricular information explicitly highlight relationship to the Catholic Church

Physical Signs

Chapel, statues of Church figures, crucifix publicly displayed, and Catholic art

Campus Activities

Student clubs and initiatives, commencement speakers, lecturers, and honor award winners that support the teachings of the Magisterium

Coursework & Lectures

Philosophy and theology courses; a faculty department or Chair of Theology; theologians with the mandatum; teachers that respect Catholic doctrine, and topics discussed during open campus lectures that include the teachings of the Magisterium

Service

Student clubs that focus particularly on the poor, underprivileged, and vulnerable members of society, with meaningful numbers of members and frequency of participation

Culture

Captures the lived experience of Catholic identity on campus—the rhythms, habits, and atmosphere that shape daily life. It looks beyond official statements to see how students, faculty, and staff actually practice the faith through community life, sacramental participation, traditions, and shared values. A strong Catholic culture is unmistakable: it feels welcoming, prayerful, and grounded in the Church’s vision of human dignity and virtue.

Students praying in Adoration

Culture Gives Witness

School calendar acknowledges Catholic liturgical rhythm; faculty, staff, and student participation in the Sacraments; Catholic College/University (CCU) president is a Catholic

Campus “Way of Life"

Behaviors are considerate of others; active behavior focused on the needs of others; student gatherings to help each other; faculty readily available to assist students; significant presence of Catholics in the faculty, on the staff, and in the student body; religious devotions and Catholic spirituality opportunities highlighted on student activity calendars; encouragement of students to participate in campus ministry programs

Sacraments

Opportunities for participation in the Catholic Sacraments, particularly the Eucharist and Reconciliation, are well published and attended; opportunities for prayer and individual spiritual reflection

Active Involvement

Extensive student participation in activities that promote societal justice; presence of a pastoral ministry

Community

Programs and services available for the health and welfare of the community in conformance with the teachings of the Church

Engagement

Measures how actively an institution brings faith and reason into conversation—through academic inquiry, campus dialogue, public witness, and the heroes it elevates. It examines whether Catholic teaching is thoughtfully presented, taken seriously, and woven into the search for truth. Strong engagement means the faith is not sidelined but serves as a living, constructive voice shaping scholarship, conversation, and the intellectual life of the campus.

Lecturer in a university lecture hall

Role of Faith & Reason

Search for truth includes both faith and reason

Campus Discussions

Frequent public discussions on theological and ethical issues

Scholarly Viewpoints

Catholic teachings always presented; respectful of the rights of individuals and the community

Presence of Christ

Public prayer for ceremonies, meetings, classes, and special events; mission statement reflects importance of Catholic Church; symbols of Christian life seen in the physical plant such as building names, statues, or infrastructure to support Catholic devotions

Institutional Heroes

The lives of institutional role models reflect the Christian virtues that guide conduct (prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance) in a relationship with the Holy Trinity (faith, hope, and love), such as exhibited by the Saints

DISSERTATION

An External Perspective on Instituional Catholicity in Higher Education: A Case Study

by Timothy J. Collins
Benedictine University
March 2013

Download