Answering the call: An examination of the development of lay leadership on Jesuit, Catholic university campuses

The study was an exploration of how participants in lay formation mission and identity programs on three Jesuit higher education campuses understand their experiences of the programs; what competencies were developed as a result of participation; and how the programs helped participants understand the cultural context of Jesuit higher education. Qualitative research was conducted at three Jesuit institutions: Boston College in Boston, Massachusetts; Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio; and Seattle University in Seattle, Washington. Conceptual frameworks for analysis of the findings were drawn from the works of Edgar Schein, George Kuh and Elizabeth Whitt, and William Tierney on the role of organizational culture as it relates to understanding the response of faculty, administrators and staff to mission orientation. Overall, key discoveries were that mission and identity programs served more often as vehicles for enculturation rather than leadership programs. However, the programs served a valuable purpose of creating a common mission language that built community within and across groups. Participation in the programs often resulted in deepening involvement for many participants and leadership for some. Findings across the three campuses showed that participation in mission and identity programs built reflective practices in most participants. In some, personal spirituality was even engaged, rekindled, or enhanced. A further insight was that a structured cohort program such as the one offered nationally with Ignatian Colleagues Program, and locally at Xavier University with AFMIX is needed at the institutional level for all 28 Jesuit universities if true intentional leadership development for mission is to occur. While mission and identity programs worked effectively to orient and provide a common language around mission, personal beliefs and values of lay participants, Catholic and non-Catholic, were sometimes found to be in tension with the doctrinal Catholic Church