Deepening the Universal Apostolic Preferences through Discernment at Xavier University

Following Fr. Arturo Sosa, S.J.’s promulgation of the Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs) and as part of Xavier University’s strategic planning, the Center for Mission and Identity invited faculty and staff to participate in a semester-long Discernment Group to learn about each of the UAPs and to brainstorm ways to deepen Xavier’s expression of each, resulting in a strategic proposal (one of the President\u27s Annual Goals). Based on the principles of Ignatian Communal Discernment, the Discernment Group met throughout the Fall 2019 semester in prayerful discussion and reflection and produced documents for each of the UAPs, which were then shared and vetted by the university community. The Discernment Group concluded with the creation of a document outline Xavier’s current best practices, next steps, and aspirational goals. The work of integrating the UAPs into the life of the Xavier University is an on-going effort, which is now guided by the document – a strategic plan for the decade. This discernment process may be effective for other Jesuit Catholic institutions seeking methods to advance the UAPs