Building an effective bishop and president relationship for the mission of Catholic higher education: A case study of five bishop and president partnerships

The purpose of the 1990 apostolic constitution on Catholic higher education entitled Ex Corde Ecclesiae (From the Heart of the Church) is to emphasize the dual relationship Catholic institutions have to the academic community as well as the Church. The concepts of Catholicism and university are not to be experienced as polarizing entities but as a unified enterprise fully engaged in faith and reason. Through the Church\u27s pastoral and governing structures, Ex Corde Ecclesiae prescribes a relationship or partnership between diocesan bishops and the presidents of the Catholic colleges or universities in their dioceses to ensure and promote Catholic identity and doctrine in these institutions. The partnership is to ensure that the bishop is not “external” to the Catholic university through a relationship characterized by “mutual trust, close and consistent cooperation, and continuing dialogue” (Ex Corde Ecclesiae, No. 28). This dissertation is a qualitative case study of five partnerships between bishops and presidents that have experienced conflicts and controversies pertaining to issues of Catholic identity at their institutions of Catholic higher education, such as the choosing of guest speakers and/or honorees; student groups and activities; the offering of courses and majors; and reemphasizing the word “Catholic” in a mission statement. Using interviews, institutional documents, and a review of the literature on Catholic higher education, including literature on the mission and partnership, this study explores the nature of the partnership between bishops and presidents, the impact of Ex Corde Ecclesiae and its Application (2000) on the five partnerships, and reveals implications of this unique partnership for the Catholic higher education enterprise and its leaders. Research reveals that the partnership between the bishop and the president is most effective when these leaders move beyond a relationship of accountability to a relationship built on mutual respect and trust and open dialogue. This kind of partnership is important for ensuring a relevant and vibrant future for Catholic higher education by finding effective resolutions to the complex challenges confronting Catholic higher education today