Colleges animated by these kinds of spiritualities may have an easier time maintaining their unique culture even when the religious are gone from the campus. The Franciscan charism, for example, has always been attractive to laity, and many lay organizations steeped in these traditions have developed and flourished over the years. In most situations, however, the success of creating a congregational culture sustainable by the laity will be more difficult. The final arbiters of whether a particular congregation's spirituality is appropriate for laity will be, of course, the laity themselves. Organizational cultures are kept vibrant by the energy of a core group who personally identify with the organization's beliefs and values and accept a public role motivating others to do likewise.
Religious cultures are organizational cultures and operate in the same way.
They require a core group of people at the center of the organization whose belief and witness both allows and encourages others to freely express and explore their own religious convictions. If, in the absence of the visible witness of religious congregations, a college desires to manifest a Catholic culture, then it must develop anew that core group within the organization. Knowledge of Catholicism is not enough. Quiet conviction is not enough. Only a core of visible believers, people whose faith is palpable, can leaven the culture of an organization.