This is the strictly academic, intellectual function. Here are the sources for this teaching. Students are not likely to believe what they have never heard, and most Catholics are not effectively taught what their faith is all about. Sometimes in the questioning, theology can give the impression that the Church isn't always right. But that's not what theology is really meant to do.
Theology means to explore.
Sometimes when people are on exploration trips you get the impression that they forgot where home is. Sometimes that happens in Catholic universities. Although I want to stress the point that Catholic universities are supposed to teach as 'Catholic' that which the Church teaches. Sometimes Catholic universities go farther afield in these matters and sometimes they don't. However, the Catholic universities, I believe, are wonderful and important aspects of the Church's work, but they are not the Church.