Catholic Higher Education: A Culture in Crisis
"In order for Catholic colleges and universities to provide an excellent Catholic education for the students of today and tomorrow, it is crucial that they remain rooted in the mission defined by their founding religious communities and maintain a vibrant Catholic culture on campus.  The depth of information that Father Piderit and Dr. Morey have compiled through their focused interviews of college and university administrators and analyzed in light of their own work in Catholic higher education will help Catholic institutions of higher learning to be true to their heritage and faithful to the Church."--Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I., Archbishop of Chicago"This may be the most important study of Catholic higher education that has ever been done. An exceedingly well-researched, straightforward, and balanced presentation, this book should be required reading for every administrator and trustee of every Catholic university and college in the country. If I had a magic wand to wave, I would see to it that every faculty member and student in those institutions would also read and ponder it." --Rev. Richard P. McBrien, Crowley-O'Brien Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame"This extraordinarily rich and timely work will serve as an invaluable resource for all who are interested in the future of Catholic higher education. Through the sheer breadth of the investigation and their own keen analysis the authors have produced a work that is provocative, and at the same time full of insight, thoughtful reflection and practical recommendations. This book gets at all the right questions...and sketches out what may very well become some of the best solutions."--Rev. Dennis Dease, President, The University of St. Thomas"Piderit and Morey have made a major contribution to the ongoing debate about Catholic higher education. Relying on a survey of 124 senior administrators, they clarify the issues, discuss the implications of their findings, and make concrete recommendations to which everyone interested in the subject should listen. Their discussion of the decline of the Catholic religious orders is especially challenging." --Andrew Greeley, author ofThe Catholic Revolution : New Wine, Old Wineskins, and the Second Vatican Council"The authors' historical research coupled with extensive campus visits and over a hundred interviews provide the reader with the most comprehensive and nuanced examination of this important sector of American higher education in print.  A 'must read' for all who care about the future of this set of institutions."--David Breneman, author ofLiberal Arts Colleges: Thriving, Surviving, or Endangered"This book should be discussed and even debated by those who care about Catholic higher education; it's a must read for Catholic college and university administrators, faculty, staff and trustees as well as church leaders." --Catholic Books Review