Seton Hall University is searching for a new dean of its College of Arts Sciences, and commitment to Catholic identity is a factor.

In a display advertisement in the December 14 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education, the university includes two encouraging statements.  One refers to a key objective of the new administrator:  “Ultimately, the Dean must be able to help lead the College toward its goal of becoming a preeminent Catholic institution of higher learning.”

More importantly, among the qualifications are that “the successful candidate will embrace and be able to articulate the University’s Catholic mission within the context of Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Constitution, Ex Corde Ecclesiae.”

Joseph Esposito, Editor of The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College, said, “These are the kinds of statements we expect as Catholic colleges and universities seek to hire top administrators.  Emphasizing a commitment to Ex corde Ecclesiae is essential to strengthening an institution’s Catholic identity.  The Cardinal Newman Society commends Seton Hall for doing so.”

The University of St. Thomas, Houston, had a similar advertisement inThe Chronicle last month in seeking a dean of its education school.  It requires that applicants provide an essay “on the special role of a Catholic university in light of the document on Catholic higher education titled Ex corde Ecclesiae.”

Esposito added, “We are hopeful that more Catholic colleges and universities will be seeking solid, across-the-board fidelity to Church teachings and reflect it in hiring practices. The visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States in April 2008, in which he is to discuss Catholic higher education, is likely to spur more interest.”

Seton Hall University, founded in 1856, is located in South Orange, N.J.  About 10,000 students are enrolled in nine schools and colleges.  The College of Arts and Sciences offers 38 undergraduate majors.