Summit Agenda

Wednesday, June 12

1:00 p.m. Opening Keynote Address (Center for Science and Health Professions/CSHP Atrium)

A Vision for Collaboration and Unity Among Newman Guide Colleges

Dr. Richard Ludwick, President, University of St. Thomas (Houston)

Salvation history teaches us that formation of the human person in totality has always been central to the Christian experience. Since the founding of universities from the cathedral schools, Catholic higher education has pushed forward that imperative with innovation and the great Catholic intellectual tradition. Civilization benefits and is impacted by faithful Catholic institutions, their particular charisms, and the richness of our tradition for a life, a future, filled with abundance.

Alone, each faithful Catholic college or university is a shining light on the path to that future. Together, working in complementarity, those lights create a brighter beacon, blazing a way of hope to the Truth. Jesus prayed that all who believe might be one (John 17:21-24). We hear the call and know that our world needs such unity and Truth. Let’s explore how together we can meet our shared mission and answer that call.

2:30 p.m. Breakout Sessions – Period 1

Persuading Catholic Families of the ‘Poor Old Liberal Arts’ (CSHP 146)

Mark Brumley, Editor, Ignatius Press

Many things go by the name “liberal arts” education today but aren’t really the liberal arts. Consequently, colleges and universities get criticized from both “left” and “right” for emphasizing “the liberal arts.” This session uses ideas from the classic book by Jesuit Father Robert I. Gannon, The Poor Old Liberal Arts, to clarify what the liberal arts are and why they are crucial to education. The session includes a presentation of arguments educators can make to parents of Catholic families about the indispensability and genuine lifelong practicality of liberal education. It also considers ways educators can unite to communicate and celebrate how liberal arts can be done right—to liberate the minds and hearts of students.

A Playbook for Core Renewal (CSHP 243)

Dr. Christopher Evans, Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, University of St. Thomas (Houston)
Dr. George Harne, President of Christendom College and former Executive Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, University of St. Thomas (Houston)
Dr. Andrew Hayes, Division Dean of Liberal Studies, Director of Core Curriculum
Dr. Martin Lockerd, Associate Division Dean of Liberal Studies, University of St. Thomas (Houston)

As popular programs like engineering and nursing increase requirements and credit hours, universities that serve those students need core curricula that fit with all majors and still provide transformative and shared formation in the Catholic liberal arts tradition. Administrators from The University of St. Thomas, Houston, will explain how they renewed the core at UST and how others can follow suit.

Student Mental Health: Initial Considerations Rooted in a Catholic Anthropology (CSHP 246)

Dr. Helena Orellana, Director of Clinical Training and Assistant Professor, Divine Mercy University

The current mental health crisis has a unique impact on higher education. A Catholic vision of the person and of education provides a critical foundation for understanding how to respond to the crisis. This talk will provide initial considerations for how to understand the current problem, resources and approaches to take as higher education systems, and the need for collaborative efforts across mission-aligned universities to address the mental health needs on campus.

Legal Rights and Responsibilities of Catholic Colleges (CSHP 147)

Patrick Piccolo, Esq., Legal Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom

Catholic colleges and universities often wrestle with the scope of their legal rights and responsibilities, especially regarding non-discrimination laws and how these impact their ability to cultivate a distinctly Catholic identity. What kind of employment policies or practices are possible? Facility use policies? Student life policies? In this talk, attorney Pat Piccolo will address these questions. He will discuss the origins and applicability of important religious liberties, particularly as they intersect with these different arenas. He will also discuss best practices that help maximize a college’s freedom to pursue the august mission of Catholic higher education.

3:45 p.m. General Session (CSHP Atrium)

Academic Freedom in the Catholic Context

Dr. Peter Kilpatrick, President, The Catholic University of America
Dr. Paul O’Reilly, President, Thomas Aquinas College
Dr. Kyle Washut, President, Wyoming Catholic College

Moderated by Patrick Reilly, President, The Cardinal Newman Society

Across America, student demonstrations and hateful speech have challenged educators to reconsider the definition and limits of academic freedom. Faculty and staff are in danger of losing their jobs because they make controversial statements, while some espouse radical views—even promoted in the classroom—without consequence. Today’s conservatives defend a liberty originally promoted by John Stuart Mill and embraced by liberal opponents of Church and tradition. Where should faithful Catholic colleges stand on academic freedom, how is it defined, and how should it be upheld?

5:00 p.m. Opening Mass (Chapel of St. Basil)

6:15 p.m. Welcome Reception (Crooker Center courtyard; if rain, Scanlan Rm., Jerabeck Center)

Sponsored by FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students)

7:00 p.m. Dinner (Crooker Center courtyard; if rain, Scanlan Rm., Jerabeck Center)

8:30 p.m. Bus shuttle to Hotel ZaZa (pickup 3909 Graustark St., west side of Crooker Center)

Thursday, June 13

7:15 a.m. Bus shuttle from Hotel ZaZa (dropoff corner of W. Main and Yoakum, north of CSHP)

7:30 a.m. Breakfast (CSHP Atrium)

8:30 a.m. Introduction to Platinum Sponsor: Dynamic Campus (CSHP Atrium)

Dr. Ken England, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships, Dynamic Campus
Sheila Lang, Senior Vice President for Client Relations, Dynamic Campus

8:40 a.m. Keynote Address (CSHP Atrium)

Education as Evangelization: The Role of Catholic Higher Education in Renewing Christian Culture

Rev. Msgr. James Shea, President, University of Mary

The genius of Catholic higher education has never been simply in the transmission of “marketable skills.” Our apostolic work is the conversion of minds, to awaken the Catholic imaginative vision. The power of such a vision to build and renew culture is remarkable, and a source of vivid hope in dark times.

10:00 a.m. Breakout Sessions – Period 2

A Practical Approach to Newman Guide Schools’ Great Competitive Advantage: Forming Our Students in Virtue (CSHP 146)

Dr. Andrew Abela, Dean, Busch School of Business at The Catholic University of America

Employers are starting to realize that what is most valuable about their employees are not their skills but something more fundamental, what are variously being called “distinct elements of talent,” “capabilities,” or “character strengths” like courage, humility, and perseverance. We know these by another name: virtues. Since most higher education institutions shy away from discussions about virtue, it is a competitive advantage of Newman Guide schools that we are not afraid to be explicit about our character formation efforts. In this presentation, Dean Abela will describe recent experiments to formalize virtue cultivation at the Busch School. These are grounded in an integration of contemporary positive psychology, management, and education research with St. Thomas Aquinas’ Treatise on the Virtues and have the potential to make each Newman Guide school’s graduates high in demand by employers.

Going for the Gold! Revised Newman Guide Standards (CSHP 243)

Dr. Denise Donohue, Vice President for Educator Resources and Evaluation, The Cardinal Society

This talk will present the new standards for Newman Guide Recommended status introduced in 2023, providing the rationale and details of criteria used in the evaluation at course, program, and institutional levels. In attendance will be Kelly Salomon, Vice President of Newman Guide Programs.

Focusing on Your Catholic Mission in a Changing Environment: How to Do It, and the Real-World Results from One Institution (CSHP 147)

Dr. Ken England, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships, Dynamic Campus
Monsignor James Shea, President, University of Mary

In a world of free in-state tuition, disruptive credentialling models, and the unknowable impact of AI, it’s easy to lose sight of your Catholic mission. However, there’s real-world evidence that institutions that relentlessly focus on their Catholic identities and mission are not just surviving—they’re thriving. In this session, you’ll learn how Dynamic Campus partnered with Monsignor James P. Shea, president of University of Mary, and how this type of partnership can help you with:

- standing firm on Catholic identity, and increasing enrollment records annually as a result;
- engaging in third-party partnerships that allow leadership to maintain their Catholic focus and be better stewards of institutional resources;
- using technology to empower leadership to make data-driven decisions and amplify their ability to fulfill their mission; and
- infusing the online and non-traditional education experience with the same kinds of sacred encounters that full-time, on-campus students are nourished with each day.

Fundraising Within the Seven Pillars of Ministerial Education (CSHP 246)

Andrew Robison, Owner and President, Petrus Development

Join us for an insightful session delving into the vital role of Catholic campus ministries in the lives of college students across the U.S. With approximately 18 million students enrolled in higher education institutions, the impact of these ministries cannot be overstated. Andrew, through his comprehensive study of Catholic campus ministries, has identified the Seven Pillars that underpin their effectiveness. These pillars form the cornerstone of the Campus Ministry Playbook, offering actionable strategies to elevate ministries to Level 3 proficiency in each aspect. In this engaging session, Andrew will guide us through an exploration of all Seven Pillars, illuminating their significance in shaping the lives of young adults. Moreover, he will highlight the pivotal role of Pillar 7: Finance and Development, showcasing how robust financial support drives excellence across all other pillars. Join us to discover more about this groundbreaking project and learn how you, too, can foster a culture of philanthropy within your campus community.

11:15 a.m. General Session (CSHP Atrium)

Confronting Threats to the Religious Freedom of Catholic Higher Education

Gregory Baylor, Esq., Senior Counsel and Director of the Center for Religious Schools, Alliance Defending Freedom

The culture’s increasing hostility to Christianity inevitably finds expression in the law. Government officials at all levels—federal, state, and local—are using their power to punish and marginalize individuals and institutions that adhere to timeless truths about God, Man, and Creation. In this session, attorney Greg Baylor will identify the most pressing threats and describe how faithful institutions can prepare for the present and coming challenges and to defend themselves in the legal and policy arenas.

12:30 p.m. Working Group Lunch Meetings (pickup boxed lunch in CSHP Atrium)

Academic Affairs Working Group (CSHP 147)

Admissions Working Group (CSHP 144)

Career Services Working Group (CSHP 231)

Development and Alumni Relations Working Groups (CSHP 246)

Finance/Operations Working Group (CSHP Atrium)

Legal Counsel Working Group (CSHP Atrium)

Marketing/Communications Working Group (CSHP 239)

Presidents/Executive Working Group (CSHP 146)

Student Life, Athletics, and Ministry Working Groups (CSHP 243)

1:45 p.m. Introduction to Platinum Sponsor: Archangel (CSHP Atrium)

Masimo Miliano, Vice President, Archangel Education + Technology
Josh Weinberg, President and CEO, Archangel Education + Technology

1:55 p.m. Keynote Address (CSHP Atrium)

Why Newman Guide Colleges Should Be Models of Eucharistic Education

Dr. Randall Smith, 2023-24 Eucharistic Education Fellow for The Cardinal Newman Society and Professor of Theology, University of St. Thomas (Houston)

A Catholic education should be fundamentally sacramental and Eucharistic. Such an education should be grounded in the notion that the universe is an embodiment and an instrument of God’s love—and for this reason, it should also be seen as a source of wonder and a cause for gratitude. In this regard, we should remember that that eucharistia in Greek means “thanksgiving.”

3:00 p.m. Breakout Sessions – Period 3

Trustees: ATMs or Consiglieri? The Call (and Preparation) to Steward Catholic Colleges and Universities for an Apostolic Age (CSHP 243)

Carlos de Quesada, Managing Member, VeraCruz Advisory LLC

This session will touch on the foundational philosophical aspects for Catholic higher education institution trustees, while providing attendees with an integrated framework to create organizational focus, offering practical tools and methods to equip trustees and the institution’s leaders for evangelical impact.

Faithfully Catholic Approaches to Questions of Sexuality and Gender (CSHP 246)

Dr. Kevin E. Stuart, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Director of the Nesti Center for Faith and Culture, and Director of the Master in Public Policy and Administration, University of St. Thomas (Houston)

Every institution in American society is navigating questions of sexuality and gender. Given a faithfully Catholic philosophical anthropology, what can social science add to our approach? This session will review some key data points regarding matters of sexuality and gender, look at problems and limitations associated with scientific inquiry, and bring what the Church teaches to bear on these questions.

Teaching Arts and Culture in a Catholic College Curriculum (CSHP 146)

Dr. James Matthew Wilson, Cullen Foundation Chair in English Literature and Director of Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, University of Saint Thomas (Houston)

Classical and Christian cultures, in their traditions of education, both are founded on a common proposition: the poetic is foundational to humanizing education. The idea of a poetic foundation helps limit the division of the subjects in education by emphasizing their reconciliation, objectively, in a common font of wisdom, and subjectively, in the well-formed person ordered to the knowledge of God. Sometimes this reconciliation fails as in Scholasticism’s sometimes exaggerated emphasis on disciplinary separation, and in the Renaissance’s impatience with metaphysics and theology in its desire to humanize. Modern Catholic education is at its finest when it attains to both metaphysical seriousness and moral refinement; to do this, it depends on recovering a proper vision of the poetic font of its tradition of wisdom and learning.

AI Eras: Transforming Education with a Swift Revolution (CSHP 147)

Masimo Miliano, Vice President, Archangel Education + Technology
Josh Weinberg, President and CEO, Archangel Education + Technology

Delve into the dynamic and transformative role of artificial intelligence in modern education. This session is designed for forward-thinking school leaders who are eager to explore how AI can be a powerful ally in the quest to enhance educational practices and outcomes. Discover how the rise of AI is reshaping the educational landscape, offering innovative solutions that empower teachers to scale best practices and reach more students effectively. By attending this session, you will gain a deeper understanding of the significant impact AI is having on education and learn how to leverage these cutting-edge technologies to foster a more efficient, inclusive, and engaging learning environment. Embrace the swift revolution of AI and lead your school into a new era of educational excellence.

4:15 p.m. General Session (CSHP Atrium)

Modeling a Catholic Approach to Human Dignity and Solidarity

Dr. Matthew Petrusek, Senior Director, Word on Fire Institute

Drawing on the wisdom of the Catholic social thought tradition, this lecture argues how the Catholic conceptions of dignity, equality, and solidarity help solve the problem of identity politics, both inside and outside the university.

5:30 p.m. Mass (Chapel of St. Basil)

6:15 p.m. Reception (Link Lee Mansion)

7:45 p.m. Dinner (CSHP Atrium)

8:45 p.m. Bus shuttle to Hotel ZaZa (pickup corner of W. Main and Yoakum, north of CSHP)

Friday, June 14

7:00 a.m. Bus shuttle from Hotel ZaZa (dropoff corner of W. Main and Yoakum, north of CSHP)

7:30 a.m. Mass (Chapel of St. Basil)

8:15 a.m. Breakfast (CSHP Atrium)

9:00 a.m. Breakout Sessions – Period 4

Can’t Live With It, Can’t Live Without It: The Quagmire of Federal Aid (CSHP 243)

Dr. Philip Brach, Vice President of College Relations, Belmont Abbey College

There are only 19 colleges in the country that are fully independent of federal aid. The Newman Guide schools combined receive over $400 million annually in federal support. Is this sustainable? Is there a way out? A lively and realistic conversation about practical solutions to reduce our dependence on the federal dole.

Coordinating Graduate Programs and Opportunities Across Newman Guide Colleges (CSHP 146)

Dr. Aaron Dominguez, Provost, The Catholic University of America

The Newman Guide colleges and universities are unified by our missions and fidelity to the Church. But we are all different with different strengths and weaknesses. In these days of financial pressures in higher education that we are also not immune to, how can we work together academically in partnerships so that we’re all in the ark as this flood comes? The goal of this session is to come up with at least three concrete partnership ideas that our colleges and universities can put together to work together to strengthen our schools, our offerings and to be able to market.

Launching a Network to Support Students in Career and Vocation (CSHP 246)

Joshua McCaig, Esq., Founder, Catholic Bar Association

The silencing of Catholic professionals is a reality, and—whether in law, medicine, business, or academia—steps are being taken to limit the ability of Catholic professionals to live out their Catholic faith fully in their work. Catholic education needs to rethink Catholic leadership formation outside of individual institutions and assist the next generation of Catholic leaders through an expanded network beyond the respective student’s institute of learning. Through a collaborative effort, institutions collectively can provide these student leaders with the tools needed to advance the Catholic faith, and this lecture will discuss a vision for laying a foundation for supporting these future leaders to be bold, united advocates for the Catholic faith across myriad professional disciplines.

Collaborating to Market Fidelity & Influence the Catholic Supply Chain (CSHP 147)

Kevin Murphy, V.P. for Marketing & Communications, The Cardinal Newman Society

Over 700,000 students attend Catholic colleges. Less than 3% of those attend Newman Guide Recommended colleges. While some Newman Guide colleges have experienced growth or even record classes in recent years, the “college question” is becoming a more intense and scrutinized decision. In addition, the Catholic Supply Chain is drying up and in desperate need of renewal. This will demand better marketing and collaboration among Newman Guide colleges than ever before.

10:15 a.m. Closing Keynote Address (CSHP Atrium)

The ‘Second Spring’ of Catholic Education

Patrick Reilly, President, The Cardinal Newman Society

St. John Henry Newman observed that all human works tend toward dissolution, and great moments of revival must therefore be praised as miracles of God’s Providence. But these are stormy times that call for renewed vigor in service to God, even unto martyrdom, as the “fury of His enemies” blusters against the harvesters in the fields. This final session of the summit will look with wonder and gratitude upon how God has blessed the faithful Newman Guide colleges, while presenting a plan for ongoing collaboration and unified strength, accompanied by The Cardinal Newman Society. If we proceed courageously and joyfully in service to Truth, so much more will the Saints plead on our behalf for the grace to “do what nature cannot do.”