Week 3: Realizing the University Today
“Now from these instances, to which many more might be added, it is plain, first, that the communication of knowledge certainly is either a condition or the means of that sense of enlargement or enlightenment, of which at this day we hear so much in certain quarters: this cannot be denied; but next, it is equally plain, that such communication is not the whole of the process. The enlargement consists, not merely in the passive reception into the mind of a number of ideas unknown to it, but in the mind's energetic and simultaneous action upon and towards and among those new ideas, which are rushing in upon it.”
- St. John Henry Newman (Discourse VI, "The Idea of the University")
In our final session, our conversation will focus on turning the philosophical and ethereal elements of Newman’s "The Idea of a University" to the practical challenges of implementing his vision in the context of the modern world. Issues such as rising tuition costs, calls for an increased percentage of online classes, pressure from government to reduce budgets, growing consumer mentality among students and parents, as well as the current impact of COVID-19 on college campuses, bring challenges to an institution attempting to promote "learning for its own sake" within a community of learners.
In this week’s live session, we will be joined in conversation by the President of Dublin City University, Professor Dáire Keogh; University of Portland Provost Emeritus, Dr. Thomas Greene; and Notre Dame Student Body President, Rachel Ingal. We hope to see you there!
View the Event
Subscribe to the ThinkND podcast on Apple, Spotify, or Google.
Featured Speakers:
- Rev. Gary Chamberland, C.S.C., Director of the Notre Dame Newman Centre for Faith and Reason
- Kevin Whelan, Michael Smurfit Director of the Notre Dame Dublin Global Gateway
- Professor Dáire Keogh, President of Dublin City University
- Dr. Thomas Greene, University of Portland Provost Emeritus
- Rachel Ingal, Notre Dame Student Body President
Pre-Reading
Presented by Rev. Gary S. Chamberland, C.S.C. and Kevin Whelan
To prepare for Wednesday’s live session, we will be reading Henry Mance’s aptly titled article, “The future of the university in the age of Covid,” from the Financial Times. Mance examines the climate of higher education in the United Kingdom, giving us insight into the vastly different social and educational environment university students face today, its financial impact on the sector, and the hope that leaders in education have for the future.
Watch below as Kevin and Fr. Gary discusses this week’s supplementary reading.
Join the Live Event - This Week’s Guests
Presented by Rev. Gary S. Chamberland, C.S.C. and Kevin Whelan
Register to receive information about how to join live events and submit your questions for the panelists.
Fr. Gary and Kevin discuss this week’s guest speakers and their diverse expertise and experiences that they will be bringing to our conversation as we put what we have learned into practice, “Realizing a University Today.”
Dáire Keogh was elected to a ten-year term as President of Dublin City University in 2020. Professor Keogh, a Dubliner, is a distinguished historian who served as President of St Patrick’s College Drumcondra, and as Deputy President of DCU since its incorporation (2016). He has published extensively on the history of popular politics, religion, and education in Ireland. Professor Keogh is a graduate of the National University of Ireland (BA), the Gregorian University Rome (BPh), the University of Glasgow (MTh) and the University of Dublin (PhD). A former Government of Ireland Senior Research Fellow, he is currently Principal Investigator of an Irish Research Council funded project to publish the extensive correspondence of Cardinal Paul Cullen.
Rachel Ingal is the Study Body President at the University of Notre Dame. Ingal is a senior Political Science major, minoring in Business Economics and International Development Studies. She is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, and is a former Badin Hall Bullfrog. Ingal is a Kellogg Institute for International Studies undergraduate fellow, working with Professor lIaria Schnyder von Wartensee in the area of comparative refugee systems between the U.S. and the EU. Her research focuses on the role of Catholic families in refugee community integration and the education and economic empowerment of refugee women. Rachel is applying to the Rhodes Scholarship this year and hopes to continue her research at the University of Oxford.
Dr. Thomas Greene is the Provost Emeritus of the University of Portland, a Holy Cross sister institution of Notre Dame. Dr. Greene retired this year after more than 35 years as an instructor, administrator, professor, and leader at the University of Portland. Dr. Greene is recognized as a transformative leader for the University of Portland, which today enjoys its highest levels of academic quality and recognition. He led the approval of several new degree programs; guided sustained successes in undergraduate enrollment; supervised a rise in graduation rate; established and revitalized centers and institutes; hired and mentored critical senior academic leaders; coordinated complex reaccreditation, compensation, and curriculum projects; and assisted with the development of various capital projects. Before his long career in higher education, Dr. Greene served as an instructor, Principal, Assistant Superintendent, and Superintendent in the Oregon public school system.
Additional Reading
Presented by Rev. Gary S. Chamberland, C.S.C. and Kevin Whelan
Recently appointed University of Notre Dame Provost Marie Lynn Miranda co-authored a piece with her daughter, Viviana Garon, a sophomore at Duke University, “A Goal Worthy of Our Commitment,” in defense of the seemingly insurmountable task of offering in-person instruction during this pandemic.
“We consider in-person instruction more important than ever as our nation wrestles not only with the pandemic but also with myriad crises, including systemic racial and social injustice, political divisiveness, economic inequality, and access to educational and economic opportunities for young people,” they write. Provost Miranda has given us permission to share their article with you in its relevance to this week’s theme, “Realizing a University Today.”
Congratulations (and thank you!)
Presented by Rev. Gary S. Chamberland, C.S.C. and Kevin Whelan
You’ve now completed all four parts of the inaugural Dublin International Dialogues series, Thinking with Newman: Educating with Intention Today. Thank you for joining us in this intellectual and liturgical celebration of the one-year anniversary of Saint John Henry Newman’s canonization. We were delighted to have expanded our reach beyond the confines of Dublin, joining together as one far-flung Notre Dame Family—students, alumni, staff, faculty, families, and friends. Even 150 years later, Newman’s ideas on education remain vibrantly relevant and continue to have a profound impact on higher education today.
We thank you warmly for your support which made this possible. We encourage you to explore the wide range of other stimulating content on ThinkND, and we look forward to joining as a learning community again this spring.