Saint Xavier University, founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, is a Catholic university that shares in the rich tradition of Catholic liberal arts higher education in the United States. As a Catholic university, Saint Xavier participates in the mission of that tradition, which is to see that "the Christian mind may achieve, as it were, a public, persistent and universal presence in the whole enterprise of advancing higher culture." Saint Xavier's programs in arts and sciences and professional learning, its support services, its Pastoral Ministry Institute, and its rich liturgical life provide ways to promote that mission.
The central activities of the University are teaching and learning. Excellence in teaching is paramount, allowing for the advancement of the fields of study through careful research, critical analysis, and thoughtful discussion. An essential condition of this activity is the academic freedom of faculty and students. The Catholic Church recognizes the fundamental dignity of all persons on whom the responsibility to seek the truth rests, and supports each person in the pursuit of truth, especially religious truth.
As a Catholic university of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, Saint Xavier shares in the commitment to act in solidarity with the economically poor of the world, especially women and children. The commitment to Mercy means that we care that all our students develop a voice in the conversation of the contemporary world, that we care that they achieve competence and pursue excellence in the arts and sciences, and that they infuse personal and professional practice with the spirit of liberal learning. The hospitality and compassion that marked the work of Catherine McAuley should be reflected in the life of the University community, the character of its education, and in its many services to the community.
As a Catholic university, Saint Xavier promotes the vigorous discussion of religious ideas. This conversation must strive to include the myriad and various voices of the Catholic tradition, past and present, as well as the voices of teachers and students from all traditions. It is a particularly Catholic purpose to understand the differences among these voices clearly and distinctly, to celebrate these differences, to discern what these voices have in common, and to engage them in conversation with the Catholic tradition.
As a Catholic university, Saint Xavier is inspired by the Christian message of love of God and love of neighbor. Its administrators, faculty, staff and students must dedicate themselves to the pursuit of academic excellence in the context of respect, caring and justice.
Saint Xavier University 2008-2009 Catalog
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