One of the hallmarks of Jesuit colleges and universities is a holy restlessness that fuels the search for knowledge, meaning, and the reality of God. That restlessness, paired with the world-affirming spirituality of St. Ignatius Loyola, drives Jesuit schools toward big questions about their purpose, relationships, and responsibility in the world.
Reflecting deeply and regularly on the mission can be challenging, amid the pace and pressures of higher education. Thus the Mission Priority Examen provides space and structure for each Jesuit college and university to undertake serious discussions about how they understand their school’s authentic mission, establish goals for the future, and set forth new or renewed means of realizing those goals in the years to come.
As President Michael R. Lovell shared in his annual Presidential Address earlier this month, Marquette participated in a yearlong Mission Priority Examen during the 2019-20 year. Rev. Arturo Sosa, S.J., superior general of the Society of Jesus, affirmed Marquette’s Jesuit character. Father Sosa called Marquette “one of the strongest universities in the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities network in the United States.” The process was led by Dr. Xavier Cole, vice president for student affairs, and Dr. Stephanie Quade, dean of students.