Seton Hall Co-sponsors National Catholic Studies Symposium

Matt Higgins, Patrick Manning, Dawn Apgar, Ines Murzaku, and Anthony Nicotera at the National Catholic Studies Consortium Symposium.

On the weekend of September 14, both Seton Hall’s Center for Catholic Studies and the Catholic Studies Department and Program participated in the third annual National Catholic Studies Consortium Symposium. This year’s event was hosted by the Catholic Studies Center and Department at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. The Center for Catholic Studies at Seton Hall, along with Duquesne University and University of Loyola-Chicago, co-sponsored the three-day event, which drew leaders of Catholic studies programs and centers from across the country.

The purpose of the symposium, since its inauguration in 2021, is to bring together a growing network of faculty and administrators working in Catholic Studies centers and programs for discussion and exchange of best practices concerning curriculum, pedagogy and programming in Catholic Studies. This growing network, consisting of representation from two-dozen colleges and universities, has come to be known as the Catholic Studies Consortium.

This year’s program structure featured a conversational format, allowing participants to engage more thoroughly with one another and with the ideas being shared. Each slate of author presentations—covering themes of pedagogy and best practices, curricular innovations, and Catholic studies across disciplines—was followed by a roundtable discussion. The Consortium made sure to prioritize time for communal worship, with daily Mass and Vespers built into participants’ schedules.

Part of the weekend included presentations on curricular innovations, on which Seton Hall made a profound impression. Representing Seton Hall were Ines Murzaku, Ph.D., Professor of Religion, Director of the Catholic Studies Program and founding Chair of the department of Catholic Studies; Dawn Apgar, Ph.D., Associate Professor of social work and director of the BSW program; and Anthony Nicotera, J.D., Assistant Professor of social work. Their presentation highlighted Seton Hall’s long-standing integration of Catholic Studies throughout the Seton Hall student experience. Murzaku and Nicotera shared on “Seton Hall University’s Catholic Social Thought in Action Academy: A Model of Creative and Innovative Interdisciplinary Pedagogy.” Dawn Apgar also presented “From Tradition to Innovation: Navigating Challenges, Seizing Opportunities in Catholic Studies.” Both were very well received and sparked lengthy round table discussions.

Anthony Nicotera, J.D., presents on curricular innovations at SHU.

Seton Hall's Center for Catholic Studies was also present, with Patrick Manning, Director of SHU’s Center for Catholic Studies, and Matthew Higgins, Director of Programs, actively participating. Higgins unveiled a logo and website design for the Consortium, which the Center was able to create over this past year due to a generous grant from the Porticus Foundation. Former Center Director Gregory Floyd also shared with the group on the important relationship between Catholic Studies Centers and Programs and offered Seton Hall’s successful, time-tested initiatives that serve students, form faculty, and cultivate community as a model.

Dr. Manning called this third symposium, "an inspiring meeting of minds and hearts”, in which “we saw the seeds that Dr. Greg Floyd and the other founding members had sown taking root and giving life to what now promises to be an enduring and impactful collaboration. We are excited about the potential of the Consortium to energize the Catholic Studies movement around the country and to inspire new ideas and initiatives here at Seton Hall. We feel privileged to be at the forefront of this movement and to witness an important new national network being born."

In addition to the authors’ paper presentations, the symposium featured workshop sessions throughout the weekend. Through this new element, inspired by discussion at the 2022 Chicago symposium, the consortium aimed to provide more opportunities to discuss practical issues facing participants’ institutions. Workshop topics included “Launching and growing Catholic Studies programs”; “Catholic Studies Programs and Relationships within the University”; and “The Future of the Catholic Studies Consortium”.

Dawn Apgar, Ph.D., presented “From Tradition to Innovation: Navigating Challenges, Seizing Opportunities in Catholic Studies.”

The Seton Hall team was proud to showcase the University’s work to cultivate its Catholic identity. According to Dawn Apgar, “The symposium was an opportunity for faculty from across the country to identify best practices in integrating Catholic Social Thought into undergraduate education. The event highlighted the important work that Seton Hall is doing with regard to developing pedagogy and doing research aimed at the intersectionality of social work and Catholic studies.”

Ines Murzaku said, “Participating in the Catholic Studies Consortium at Sacred Heart University was a privilege. The conference combined both theoretical and practical aspects, providing a platform to showcase the best practices of Catholic Studies programs and centers. At Seton Hall University, we have 25 years of successful experience in Catholic Studies that we were eager to share. Our contributions underscore our success in implementing interdisciplinarity within the Seton Hall Catholic Studies academic program. We currently offer 34 interdisciplinary and highly popular courses throughout the university, including our most recent addition—a double major program in Catholic Studies and Social Work."

The next Catholic Studies symposium, scheduled for September 5-7, 2024, will be hosted by Seton Hall here in South Orange. 

Categories: Faith and Service