Theresa Ladrigan-Whelpley
Fall 2016 marked the launch of the new Bannan Institute with four interdisciplinary faculty collaboratives focused around issues of the common good: racial and ethnic justice and the common good, economic justice and the common good, gender justice and the common good, and environmental justice and the common good. Each collaborative consists of six faculty members (including two faculty from Religious Studies) who will convene over two years to collaborate on research, teaching, and university initiatives that advance the common good and extend the Jesuit, Catholic vocation of SCU as a transformative social force.
The Bannan Institute also hosted a four-part lecture series leading up to the election asking what is at stake for the common good in 2016? These events featured Bannan Faculty Fellows and Bannan Institute Scholars from each of the four collaboratives and were well attended and received, though it is clear that there is much work required to advance meaningful dialogue and action around issues of the common good in the years ahead.
In early November, Ladrigan-Whelpley presented at the AJCU Mission and Identity Conference on a panel with John Padberg, S.J. (St. Louis University) and John Sebastian (Loyola University New Orleans) on the topic of the General Congregations of the Society of Jesus, the work of Jesuit higher education, and collaboration with lay colleagues in mission. She also was recently elected to serve as co-chair of the AJCU Mission and Identity conference (a three-year term).