What is the MPE?

At the request of the Jesuit Superior General, the Provincials of North America and the Presidents of the member institutions within the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) have established a process for reaffirming the Jesuit, Catholic mission of U.S., Belizean, and Canadian Jesuit higher education institutions. Titled the “Mission Priority Examen (MPE),” the process integrates a centuries-old practice of Ignatian reflection known as the Examen with clear pathways for dialogue and mission growth. By inviting colleagues at AJCU schools to support each other’s institutional self-reflection, and by linking Jesuit sponsorship more explicitly to the mission commitments of each college or university, we hope to foster a more vibrant and effective network of Jesuit schools.

Among the hallmarks of a Jesuit education is a restlessness that fuels the search for knowledge, meaning, and a relationship with God. That restlessness drives Jesuit schools toward big questions about their purpose and responsibilities in the world. The MPE provides space and structure for each Jesuit college or university to undertake serious discussions about its Jesuit, Catholic mission, establish goals for the future, and measure its progress in tangible ways. Questions underlying the MPE include:

-What makes a college or university Jesuit?
-What does Jesuit sponsorship of a college or university require today?
-How will the 28 AJCU member institutions and our associate members live our Jesuit and Catholic mission now and in the future?

-Description taken from the Mission Priority Overview page of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities