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More than 720,000 students attend Catholic colleges and universities throughout the United States. The significance of this many students and the effect they have on our economy, our nation’s leadership, and the well-being of our world are enormous.
This semester’s total enrollment at Viterbo stands at 4,372, an increase of almost eight percent from the previous winter term. With a budget nearing $40 million, our economic impact to this community is significant, as are the contributions our alumni, faculty, administrators and staff make to our tri-state region.
Overall, American Catholic colleges are incredibly diverse and come in all shapes and sizes. Enrollments range from under 1,000 students to more than 20,000.
Communities of women religious established many of these institutions, including Viterbo, which was founded in 1890 by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, who remain our valued sponsors.
Originally named for St. Rose of Viterbo, Italy, the sisters shortened the name in 1937, and we are the only college in the world with such a name — certainly a challenge for those uncertain of its pronunciation, and a blessing for those familiar with church and Italian history.
Though histories and missions differ, Catholic institutions of higher education throughout the world feature common ingredients such as the integration of faith and reason, consistent attention to moral questions, and the importance of Gospel values as a way of life.
Students enrolling in our sector of higher education in the U.S. typically come from families with lower annual incomes than those in public four-year institutions.
Maintaining access and affordability, key issues stressed in the recent report commissioned by the U.S. secretary of education, have always been important to Viterbo and other Catholic colleges.
While these colleges remain faithful to the teachings of the Church and Catholic social teachings, these institutions also offer a spirit of welcome and openness that is attractive to a broader ecumenical following.
As many readers know, I am relatively new to La Crosse and to Viterbo University, where I have served as president since July 1. And I am very impressed with what I have seen and heard.
Viterbo has earned an exceptional reputation for preparing nurses and teachers; for its quality fine arts offerings to the community; for its innovative collaborative spirit exemplified in the Amie L. Mathy Center; for its focus on ethics through the D.B. Reinhart Center for Science, Ethics and Technology; and for its graduate program in servant leadership, the only such master’s degree program in the country.
Findings of a national study of alumni from all sectors of higher education were recently released by Hardwick-Day of Minnesota. According to the study (see catholiccolleges
online.org/ccweek), alumni of Catholic colleges rated the ethos of their campus environment, their skill preparation and their overall satisfaction with their college experience significantly higher than did graduates of national flagship public universities.
Graduates of Catholic colleges were significantly more likely to have been engaged in classroom discussion, have experienced an emphasis on personal values and ethics, graduated in four years, and have received more help in developing their skills and abilities in leadership, writing, public speaking, problem solving and decision making.
Viterbo recently participated in the National Survey of Student Engagement. Our seniors, when compared with their counterparts at other private colleges, scored significantly higher on questions pertaining to understanding oneself, developing a personal code of values and ethics, and contributing to the welfare of the community.
We are very proud of these results and what they say about a Viterbo education.
The diversity of institutions of higher education in the United States provides students with a cornucopia of choices, and all sectors contribute to the betterment of individuals, the advancement of knowledge and service to society. I’m pleased to share this brief outlook on Catholic higher education as we celebrate our contributions to the common good.
Richard B. Artman is president of Viterbo University.
