Reading the Signs

The purpose of this book is to provide student affairs professionals who work at Catholic colleges and universitiesa tool for reflection and dialogue on difficult issues they face on their campuses. It is intended to be used instaff development sessions, in training sessions with student leaders and resident assistants, and in master's levelstudent affairs preparation programs at Catholic colleges and universities. This book is the next step in a series ofprojects that began in the early 1990s after the publication by the Vatican of the apostolic constitution Ex CordeEcclesiae. This book is a collection of case studies that focus on particular issues related to Catholic identity thatare faced by student affairs professionals who work at Catholic colleges and universities. By its very nature, thefocus on the difficult issues we face is a limitation. The editors in no way wish to imply that Catholic identity isonly about problems. Previous research and experience clearly indicates those who work at Catholic institutionsunderstand and embrace the opportunities that this environment provides for them. But as Schaller and Boyle(2006) indicated, there is a need for dialogue around the difficult issues that we face. The editors believe that abook of case studies is particularly helpful because it allows a staff to discuss problems at fictionalized universitiesand then ask themselves, What would we do here?The editors solicited cases using a mailing list provided by the Association for Student Affairs at Catholic Collegesand Universities (ASACCU); thus, the cases included in this book represent the real concerns of those practicingin the field. Some of the cases that are included are true stories of situations that actually happened, someare fictional, and some are hybrid stories based on actual events but changed to illustrate an issue. To protect theprivacy of those who were kind enough to share their difficult issues with their colleagues, the names of casecontributors are listed at the beginning of the book in alphabetical order, rather than being listed with the casesthey contributed.