Berkley Center

When discussing how Jesuit universities become thriving spaces that inspire awe and mold leaders for development, some questions come to my mind: Does the Society of Jesus create godly spaces and do their values infiltrate their lives rather than just their professional activity? How different are the Jesuit administrative officers from bureaucratic officers in the government who are infamous for lethargy? Are these institutions incentivizing honest social justice work and engagement? Finally, do those in authority preach and profess values that are true to themselves?  To answer these questions, apart from simply making changes in the curriculum, I believe it is essential to reform certain institutional standards in order to to make the years spent at a Jesuit university a holistically fulfilling way of life. 

In my last blog I wrote about "Education Institutions as Equalizers." Here, I emphasize that I believe there are practical ways of enabling Jesuit institutions to create good citizens and members of society and be ideal "educational" "institutions," namely by: 

1) Banishing bureaucratic tendencies; 
2) Incentivizing social involvement; and
3) Creating and fostering an environment where everyone practices what they preach.

One often expects courses taught in educational institutions, especially those run by the elite, the so-called "epitome of education," to understand the perils of a typical bureaucratic institution. No doubt the administrative offices are necessary for the smooth functioning of any organization, or else Max Weber would be out of textbooks long ago. But the moment these procedures create any amount of discontent amongst either the faculty or student community, these procedures need to be dismantled in order for the office to better fulfill its function.

A key measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person. This is to follow one of the basic tenets of Catholic social thought, life, and human dignity, wherein we are called to respect all persons with a sense of awe that arises in the presence of all that is sacred and holy. This means that denial or delay in providing any service would amount to flouting this high-held norm, and thus needs to be ingrained as an organizational principle across Jesuit institutions in order to embody the light to the world.

Secondly, as highlighted in Taro Komatsu and Francois Kabore’s blogs, fieldwork and reflection are also important components of a Jesuit institution, which has been my home for the past seven years (St. Xavier's College-Autonomous, Mumbai). It is an interesting component to sensitize students to social issues. Under the Social Involvement Programme (SIP), every student pursuing an undergraduate course has to compulsorily offer at least 60 hours of voluntary service to an organization approved by the SIP office. This might not be the best way of running the program considering it is mandatory. However, there are some reforms I would suggest to improve this program: 

- Social service will have optional credits based on the reflections submitted to the coordinator.
- Redefine social work by breaking away from limitations of its rigid understanding, which tends towards anthropocentrism. Allow leeway to choose a field of one's own choice, which could include even animal welfare, to ensure passionate service.
- Rather than focusing on the number of hours, focus on the quality of reflection.
- Eliminate the risk of a student cheating by having the head of the organization sign the journal at the end of every visit or project.

The third component we are in dire need of is awareness that the classroom is not merely a place for preaching wonderful ideals. With Jesuit universities ensuring that professors are approachable even beyond class hours, it is imperative that students interact with teachers who have taught them to live in a certain way and are actually living out his or her own life in that manner. This calls for deep reflection by those in positions of authority and professors who are looked upon by students as idols for life. And at this stage when students are learning how to be good human beings, presentation of distorted idols will cause a crevice in the student's mind, which can ultimately be dangerous and detrimental.  

Education goes beyond curriculum and extracurricular activities. True education guides individuals' lives. Since Jesuit universities have produced generations of relatively good human beings, to their credit, they should seize the opportunity to become a network of ideal "educational institutions." For it is when the institution steers itself towards the ideal that students will feel the urge to match up to its standards.