Seminars, Conversations & Series
The Curtis Center Presents "Contemporary Catholic Conversations"
Mission & Culture hosted the annual series “Contemporary Catholic Conversations” during the 2023-24 academic year. The Sacred Heart community is committed to opening up campus as a forum for questions and concerns that face the Church in today’s world.
Annual Presidential Seminars on the Catholic Intellectual Traditions
Sacred Heart University’s Presidential Seminars for Faculty and Staff are year-long mission-centered programs that invite participants to explore the Catholic intellectual tradition and its impact on teaching, leadership, service and community life. Through seminars, readings, discussion and collaborative reflection, faculty and staff engage with the University’s Catholic identity while examining how faith, ethics and intellectual inquiry inform their professional roles. Each program encourages participants to integrate these values into their work through a final mission-focused project that strengthens Sacred Heart’s commitment to dialogue, innovation, and service.
Faculty Conversations on the Catholic Intellectual Traditions
This series of discussions is designed for new full-time faculty members of the University. Over the course of eight months, faculty are invited to join in six "conversations" to explore issues related to the University’s mission and Catholic identity, especially as they relate to the Catholic intellectual traditions and to their experiences as new members of our faculty. This series of informal "conversations" has been planned by Mission & Culture in conjunction with a faculty committee. The sessions are facilitated by experienced colleagues from the faculty of all the colleges, and directed by one of the senior officers of Mission & Culture. The six sessions are:
- September - Dinner Conversation on The History of Sacred Heart University within the Context of Vatican Council II
- October - Luncheon Conversation on Mission and Catholic Identity as Enhancing Teaching
- November - Luncheon Conversation on Mission, Catholic Identity and the Vocation of Teaching
- January - Dinner Conversation on Mission and Catholic Identity: Implications for Scholarship
- February - Luncheon Conversation on The Legacy of Catholic Social Teaching: Justice, Peace, Service
The series concludes with a final Dinner Conversation with the University President.
"Religion and..." Panel Discussion Series
Mission & Culture at Sacred Heart University sponsors and organizes an annual panel series entitled "Religion and..." The University presents this special forum to engage the local, national and international community in an ongoing dialogue on issues of crucial significance at the intersection of faith and culture.
"In Vino Veritas" Series
This series flows from the "Presidential Seminar" and "Faculty Conversations." It provides continuity of discussion among faculty and administration participants and an opportunity to continue the dialogue that began in each of these existing programs. Since it is sponsored by Mission & Culture and involves faculty and administrators from different departments, disciplines and divisions, it provides a concrete way for the Catholic intellectual traditions, which is fundamental to the mission of the University, to permeate the University culture and have a positive impact on collegiality, teaching, scholarship and research.