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Exodus

Firings, Resignations at Ignatius Institute

By Maria Elena Kennedy

Calling the firing of two administrators "manifestly unjust," six tenured faculty members at the University of San Francisco have resigned after teaching at the university's Saint Ignatius Institute for the past 25 years. The institute will be dismantled and blended into the existing Catholic studies program.

An open letter from the resigning faculty directed to university president Father Stephen Privett, was circulated campus-wide on January 29. The letter was signed by professors Tom Cavanaugh, Raymond Dennehy, Erasmo Leiva, Kim Summerhays, Michael Torre and Stephen Roddy. According to the letter, just before Christmas the institute's administrator, John Galten, was ordered by the president to "work through campus ministry to insure that the institute student Mass be held on campus and be served by the resident Jesuit community." Some at the institute saw this as a veiled effort to attack the institute by allowing allegedly heterodoxical priests to celebrate Mass for students at the institute. The letter goes on to describe how on January 19 both Galten and his assistant, John Hamlon, were called in to report to the president. The letter explains, "Each was summarily fired on that date, effective immediately, and ordered to have his office cleared and to be off campus by 5:00 p.m."

Four days later, as word of the firings spread, a student described the scene on campus. "A meeting just let out between students and the dean of arts and sciences. I had someone taking notes -- one thing that I remember was the ejecting of Erasmo Leiva from the meeting. He is one of the veteran professors of the [the institute]."

Denying charges by students and some faculty members that the Ignatius Institute was dismantled because its traditional Catholic curriculum was "too orthodox" and the administration let go because of their orthodoxy, the new director of the institute, Professor Paul Murphy, said, "Neither is correct." Murphy said that "some faculty members had decided not to continue" at the university's great books program founded by publisher Father Joseph Fessio in 1976. He added that he felt "this was unfortunate." (Fessio started the institute to give Catholic students a solid grounding in philosophy, theology, history, literature, and Church teachings. To get it underway he visited some 100 Catholic high schools, mostly in California, and recruited 60 students for the first class.)

In a separate statement, the six former institute faculty members charged, "Certain individuals within the Jesuit community and the university have maintained a relentless assault on the institute, trying to undermine its integrity. Representative of that liberality which can abide all things but orthodoxy, that [they] have employed every means available to discredit the program and its personnel and to deny it resources".

In a telephone interview with Dr. James L. Wiser, provost of the University of San Francisco, he said, "It's not our intention to close the institute." Wisner said that it was the intention of the university to integrate the institute with the university's Catholic studies program. When asked why there was a need to integrate the programs, Wiser replied, "We have a new president ... and he's looking at all of the university's programs." Wiser added that the university "has not realized all of our anticipated revenues" thus creating the need to consolidate programs. Wisner said that Father Privett wants to integrate the institute with the university's Catholic studies program in all its aspects, "spiritual ... liturgical ... this expresses their distinctiveness...."

One institute student had this to say about the Catholic studies program, "According to the pamphlet I have, it is headed by Paul Murphy and the board members include two of the professors who have resigned [the institute] and presumably the Catholic studies program. In the end, any Catholic studies program seems to be an attempt on the part of the university to retain some symbolic remnant of what they claim to be. They're not historically very Catholic, at least in terms of adherence to the teachings of the Magisterium or intellectual rigor."

When asked why Dr. Murphy had been selected to administer the combined institute and Catholic studies programs, Wiser replied that Murphy "was on the faculty of the Saint Ignatius Institute and Paul was serving as the director of the Catholic studies program." Wiser said that the Catholic studies program is a way for students to obtain a minor. "This is a six-course program which introduces students to the intellectual life of the Catholic Church." Regarding the reaction by members of the institute to the dissolution of the program, Wiser said that this was a misperception. "I have only heard the negative, I have not heard the positive ... that we are somehow dissolving the program ... unfortunately its a misperception some might have." Asked what would happen if the students who are currently enrolled in the institute were to leave, Wisner said that it was his hope that the students would take time to evaluate the new program. Wisner said that the university does not anticipate a wholesale exodus by the current students. But in the event that were to occur, they would be "very concerned."

Not only are current students shocked at what the university has done, many Ignatius Institute alumni are as well. Regina and Matthew White are both graduates of the institute. Regina White said that she was shocked at how Father Privett had destroyed the institute. "I think they are getting rid of a wonderful great books program. I hope they realize what they are doing," she said. White said that she met her husband while a freshman at the institute. Prior to going there, White said that she "hadn't been to confession in 15 years." Her husband Matthew said that the closing of the institute could be a good thing. "I think that it might be better if the institute goes elsewhere ... it was a shame that they were booted out mid-year, though."

When asked what type of program the institute will offer once it merges with the Catholic studies program, Dr. Wisner said that he wasn't aware of specific plans. "Paul Murphy will administrate," he replied when pressed for details. Wisner said that he hopes "the students will give the new program a chance."

One student, when told about Wiser's denial that the institute was being closed, said, "Denying what? The only thing to deny is the disbanding of the institute in name. In reality, with the administration gone and six of the mainstay profs gone, it is gone." This student added that the firings were a "thinly veiled attack on the part of Father President Privett, the Jesuits, and certain members of the administration".

Departing Ignatius Institute administrator John Galten said in a meeting with students, "When the Saint Ignatius Institute was founded it was by lay people and Jesuits who were sad to see traditional Jesuit education abandoned after existing for the last 400 years." Galten said being fired jarred him. "It was a shock to work for a place for a quarter of a century." He said that he needs time to recover from the shock. "I need to sit down ... I need to get used to this. I don't think I've ever [been without] work." Galten attended the University of San Francisco both as an undergraduate and as a graduate student before joining the faculty.

Father Fessio told the Faith that since the inception of the Institute, many in the university's Jesuit community have been hostile to the program. He said that the fact that the university had a new president allowed the Jesuits in the California province to do away with the institute. "If he didn't do away with it, he would lose face," he said. Asked whether he thought the firings were planned, Fessio said, "It was probably the first item on Privett's agenda."

One institute graduate saw irony in the way the administrators were fired in light of the current alumni magazine cover -- Educating for a Just Society. "This is a scandal to non-Catholic students, parents and faculty because we are supposedly known by our Christian Catholic love. Jesuits pride themselves on their commitment to social justice. Here are two men who have dedicated themselves to the school and are in their early 60's. They were told to clear their desks in twenty-four business hours ... this is social justice?"

Similarly, the January 29th letter from the faculty members took umbrage at the university's treatment of the two administrators: "The way you chose to fire these dedicated men, both loyal alums of USF who have so well and so ably served the university, is an offense to justice as well as to charity. Catholic social ethics teaches that the longer an employee has been with an organization, the greater the case must be for dismissing him. You have no such case and your action is manifestly unjust. They were summarily dismissed, each in a ten-minute conversation, without warning and with no reasonable explanation." And later, "No appeal to the need for administrators to make 'hard decisions' could possibly justify the egregiously unjust nature of your action. Father President, you speak of justice for all. You talk the talk. But you do not walk the walk."

The dissolution of the institute did not come as a surprise to all of the students and alumni. Some felt that at one point the university would try and dissolve the program. Dr. R. Pecha, M.D., who graduated from the institute in 1987, said that he had anticipated this action by the university. "Several years ago, I perceived a need to establish an organization outside the official auspices of USF which would support [the institute]." As editor of the school's newspaper in 1986-87, Pecha was aware of opposition to the institute within the Jesuit community. "Efforts to discredit [the institute] as out of the mainstream of the university as a whole, 'right-wing,' 'ultra-orthodox,' or contrary to the purpose of the university, have been put forth since the institute's inception. The faculty and students of [the institute] have had a particular affection for Pope John Paul II and his brilliant theology, a traditional approach to the liturgy, and routinely approved the Church's positions on ethics and morality, especially in regard to sexual morality."

Father Fessio said that the Jesuit community at the university has long regarded the institute as an embarrassment. Why would they be embarrassed? Fessio said, "They are embarrassed by the pope. They believe that some day we will have female ordination and the like."

Pecha said, "This general posture of [the institute] has incited particular venom from certain Jesuits, the campus ministry, some faculty members, sanctioned student groups [including homosexual groups], and now the Jesuit president himself." Pecha continued, "The uncharitable firing of [the institute's] director and the cynical letter sent by Father Privett to the hundreds of very devoted alumni seems proof-positive of the extent of distain that many of [the university's Jesuits had for the program. I anticipate more howls and outrages from liberal clerics as their numbers decline, their adherents disperse, their vocations dissipate, and their hubris becomes their undoing...."

One student, who will graduate in May, described the mood among the institute students as being positive, "The mood is generally upbeat and invigorated. We believe that we are firmly placed on the right side of this issue, and the recent letter from the faculty has only bolstered our faith. People are getting more and more involved every day." The student points out that the counter on their opposition website, www.friendsofsii.com, is an indication of this. Since its launching, it has received over 2,000 hits. "That says something very encouraging to me," he said.

Neither the president's office nor the dean of the college of arts and sciences has returned repeated calls for comment on the situation. An attempt to get comment from them via e-mail was similarly ignored.

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