Expanding the HCI’s Footprint in Higher Education

The Holy Cross Institute at St. Edward's University

Since its beginning, the Holy Cross Institute has provided educational resources, training opportunities, and professional development to those serving in Holy Cross schools, colleges and universities. Extensive work in the K-12 space typified the early years of the Institute, and that commitment remains strong. Increasingly, mission support has been extended as well to St. Edward’s University and Holy Cross College, both charter members of the Institute. In fact, the Institute makes its services available to all eight of the Holy Cross colleges and universities in the United States. As a direct result, the Institute is continually forming new partnerships with faculty, staff and administrators at our many college campuses.

Vital connections between the Institute and its partners in higher education were on display at Convocation 2024. Not only were there teams from all eight colleges and universities in attendance; many of these individuals were on the program presenting workshops or keynote addresses, such as Karen Eifler (“Oui, Whee, We”: Leaning into Hope, Holy Cross Style) and Eric Anctil (Authenticity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence), both of the University of Portland.

Also in February 2024, under the auspices of the Holy Cross Institute and the U.S. Province of Priests and Brothers, higher education leaders from the eight Holy Cross colleges and universities have? been gathering each year in early February for dinner and an evening of conversation. From these meetings many new relationships have emerged, with opportunities for collaboration and innovation.

In 2024, the third in this series of meetings took place with 28 leaders of Holy Cross higher education on hand. It was by far the largest gathering of the group and a sign of the shared mission that the leadership has embraced. As part of this gathering, a special tradition has begun – offering a prayer of thanksgiving for Holy Cross higher education that concludes with the following petition: “Bless our educational communities with a love for learning and the zeal to make God known, loved and served. Make them places of great discovery, adventure and creativity, where everyone is respected and valued. Enable us, as Holy Cross educators in the faith, to foster authentic experiences of truth and goodness so that our communities may be a sign of God’s kingdom in our world.”