More than 150 colleges in the United States were founded by nuns, and over time they have served many constituencies, setting some educational trends while reflecting others. In Catholic Women's Colleges in America, Tracy Schier, Cynthia Russett, and their coauthors provide a comprehensive history of these institutions and how they met the challenges of broader educational change. The authors explore how and for whom the colleges were founded and the role of Catholic nuns in their founding and development. They examine the roots of the founders' spirituality and education; they discuss curricula, administration, and student life. And they describe the changes prompted by both the church and society beginning in the 1960s, when decreasing enrollments led some colleges to opt for coeducation, while others restructured their curricula, partnered with other Catholic colleges, developed specialized programs, or sought to broaden their base of funding. Contributors: Dorothy M. Brown, Georgetown University; David R. Contosta, Chestnut Hill College; Jill Ker Conway, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Carol Hurd Green, Boston College; Monika K. Hellwig, Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities; Karen Kennelly, president emerita of Mount Saint Mary's College, Los Angeles; Jeanne Knoerle, president emerita of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College; Thomas M. Landy, College of the Holy Cross; Kathleen A. Mahoney, Humanitas Foundation; Melanie M. Morey, Leadership and Legacy Associates, Boston; Mary J. Oates, Regis College; Jane C. Redmont, Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley; Cynthia Russett, Yale University; Tracy Schier, Boston College.
Contents:
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 Faith, Knowledge, and Gender -Jill Ker Conway 2 Colleges of Religious Women's Congregations: The Spiritual Heritage - Monika K. Hellwig 3 American Catholic Colleges for Women: Historical Origins - Kathleen A. Mahoney 4 The Colleges in Context - Thomas M. Landy 5 Faculties and What They Taught - Karen Kennelly 6 The Philadelphia Story: Life at Immaculata, Rosemont, and Chestnut Hill - David R. Contosta 7 Sisterhoods and Catholic Higher Education, 1890-1960 - Mary J. Oates 8 Live Minds, Yearning Spirits: The Alumnae of Colleges and Universities Founded by Women Religious - Jane C. Redmont 9 Making It: Stories of Persistence and Success - Dorothy M. Brown and Carol Hurd Green 10 The Way We Are: The Present Relationship of Religious Congregations of Women to the Colleges They Founded - Melanie M. Morey
Conclusion: Into the Future - Jeanne Knoerle and Tracy Schier
Appendix A. American Colleges and Universities Founded by Women Religious for the Education of Lay Students - Thomas M. Landy
Appendix B. Colleges Founded by Women Religious for Educating Sisters - Thomas M. Landy
Notes Contributors Index
""Renn boldly engages the complexities of women's lives globally, giving careful attention to the intersections of gender, culture, economics, and education... Women's Colleges and Universities in a Global Context is a rich resource for researchers and students interested in women's issues and the role of higher education in transforming the climate for women's equity across the world... With this book, Renn has further confirmed her well-deserved reputation as a preeminent scholar of higher education both within the US and internationally.""
