Faculty - Qualifications, Responsibilities, Development and Employment

The members of the faculty of Kenrick School of Theology constitute a collaborative community of faith and learning, and are crucial to the scholarly activities of teaching, learning, and research. The core of the faculty at Kenrick is a group of 15 full-time members, with varying numbers of continuing part-time teachers, and of teachers engaged occasionally or on a one-time basis. Kenrick treasures the resource that this faculty represents, and provides its faculty members appropriate structure, support, and opportunity.

Faculty Qualifications, Responsibilities, Development, and Employment

Kenrick School of Theology appoints to faculty positions only those persons who possess the appropriate credentials for graduate theological education, normally a research doctorate. In addition to academic preparation in its faculty members, Kenrick also values ministerial and ecclesial experience, and sees this as an important qualification in the composition of the faculty as a group. All priest faculty members have regular pastoral duties on weekends, and some are in full-time residence at nearby parishes. In determining the composition of the faculty, Kenrick is guided by its institutional purpose, and includes attention to this composition in its strategic planning. Its hiring practices reflect the value of diversity in race, ethnicity, and gender, as well in educational background and point of view. Since it is a Roman Catholic seminary, it maintains a preference for hiring qualified Roman Catholic priests when this is possible, without prejudice to its commitment to diversity. In the context of the seminary’s institutional purpose and in accord with the provisions of Canon Law and the norms of the Program of Priestly Formation (4th ed., 1992), Kenrick acknowledges and respects the freedom of faculty members to seek knowledge and to communicate their findings (ATS 6.1.2).

On an ongoing basis, the faculty of Kenrick exercises responsibility for the planning, design, and oversight of the seminary’s programs. It provides leadership in the development of academic policy, oversight of academic and curricular program, establishment of admissions criteria, and recommendation of candidates for graduation. It also participates in the processes concerning the appointment, retention, and promotion in rank of faculty members.

Kenrick School of Theology maintains policies concerning faculty rights and responsibilities, freedom of inquiry, procedures for recruitment, appointment, retention, promotion, and termination, criteria for faculty evaluation, faculty compensation, sabbaticals, and other conditions of employment. These policies are published in an up-to-date faculty handbook. Kenrick School of Theology does not offer tenure, but has been enriched by a great deal of continuity within its faculty over the years. Much of this continuity is related to the religious stability of its diocesan and religious priest faculty members, and a related stability among its women religious faculty members. In recent years, Kenrick has enjoyed the continuing services of a number of lay faculty, who are deeply committed to its mission.

Kenrick faculty members have freedom in the classroom to discuss the subjects in which they have competence. They are also encouraged to include whenever possible in their classroom work a cross-disciplinary and pastoral perspective. Kenrick maintains a program for evaluating faculty performance, including teaching competence. This program involves interaction with the President-Rector and the Academic Dean, as well as with fellow faculty members.

Kenrick faculty members are involved in evaluating the quality of student learning by identifying appropriate outcomes and assessing the extent to which they have been achieved. Faculty members are also involved in the development of the library collection and other resources. Faculty members further contribute to students’ learning by being available for regular advising and interaction with students.

Kenrick provides structured opportunities for faculty research and intellectual growth in such means as faculty colloquia and in-service workshops, in allowances for books, memberships, and attendance at conventions, and above all in sabbatical leaves. The latter are offered every seventh semester at full salary or every seventh year at half salary. Faculty are encouraged to make available the results of their research by means of scholarly publication, constructive participation in learned societies, informed contributions to the intellectual life of Church and society, as well as in their teaching.