President of Catholic Theological Union

PRESIDENT OF CTU

Catholic Theological Union (CTU) seeks a dynamic and visionary leader in theological education as the eighth President of our vibrant intercultural school of theology and ministry.

 

Catholic Theological Union

Over fifty years ago, a bold and unique model of Catholic theological education was born. In September 1968, embracing the urban and university setting of Hyde Park in the heart of Chicago and driven by a collaborative and ecumenical spirit, Catholic Theological Union opened its doors. CTU quickly grew to be a premier school of theology and ministry.  Today it enjoys a global reputation for excellence.  Originally formed and sponsored by three religious communities, its corporate sponsorship now stands at twenty religious communities.  Since its inception, CTU has been preparing and equipping men and women, religious and laity, for a rich variety of ministries, leadership roles, and advanced studies. CTU alumni and alumnae conduct ministries around the world.

The mission of Catholic Theological Union is to prepare effective leaders for the Church, ready to witness to Christ’s good news of justice, love, and peace. Along with its intercultural, ecumenical, and interfaith partners, CTU strives to be a transformative force in the Church and the world, affirming human dignity and the sacredness of God’s creation.  Catholic Theological Union is committed to being an inclusive community that draws on diversity as a source of learning and understanding.   For further information, see www.ctu.edu.

 

Description of the Role of President

The President of CTU is the school’s chief executive, educational, and administrative officer.  The President is immediately responsible to the Board of Trustees and the religious communities that sponsor CTU for implementing all policies and regulations of CTU. The President has final authority and responsibility, subject to the Board of Trustees and the school’s sponsoring religious communities (as applicable), for the proper conduct of all academic, disciplinary, and financial matters pertaining to the school. It is the President’s responsibility to see that the institution operates efficiently according to the standards of our accrediting agency and according to both ecclesiastical and civil law.

 

Qualifications

In evaluating candidates for the next President of CTU, the following factors assume particular importance:

• Religious and Academic Credentials. The President of CTU must be Roman Catholic.  It would be extremely beneficial if the President were to hold a doctoral degree in theology or another related discipline.  Historically, the President has been a priest or a religious sister, but that is not a requirement under our governance documents.

 

• Vision and Mission. The President of CTU needs to have the vision and leadership to carry us forward as a transformative force in the Church and the world in the 21^st century, shepherding us to adapt in an evolving environment.  The President of CTU must be mindful that our founding mission has been and continues to be the preparation of religious order seminarians for the Catholic priesthood and that we are equally committed to the formation of religious sisters and brothers and lay ecclesial ministers as invaluable partners in ministry serving in a variety of vocations. We expect the President of CTU to work closely with the Vice President and Academic Dean to critically assess, on an ongoing basis, program offerings, faculty qualifications and availability, and modes of course delivery,  all with a view toward ensuring a rigorous theological and ministerial curriculum of the highest standard that meets the needs of our current and prospective students.

 

• Stewardship. The President of CTU is expected to manifest a commitment to data-driven strategic planning, an adherence to each strategic plan, and a proclivity to engage personnel, trustees, and other resources at the earliest appropriate time to address issues that arise.  Fiscal responsibility is an important priority. We expect the President of CTU to work closely with the Vice President for Finance and Operations to monitor and manage the financial health of the institution and the efficacy of its operations. This includes formulation of a budget reflective of the priorities of the strategic plan then in effect.  Ever present in the President’s mindset should be the questions:
  • What issues are we facing?
  • What are our priorities in accord with our mission?
  • How are we prioritizing and responding?
  • How do we mobilize the key personnel and departments on a timely basis?

 

Paramount in this vigilance is clear-eyed early recognition of issues, prompt disclosure to the Board of Trustees and corporate members (as appropriate) as to the onset and existence of issues, the development of viable options for addressing those issues, and a willingness to engage the necessary resources to address issues expeditiously and effectively.

• Ambassador. We expect the President of CTU to be a vibrant ambassador both within and outside CTU.  This involves:
  • Maintaining good relationships with our key constituencies, which include
    • students, faculty, staff, trustees, CTU’s corporate members, and donors;
    • ecclesiastical, civic, and political leaders (local, national, and international); and
    • the Association of Theological Schools and our academic partners;
  • Articulating a vision of CTU’s history, purpose, and future direction, within the current circumstances of the Church and our society; and
  • Putting forward a narrative regarding CTU that enthusiastically communicates the essence and mission of CTU to potential students, donors, and friends.

 

We seek a candidate with the communication skills and charisma to convey a public image of CTU that both elevates its profile and appeals to and positively inspires our existing and potential constituents, religious communities, donors, faculty, staff, and students, as well as other Catholic and religious institutions.

We seek a candidate with a realistic perception of the factors necessary to maintain a religious academic institution such as CTU in the modern world.  The President must recognize the internal factors and those external to the institution that may have an impact on CTU and, as an ambassador within CTU, must effectively impress upon internal constituents the reality and scope of those impacts.

We expect the President of CTU to have a close working relationship with the Vice President for Development, both in the crafting of the public messaging for CTU and in our fundraising activity.  Experience with capital campaigns and other fundraising exercises would be helpful. We anticipate that commitment to the above-stated activities will result in robust enrollment and increased donations.

 

• Leadership. The President of CTU is expected to animate and coordinate the various departments, programs, and centers that comprise CTU, to be familiar with the concerns and activities of each, and to interact with each of them regularly, all while tirelessly promoting coordination and collaboration.  Critical in this leadership role is consistent and active engagement with and oversight of the Vice President and Academic Dean, the Vice President for Finance and Operations, and the Vice President for Development. We are seeking a proven leader (i) who respects and collaborates with faculty, corporate members, administrators, students, and trustees alike; (ii) who is capable of bringing forth a collaborative working environment, while holding the various departments to be accountable, promoting their efficiency, and supporting their focus on the strategic plan then in effect; (iii) who is a servant-leader, one approaching the task of leadership as a ministry to our mission, our religious community sponsors, and the wider Church; (iv) who is capable of working closely with CTU’s financial team to ensure financial sustainability; and (v) who is capable of being decisive as circumstances require.  The President needs to respect shared governance and value the vantage point and collective wisdom of the faculty, to recognize the faculty as an absolutely essential component of CTU’s mission, and to support initiatives for faculty development consistent with the strategic plan then in effect.  At the same time, the President must be aware of the different perspectives, experiences, and responsibilities of faculty and administrative leadership, be willing to communicate those differences to each internal group where appropriate, and be capable of reconciling such differences judiciously in service to the mission of CTU.  An effective President recognizes that a leader not only puts out fires but is occasionally called to start a fire in the best interest of the mission.

 

• Partnerships. The President sustains and develops partnerships with persons and institutions that align with and help to advance CTU’s mission and vision.  Among other initiatives, the President continues to nurture collaboration with the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and McCormick Theological Seminary, schools which in 2023 moved their operations to the CTU campus.  While CTU, LSTC, and McCormick retain their separate identities and operations in our shared space, we continue to explore and implement ways that the three schools can model ecumenical collaboration and achieve efficiencies in the use of resources.  Other important partnerships include those with religious communities and dioceses both within and outside the United States and with academic institutions, such as other members of the Association of Chicago Theological Schools and DePaul University.

 

• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. CTU is to its core a diverse, multicultural institution, utterly committed to interculturality, synodality, and ecumenical and interfaith dialogue.  The successful candidate would be an individual who shares this core commitment and who would flourish in and enhance an environment of diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and ecological solidarity.  The successful candidate would be sensitive to the obstacles that frustrate inclusion, would actively work to eliminate those obstacles, and would embrace inclusion both as a morally correct guiding principle and as a fundamental charism of our school.

 

• Academic and Pastoral Experience. The President of CTU must be an experienced actor in an academic milieu, versed in and open to pedagogical trends and technological innovations in advancing graduate theological education and ministry formation.  At the same time, the successful candidate is not one who necessarily has spent an entire career in an educational institution but can be one who has had a variety of experiences that require a pastoral sensitivity while being at home in an academic environment. Such experiences could include leadership of a religious community, parish work, missionary experience, peace and justice activities, work with immigrants, and other outreach undertakings.  The expectation is that the candidate will have had real-life immersion in service to people that, in turn, fosters understanding and mutuality.

 

Expressions of Interest

If you are interested in being considered for the position of President of Catholic Theological Union, you are encouraged to submit your curriculum vitae/ resume accompanied by a statement of interest supporting your candidacy to the Presidential Search Committee by email to [email protected] or regular mail (Catholic Theological Union, 5416 S Cornell Ave, Chicago, IL 60615).

We also welcome suggestions you might have regarding individuals whom you think would make excellent candidates for the position. When making any suggestions, please provide contact details for each candidate, to the extent you are comfortable sharing such details.  Also, please indicate (i) whether you would be willing to approach the candidate on our behalf and (ii) if not, whether we may use your name as a reference if we were to approach the candidate.

The deadline for submission of materials for consideration is January 31, 2025.  The successful candidate will enter office in June 2025.

 

Catholic Theological Union is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides equal employment opportunities to all candidates without regard to race, traits associated with race, color, religion (except where religion is a bona fide occupational qualification for the job), national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristics. Applications from members from racially and ethnically underrepresented groups are encouraged. Catholic Theological Union is committed to providing reasonable accommodations, as required by law.

 

 

 

Contact information:

Email:

[email protected]