THE INTER-UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE ON RESEARCH AND POLICY STUDIES

(ICR)

At its 1973 meeting in Sala manca the International Federa tion of Catholic Universities (I FCU) discussed at length the possibility of interdisciplinary research cutting across national boundaries and involving Catholic scholars in a joint intellectual effort. This would be directed at a reaffirmation of Christian val ues and wisdom in the contemporary world, an integration of the positive achievements of modern sci ence, techn ology and schol arship with the perennial culture of Christendom, and the provision of an intellectual presence through the analysis and debate of issues subject to human decision in the light of Christian principles.

In the Fall of 1974 IFCU sponsored a meeting at Grottaferrata near Rome which resulted in a clearer definition of the potential of the Catholic universities and a recommendation to create an international commission of scholars. Its task would be to identify themes, priorities, potential research resources (human, financial and institutional); to review project proposals and research products; and to provide a forum in which the interests and capabilities of the intellectual community might be related on a continuing basis to the needs and requirements of the Christian community and to those responsible for its pastoral care (see chapters I-IV above). Subsequently, and in the light of the meeting described in the following paragraph, IFCU established its Coordinating Center for Inter-Disciplinary Research.

In the United States, with its extensive set of Catholic universities, its complex patterns of technological development and their implied questions for human life, these needs for research had been felt most acutely. In order to explore the means required for a continuing corporate Christian response a meeting was convened in May 1975 at The Catholic University of America of Presidents and representatives of the U.S. member universities of IFCU. Its purpose was to identify the needs for research by the various constituencies of the Catholic universities, to explore the factors involved in the development of coordination between disciplines and universities in this work and to develop means for relating this effort to all levels of the Church.

The Inter-University Committee on Research and Policy Studies (ICR) was founded at that meeting. Its institutional members were: Boston College, The Catholic University of America, The Catholic University of Puerto Rico, The College of St. Thomas, Fordham University, Georgetown University, Marquette University, St. John's University, St. Louis University, Seattle University, The University of Detroit, The University of Notre Dame, Villanova University, and Weston School of Theology. Personnel: C. Walton, President; George F. McLean, O.M.I., Secretary; Sr. Franzita Kane, C.S.C., Research Coordinator; and B. Kennedy, Administrative Assistant. The papers relating to this meeting were published as a volume entitled InterUniversity Cooperation in Research, George F. McLean, O.M.I., ed. (Lancaster, Pa.: Concorde Publishing Co., 1975).

The nature of the ICR reflected the consensus of its founding meeting that a vigorous effort by university personnel and other scholars was needed in order to integrate new knowledge concerning the person and nature within a whole which includes the content of revelation and the achievements of the various cultures, to identify and research issues confronting contemporary society and institutions in the light of this understanding, and to analyze their implications for policy and action alternatives.

Concretely, this effort should involve:

1. inquiry directed at self-understanding by the Christian community in its present stage of cultural development and in its concrete social articulation,

2. exchange of information and ideas concerning the pastoral and social concerns of the Church,

3. procedures for identifying thematic priorities and developing the needed research, and

4. the location of relevant research capabilities and resources at the universities and in the larger intellectual community.

The purposes of the I CR were:

1. to promote research efforts by U.S. Catholic scholars, universities and other institutions by:

a. developing and maintaining an inventory of interested specialists and research capabilities in the various institutions and fields,

b. aiding in the process of identifying themes, concerns or problem areas, and

c. promoting the conditions in which interested scholars and institutions design and implement projects;

2. to mediate this work to the life of the Christian community as a whole, including:

a. the dissemination of the results of research, and

b. the mediation of the implications of more technical research to all dimensions of life in contemporary society; and

3. to relate these capabilities and efforts to other U.S. institutions and centers and to the IFCU coordinating council on interdisciplinary research.

Concrete implementation by:

- continuing communication exchanges;

- organizing scholarly meetings of joint interest;

- maintaining biographic data on interested scholars;

- developing thematic material useful for initiating joint research efforts;

- establishing liaison with analogous groups associated with IFCU in other countries;

- maintaining liaison with the Joint Committee of Catholic Learned Societies and Scholars ( CLS), the U.S. Catholic Conference (US CC), the National Catholic Education Association ( NCEA), the National Conference of Catholic Bishops ( NCCB), the American Council of Learned Societies (AC LS),;

- making provision for editing and publishing the results of conferences and symposia;

- coordinating and initiating information exchanges relevant to committee activities; and

- providing information on available research and on information resources to the NCCB and to other interested individuals and groups.

Steps taken by the ICR included:

- colloquia for research planning and design (see below),

- a biographic inventory of scholars (see chap. VII),

- a broad consultation for the development of an agenda of research needs (see chapter VIII below),

- the initiation of the project: "Foundations of Moral Education and Character Development" (see chap. XIII below).

Colloquia for Research Planning and Design.

In order to identify specific research areas and projects a number of disciplinary and policy oriented colloquia were envisaged to delineate the theoretical and institutional structures and concerns of the single disciplines with special relation to the religious meaning of the person, ethical commitment and cultural fulfillment. At the initial stage, the effort was primarily descriptive and constructive, seeking out new ideas and relations and formulating these in terms capable of inspiring subsequent research. The initial effort did not emphasize critical evaluation of ideas (though this is essential at subsequent stages), except as they affect judgments regarding need, feasibility and professional acceptability. A major goal of these colloquia was the identification of subsequent work which needs to be done and requires cooperation across disciplinary (and often sub-disciplinary) boundaries. The colloquia provided also motivation to respond to previously unperceived intellectual challenges.

1. Disciplinary-oriented Colloquia. Their objectives are to identify and assess:

a. the discipline's basic:

(1) theoretical structures: the basic principles and presuppositions of the discipline which determine the foci of its interests, past and present, and shape the current direction and trend of its research, especially where the subject matter of the discipline has direct or indirect relation to religious meaning, moral commitments and institutional interests, and

(2) institutional structures: the universities and research institutes; the persons, nationally and internationally; and especially the major Christian institutions and scholars whose joint research and other action might increase the strength and professional impact of the work;

b. within the discipline:

(1) the new research possibilities in areas where work is lagging or undone, especially where the discipline touches public policy interests and national needs, and

(2) the specific project areas and topics within the discipline which might be of interest or service to the Christian community, the persons competent to participate in such projects, and the potential funding sources; and

c. between the disciplines: the principal interfaces of the discipline with other disciplines in terms of at least first-order knowledge, and on this basis:

(1) to identify existing and potential areas of interdisciplinary research, and

(2) specific interdisciplinary project areas involving the discipline. Such planning colloquia were held in philosophy, psychology and education, the latter of which generated the projects on "The Foundations of Moral Education and Character Development" and eventually on "Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Life" (see chapter XIV below).

2. Policy-oriented colloquia. These are needed in order to survey the major contemporary issues. Their purpose is to identify problem areas which challenge human self-understanding and mutual understanding. They involve discussion leading to systematic research engaging the specialized capabilities of the various sciences, both in identifying issues and alternate courses of action, and in assessing their promise with a view to more adequate insight.

To do this at the present stage of human development--in which the advanced state of human knowledge, especially in its sci entific and techno logical dimension, is an integral and pervasive factor--requires the application of proportionately advanced capabilities for diagnosing problems and designing responses. In turn, this implies:

a. means for consulting the members of the society regarding their experienced needs

b. an application of technical competencies to the interpretation and analysis of this information with a view toward:

(1) diagnosing the problem and identifying areas of needed knowledge,

(2) elaborating and evaluating alternatives, and

(3) introducing these into the decision-making process itself; and

c. the application of technical and other means toward the successful implementation of policy.

Success in this process of identifying needs and elaborating the policies needed for an adequate response to the issues of our time depends upon adequate data, the insights of the sciences--the physical and life sciences, and the social and behavioral--the contribution of the historian and the humanist, and a deep appreciation of a Christian philosophy and theology of life, coupled with diverse professional competencies. Throughout, the intent is to discover the significance of a Christian understanding for policies that substantively affect human life.

Inventory of Scholars

The development of research required first an inventory of interested scholars and their specialized capabilities. This made it possible to identify persons with needed competencies in diverse fields willing to provide advice or carry out part of a project related to their area of specialization. The information was generated by requesting administrators to identify those who had manifested an involvement in such work, by contacting all faculty members of the universities and colleges with extensive advanced programs participating in ICR and all members of the CLS societies, and by requesting that they, in turn, recommend others in their own or in other fields. The questionnaires returned provided an inventory of 1,500 scholars who could be sources of information and consultation and possibly interested participants in interdisciplinary projects. (See chap. VII.)