Notre Dame is a great brand. It has breadth and depth. It resonates with people who touch it directly and with people who only know it from television or through others.
Today we discussed three strategic dilemmas facing the brand:
1. How should the needs of the various stakeholder groups be balanced? Which group's needs should be given priority? Those who can influence our reputation for research? Or closer in stakeholders like students, faculty and alumni?
2. How important is 'Catholic' as a differentiator for the 'master brand'? Does it deserve top billing or should it be downplayed?
What do you think?
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22 comments:
As an alum, it is something we discuss a great deal, so I'm glad we are paying attention to it.
1. This one might be pretty obvious given what I said above. The most important stakeholders are the alumni that support the school. Notre Dame is a school built around its people and their shared traditions and values. It's not until you leave that you have a proper frame of reference for what makes this place so unique. Furthermore, I view it as a false dichotomy between these stakeholders. I don't think you would find any alumni against improving ND as a research institution - in fact, it is an obvious next step. The question is why we would do it - is it a natural extension of the University's mission or is it to try to be Stanford or Georgetown? Furthermore, Mr. Woodward portrayed (fairly or unfairly) academia as a mercenary profession - why we would entrust the brand to people who do not have its best interest at heart? Even the so-called "aspirational peers" do not give control of the brand to the professors. Rather, the professors help drive the success of the brand; but they are just one part.
2. Being unabashedly Catholic is a huge part of what ND is about, but I think the meaning of this is commonly misconstrued among people who have not experienced it before. The presence of Catholic thought and teaching is meant to be part of a debate, not a sermon. While ND is certainly built on Catholic values, it is meant to be a place where Catholicism simply has a voice - a voice that's been lost at other institutions. Yes, people here will be exposed to Catholicism; however, it is in the context of developing an understanding of what is important to you and why you believe the things that you do. This is in the interest of personal and communal development, similar to any study of philosophy.
Of course, in order to help properly define what the place should be, I have an obligatory football quote for the debate. Lou Holtz said he expected all of his players to be able to answer 3 questions at any time:
1. Can I trust you?
2. Do you care about me?
3. Are you dedicated to excellence?
Those are the same questions I would use to define anyone associated with the university. This is catholic in the small 'c' meaning - universal personal characteristics that ND seeks to foster. Any initiatives that foster that dedication to excellence while maintaining a concern for the impact of our decisions will be greatly encouraged and supported by the student body and alumni and will ultimately drive the success of ND as a brand comparable but distinct from the Ivy and Ivy pollyannas.
Well said, Rob. I think utilizing our Catholic identity to it's fullest potential is absolutely crucial, and should never be sacrificed.
That being said, I think many within the University use the Catholic identity as an excuse for our inability to excel in many areas - football, research, whatever you like. The fact of the matter is that in all of these areas, our Catholic identity should have no bearing on our ability to operate at the very highest level. Certainly there must be some kind of research we can excel in besides stem cell research. There must be some football players out there who want to play by the rules. I think the administration needs to take a good look in the mirror, not to ask "who are we", but rather, "what excuses are we making?" With our resources, there is no excuse for us to be second to anyone. Faculty may have reservations about teaching here, but like Mr. Woodward said, if you pay them, they will come. Same goes for our student body and our graduate program. Instead of fretting over the ethical or religious implications of improving graduate study, it's time to put your money where your mouth is and invest in things like graduate housing and PhD programs. We have the resources to afford almost any professor, any new building, and any new set of graduate residences, without compromising our Catholic character or the identity of this school as a top undergrad experience.
We absolutely cannot let our fear or our old-fashioned thinking prevent us from keeping pace. I have invested far too much in this University to see it fall by the way side, and if it means becoming a little more like Stanford, or a little more like Georgetown, then so be it. I know the heart and soul of Notre Dame is in its students and the tremendous charitable work they do on a daily basis both at Notre Dame and beyond, and that can never be taken away.
I think the answer to those questions lies in what Notre Dame is trying to achieve: does it want to be a research institution, a well loved school, or something else entirely? Ask a thousand different people and you will get a thousand different answers.
For me, answer is that Catholic values and the values of preeminent research are not that far apart. Both seek to make the world a better place. The actions and attitudes to get there are different. Rather than focus on the big C Catholic, perhaps Notre Dame could focus on the foundations of Catholicism, including charity, humanity,and compassion. These principles would act as foundation for the university, no matter who it was talking to or what it was saying.
Very well said Rob and Jonathan, I can only add that the very volume of your posts suggests the "rebranding" idea is such a passionate idea for alumni that the onus of the debate should be "what data makes a compelling argument for dropping Catholic?" rather than "we're not succeeding in this, why shouldn't it be changed?"
I personally found the discussion rather confusing, it seems like we're talking about a way to change to make ND more appealing to research scientists, but the data presented said that moving upward on the tracking measures is next to impossible for everyone, and I never heard a clear link between whether a total dropping of Catholic would have any measurable impact on the improved research rankings.
I'd need to hear a more compelling case as to why having "Catholic" as the master brand compromises ND's ability to invest in the best research available, or why such an investment is important to the rest of ND's stakeholders, this reminds me of how every cycle of ND's failing on the football field brings calls to change traditions of academic standards or the schedule-- they don't change-- a competent coach turns them around and those failures are shown to be the fault of those in football itself. If ND is truly failing at improving their research credentials, I think they should look at those under the Dome that are "coaching" the research effort first and foremost, and stop making excuses for fielding a mediocre team.
Interesting and powerful commentary--thanks for sharing!
I also need to begin my post with the disclaimer that I am a Double Domer as well. I have emotional, spiritual, and intellectual ties to this University and feel very strongly about its past, present and future. It’s very difficult for me to hear this debate about the school’s Catholic identity, because it is something I believe is a differentiator for the University. In my opinion, the University has never been apologetic, dishonest or ashamed of this feature—as Rob said so eloquently; “Catholicism simply has a voice - a voice that's been lost at other institutions.” Why should we deny or stray from a facet of our school that makes us different? There are so many great schools out there that offer stellar academics as Notre Dame does. Everyone knows that Catholicism is part of Notre Dame. It is an option to buy this product; no one forces someone to come to school here. If the main thing you’re looking for is stellar academics, there are other choices for schools.
Twenty years down the road, think about what a student would think if he arrived at Notre Dame to find that there was no more football at the school. Is it too much to believe that he would be just as outraged to find its Catholic identity gone as well?
While it may not seem like Catholicism should play a major role at ND, I think the Catholicism is what creates the community feel that ND has and shapes its vision for the future.
I am not a double domer however, I came to Notre Dame because of their approach to doing business. I remember watching the "ask more of business" video during orientation, getting chills and feeling like I was truly in the right place. Were these feelings directly tied to Notre Dame's association with the Catholic Church - of course not. However, the current of catholic values that permeate everything we do here WAS the reason for those feelings. As much as I would like to say that these sentiments would remain with ND no matter what the religious affiliation was, the fact is that the Catholic identity brings students and teachers here who are not necessarily Catholic, but who want to be a part of an organization that lives a mission and a values statement. I think it's a differentiates us and I don't think you can separate the Catholic identity from the success of ND.
Notre Dame is uniquely differentiated by its value system based on Catholicism. I do not think that becoming a major research institution and subduing Catholic values are mutually exclusive. What sets Notre Dame apart from every other higher learning institution is that its value system guides the curriculum.
ND has the resources and understands what it takes to become a major research institution, but the university should not be compelled to do so to be similar or ranked with top-tier research institutions. Rather, it should make the decision based on expanding its values through another educational endeavor.
Leading with these values, I asked myself these questions:
-Can ND maintain its values and contribute to scientific research?
-Will ND's values come into conflict with that research?
To the first question, I say absolutely. For the second, I felt that there is a certainly a possibility, but its values will guide what research it takes on. There are numerous research topics that do not conflict with ND's Catholic value system.
The future of the Notre Dame brand is an issue that unquestionably resonates with me. I’ve very much enjoyed reading everyone’s thoughts and ideas, because I think this discussion is an important one. As a disclaimer, I admit that I have a very unique perspective. I’m a double domer who is simultaneously experiencing the undergraduate and graduate facets of ND, and they are very different. If ND seeks to improve as a premier research institution comparable to the Ivys and Stanfords of America, changes to the graduate and research realms of this university must be made. However, separating Notre Dame from its Catholic identity in future endeavors is not a change that I support.
The undergraduate admission process at ND is almost self-selective. Students attracted to this institution are ambitious, brilliant…and grounded in values. This likely sounds ridiculous to non-ND alums, but attending ND as an undergraduate is joining a family and becoming part of a tradition that is larger than education ( albeit education is a vitally important part of who we undergraduates are). ND is an experience which I argue would be lost with a separation from the Catholic identity. Catholicism is at the root of our tradition and our values, and to de-Catholicize ND risks altering this unique experience and family. This being said, as Rob eloquently put, while Catholicism undeniably has a voice here at ND, it is not a religion forced on its students; nor is it a driver that induces students to be “closed minded.” Catholicism is a large part of how we define what we stand for.
Would ND alums support improving the graduate and research realms of our university to achieve excellence. Absolutely. Must these improvements be aligned with our values and traditions. Undoubtedly. Can these improvements be separated from our Catholic identity? While this identity does not need to act as THE central attractor for prospective professors and graduate students in the future, NDs institutional developments, teaching, and the research conducted at this university must continue to be aligned with our values and our tradition. Since, in my opinion, these cannot be separated from our Catholic identity, we must continue to move forward as a premier Catholic research university.
Assuming ND is a person, I would say Catholic value is ND's heart and research capacity is ND's body. They together could make a perfect person. It is hard for me to see they are against each other.
Catholic value is ND's POD and DNA. We should never lose it. However, I agree what Sarah said
"Rather than focus on the big C Catholic, perhaps Notre Dame could focus on the foundations of Catholicism, including charity, humanity,and compassion." Shifting focus from one particular religion to values might be a smart move.
The Catholic identity is a powerful, strong differentiator that is a tremendous asset, including in research.
The University certainly does not have a "mediocre research team." We have some of the best researchers in the country. We hired a very prestigious researcher Dr. Kasturi Haldar away from the medical school at Northwestern University and Dr. Schulz from the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Last July, we hired two proteomics researchers and a host of others. Read about Dr. Mark Suckow's patent on a prostate cancer drug or Dr. Buechler's patent on a model for predicting breast cancer recurrance.
Beginning in 2007, the University invested $80 million of its own funds into strategic research investments. This created new core research facilties in areas such as genomics, bioinformatics, and proteomics. Centers such as the Integrated Imaging Facility have formed since then.
The university is in growth mode. Our vision is to grow science faculty by 30% over the next several years. This is at a time when many universities are having hiring freezes for staff and not creating new faculty positions.
The new provost is doing fabulous things to change the University, but reputation is not something that changes over night.
We need more people telling the great research stories of Notre Dame-- that's the issue.
These are all terrific comments, and I think many of us are on the same page in believing that Notre Dame's stance as a research institution has nothing to do with it's Catholic identity and everything to do with the big step that is changing Notre Dame's strictly-undergrad focused culture into something much larger.
That being said, Fr. Jenkins has done a tremendous job since arriving to spur undergraduate research, and he has replaced almost every single dean on campus with ones who are much more proactive on the research/entrepreneurship front. I think he know's the mission, it's just Mr Woodward's unenviable task to make sure the message is consistent and appealing to all stakeholders.
Wow. Apparently, this is a hot-button issue for most of us who are incredibly passionate about the University! As a double domer, the same holds true for me. Not to sound like the stereotypical ND alumnus, but this truly is a unique place, and as many have already alluded to, it attracts a unique type of student. ND students are extremely intelligent and motivated, but it's much more than that. They embody a unique quality that separates them from your typical ivy league student. They're charismatic and incredibly passionate and caring. They have this certain "it factor," that is hard to describe. I feel that the University embodies this "it factor" as well. It's just incredibly unique. If you've never been to or experienced ND, then you just don't get it. You can't understand it. I'm not saying other schools aren't fabulous. They certainly are and boast tremendous statistics and distinguished alumni, but they're not Notre Dame. I believe it is Notre Dame's emphasis on its Catholic values and tradition which has allowed the university to sustain this position in a league of its own. However, you don't have to be Catholic to experience what Notre Dame is all about. It's not exclusionary by any means. In fact, Catholicism teaches us to be open to and respect people of all different backgrounds and opinions. When President Obama spoke at last year's graduation, of course, there were many protests. The media expectedly pounced on the opportunity to criticize Notre Dame's departure from its Catholic identity. However, they never bothered to understand why Father Jenkins decided to have the President of the United States speak. Catholicism promotes the free exchange of ideas and opinions. So in essence, we were adhering to our Catholic identity. Father Jenkins decided that all students had a right to hear Pres. Obama's viewpoint, and empowered them to make their own decisions on what he had to say. To have banned the speech would have been more anti-Catholic as it would have restricted students from hearing his message.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, we should never lose our Catholic identity as it is our differentiator. I think the challenge is to make people aware of how Catholicism adds value to the Notre Dame learning experience. I don't think we have to label ourselves with the word "Catholic!" We just have to demonstrate why it is important.
Furthermore, as Rob said, I do not agree with trying to buy out disguished professors to get them to come to Notre Dame and improve our research statistics, just as I don't agree with throwing tons of money at students who would otherwise not even consider ND. These are not the type of people who are going to fight for Notre Dame's integrity. They will get out of it what they can and move on, taking with them all the value we thought they would add. While I understand the need to improve our position in terms of the top research institutions, I agree with Marissa in that in might just be a better strategy to focus on our progress thus far and build upon that. Let's continue to get the message out on how far we've come and what accomplishments we've made. We will gain momentum and should be able to continue to draw the cream of the crop to this University.
Wow. Apparently, this is a hot-button issue for most of us who are incredibly passionate about the University! As a double domer, the same holds true for me. Not to sound like the stereotypical ND alumnus, but this truly is a unique place, and as many have already alluded to, it attracts a unique type of student. ND students are extremely intelligent and motivated, but it's much more than that. They embody a unique quality that separates them from your typical Ivy League student. They're charismatic and incredibly passionate and caring. They have this certain "it factor," that is hard to describe. I feel that the University embodies this "it factor" as well. It's just incredibly unique. If you've never been to or experienced ND, then you just don't get it. You can't understand it. I'm not saying other schools aren't fabulous. They certainly are and boast tremendous statistics and distinguished alumni, but they're not Notre Dame. I believe it is Notre Dame's emphasis on its Catholic values and tradition which has allowed the university to sustain this position in a league of its own. However, you don't have to be Catholic to experience what Notre Dame is all about. It's not exclusionary by any means. In fact, Catholicism teaches us to be open to and respect people of all different backgrounds and opinions. When President Obama spoke at last year's graduation, of course, there were many protests. The media expectedly pounced on the opportunity to criticize Notre Dame's departure from its Catholic identity. However, they never bothered to understand why Father Jenkins decided to have the President of the United States speak. Catholicism promotes the free exchange of ideas and opinions. So in essence, we were adhering to our Catholic identity. Father Jenkins decided that all students had a right to hear Pres. Obama's viewpoint, and empowered them to make their own decisions on what he had to say. To have banned the speech would have been more anti-Catholic as it would have restricted students from hearing his message.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, we should never lose our Catholic identity as it is our differentiator. I think the challenge is to make people aware of how Catholicism adds value to the Notre Dame learning experience. I don't think we have to label ourselves with the word "Catholic!" We just have to demonstrate why it is important.
Furthermore, as Rob said, I do not agree with trying to buy out distinguished professors to get them to come to Notre Dame and improve our research statistics, just as I don't agree with throwing tons of money at students who would otherwise not even consider ND. These are not the type of people who are going to fight for Notre Dame's integrity. They will get out of it what they can and move on, taking with them all the value we thought they would add. While I understand the need to improve our position in terms of the top research institutions, I agree with Marissa in that in might just be a better strategy to focus on our progress thus far and build upon that. Let's continue to get the message out on how far we've come and what accomplishments we've made. We will gain momentum and should be able to continue to draw the cream of the crop to this University.
Is this blog still alive? what a waste if it is dead. I can see people having some good discussion here.
Is this blog still alive? what a waste if it is dead. I can see people having some good discussion here.
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