The Catholic and Marianist Philosophy of Community
Living at UD
The
The
success of genuine community relies upon the deliberate commitment every member
of the UD family makes to engage in the hard work that it takes to build and to
sustain community. The purpose of this
document is to introduce some of the key principles, habits, virtues and
questions that shape community living at the
Understanding
and integrating these principles and behaviors into community living situations
is an integral part of the educational experience at UD. The principles and values described here
serve as a foundation for the University
Standards of Behavior and for the Community
Standards process of developing healthy community living on campus.
3 Principles of Community Living
Community Living is an Essential Learning Experience
Living
in community is essential to the full development and education of the whole
person. The Marianist tradition values
community living as the practical way in which Christians learn to live the
Gospel, striving to love God, neighbor and self in daily life. In fact, all people, regardless of religious
belief or faith tradition, learn essential life lessons such as self-awareness,
communication, cooperation, mutual respect, courage, forgiveness, patience and trust
from living in community with others.
The climate of acceptance that Marianists call family spirit
presumes an attention to the quality of relationships among the people in the
community. At the level of daily interaction,
all members of the community treat each other with respect and speak with
simplicity and openness. Over the long
term, these daily habits acknowledge the value and dignity of every member of
the community, and create the ground in which genuine friendships can flourish. 2
However, building
community requires more than friendliness, and is certainly about more than
following rules:
Such a vision of community and friendship runs the risk of
being romanticized. It must therefore be
recalled that friendliness and hospitality are genuine expressions of a process
that necessarily includes conflict, division, and all manner of human suffering
and failing. Yet, those grounded in the
Marianist vision of education recognize that only precisely out of this mix of
joy and sorrow can genuine communities be formed. 3
This genuine
community requires maturity, commitment, self-sacrifice, and hard work. Through this kind of learning, UD students
are more able to become people of great character and integrity who are
prepared for assuming the responsibility of membership in communities
throughout their lifetime and who can make a positive difference in the world.
The Dignity of Every Person
This
Marianist vision of community living is founded on the conviction that every
person has innate dignity because all people are made in the image and likeness
of God:
All women and men are endowed with a rational soul and are
created in God’s image; they have the same nature and origin and, being
redeemed by Christ, they enjoy the same divine calling and destiny; there is
here a basic equality between all and it must be accorded ever greater
recognition. 4
This awareness calls us not only to respect
ourselves and others, but to love ourselves and all people because of
the human dignity each of us receives from God.
Respect and love for self include making personal, social, and academic
decisions that preserve and improve one’s own dignity and well-being. Loving others includes the particular
challenge to love and to respect those who are different from us. The presence of a wide range of perspectives,
opinions, beliefs - and the diverse people who represent them - enhance the
depth of the UD community and the ability of students to integrate the academic,
religious, cultural, and social elements of their lives. The University Statement on Dignity states
clearly:
A primary assertion of both our religious and civil
traditions is the inviolable dignity of each person. Recognition of and respect for the person are
central to our life as a Christian and educational community and are what allow
us to pursue our common mission while being many diverse persons. 5
The Common Good
The
Catholic emphasis on the common good, another principle which shapes community
living at UD, emerges from this conviction about the human dignity of all
people. The common good is “the sum total of social conditions which allow
people, either as groups or individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully
and more easily.”6 This emphasis on the common good shapes
values very differently from secular culture, which typically gives the freedom
of the individual greater importance than the needs of others. A concern for the common good leads us to
make individual choices in light of how they affect other people and the
community as a whole. Our decisions and
actions affect people on our floor, residence hall, house, campus, city,
country, and ultimately the world community.
Furthermore, we are called to work
actively to create and promote the common good at UD and beyond. This may involve challenging behavior which
is harmful to others, or working to change unjust social structures which
inhibit people from reaching their fulfillment.
7 Habits and Virtues for Community Living
at UD:
Through
participation in the distinctive living and learning community at UD, students
accept the challenge of moral development which will prepare them to live as
mature members of a pluralistic society. There are certain attitudes and behaviors which
stand out as effective means to internalize, live out and to exemplify this
Catholic and Marianist vision of community.
Growth in these areas is a life-long process. As members of this community, every UD
student is responsible for understanding, developing and integrating the
following practices, habits and virtues into their lives.
Take responsibility for integrating your own
learning and living at UD
·
Learn about the
Catholic and Marianist views of life, which shape UD’s values.
·
Participate in the
quest for wisdom, not just for job skills.
·
Inform and integrate
your faith, beliefs, and moral living with your academic learning and living
experiences.
·
Develop an awareness of
yourself as a whole person, paying attention to your physical, emotional,
spiritual, social, and academic needs.
Be honest, truthful, and live with integrity
·
Model moral behavior
and virtue.
·
Do not cheat. Do not assist a friend in his or her
dishonesty.
·
Respectfully confront
others who violate legitimate expectations for healthy living and learning.
·
Respond truthfully and
respectfully when your behavior is questioned by another.
Treat yourself with respect
·
Enter into healthy
relationships.
·
Develop goals consistent
with your faith tradition and your personal values.
·
Make choices which
enhance your own safety, health and well-being.
·
Develop a sense of
reverence for the dignity of your own sexuality.
·
Refrain from behavior
which is insulting, demeaning, or harmful to yourself.
·
Make choices which help
you become the kind of person you want to become.
Treat others with respect
·
Practice the Christian
imperative to love your neighbor as yourself.
·
Be considerate of the safety,
comfort, and health of others.
·
Defend and protect the
weakest and most vulnerable in the community.
·
Develop relationships
with people who are different from you. Learn
from them.
·
Refrain from behavior
which is insulting, demeaning, or harmful to others.
·
Do not destroy or
vandalize property.
·
Reflect on how your
actions will affect others, even beyond the UD community.
Take responsibility for self and community
·
Exercise self-discipline
and take responsibility for your actions and their disciplinary consequences.
·
Work for justice and
peace to build the common good.
·
Learn constructive
methods of dealing with conflict.
·
Learn to offer and to receive
forgiveness.
·
Care for the university
environment by keeping public areas clean and hospitable.
·
Actively participate in
creating solutions for problems which threaten the well- being of the community.
Develop your faith life
·
Take time to reflect
and to pray alone and with others.
·
Reflect often about how
faith contributes meaning to and challenges your everyday life.
·
Grow in understanding
and practice of your own religious tradition.
·
Consider your life not
just as a career path, but as a vocation, a calling from God.
·
Seek growth in
awareness, respect, and understanding of the religious traditions of others.
Practice servant leadership
·
Listen first to other
points of view in situations of conflict and misunderstanding.
·
Strive to be aware of
how your actions can be of service to others.
·
Practice humility and
generosity of spirit.
·
Be an example of
generosity and selflessness with your gifts and skills.
·
Assume leadership roles
for the good of the community, not for advancing your own image.
12 Questions for Community Living at UD
To
develop the practices, habits and virtues which support the Catholic and
Marianist vision of community living, each member of the UD community should
reflect often on the following questions:
The family
spirit of campus life at UD depends on the commitment each member of the
university makes to the shared set of principles, practices, habits and virtues
represented in this document. In the
joys and the struggles of forming genuine community, students are reminded to
draw upon the support and professional expertise of Residence Education, Campus
Ministry, the Counseling Center, the Health Center, faculty, staff and other
available resources to make every situation a positive learning opportunity.
June 2005
1. Rule
of Life of the Society of Mary,(Dayton, OH: Marianist
Press, 1984), article 8,
2. Characteristics of Marianist Universities: A Resource Paper (Chaminade
University of Honolulu, St. Mary’s University, University of Dayton, 1999), 36.
3. Ibid, 38.
4. Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World in
5. “University Statement on
Dignity,”
6. Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World in