Heritage Foundation Leadership for America

Location: The Heritage Foundation's Allison Auditorium

Within Catholic higher education, there is some dispute about the nature of a Catholic University and how best to lead students in the search for Truth.  "Academic Freedom" is an expression heard frequently in relation to controversies at colleges as administrators struggle to determine if certain works of literature, plays, artwork, and even speakers are appropriate on campus.  In April 2008, Pope Benedict XVI will deliver an historic address to the Presidents of all Catholic Colleges and Universities in the U.S.  In the backdrop of the Pope's visit, this panel seeks to explore academic freedom at Catholic Universities.  What is the role of a Catholic University and how does John Paul II’s Ex Corde Ecclesiae help define that role?  How do we define and understand academic freedom?  What, if any, should be the limits of academic freedom and how should these be determined?  Please join us as our distinguished panelists discuss these questions.