A new trend of lay persons taking on the role of president in Jesuit universities has slowly been on the rise.

Eighteen of the 28 Jesuit universities across the United States do not require a Jesuit to be the president. According to a Loyola Marymount University reporter Adrien Jarvis, there are now six universities that have non-Catholics serving as president.

Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles is one of the six universities who have appointed their first non-Jesuit and non-Catholic as their president.

According to the Rev. Gerald Fagin, S.J., and associate professor of the department of the Loyola Institute for Ministry, many universities are inclined to appoint lay presidents due to a shortage in Jesuit priests who meet the qualifications necessary to serve as president.

Many people question if a non-Jesuit is capable of taking on the role of leading a Jesuit university.

Fagin, however, didn’t feel that there was necessarily a problem in electing a lay person as a president as long as they met the qualifications for the job.

“I see it as a natural growth in our collaboration with the lay people to take on the leadership roles in our institutions,” said Fagin.

Assistant professor of Religious Studies Michael Novak also believes that it is possible for a lay person to competently serve as president. However, he did feel the need for the person to be from the Catholic tradition.

“I think it’s possible that they could do a good job. But in general I think that worldview, that orientation is an important qualification for truly keeping a Catholic character to the leadership of the school,” said Novak.

Students also seem to agree that being a Jesuit priest is important when assuming the role of presidency, while others did not see it as the most important qualification.

“I’m not really familiar with the inner workings of a Jesuit school. What I hope is that they would pick the best person for the position,” said Sean Gray-Julian, music education junior.

Although Loyola University New Orleans is not near to appointing a new president, Fagin says it might be possible down the road. Yet he stressed that when choosing a new president at a Jesuit university, finding someone who embodies the Jesuit identity is of the utmost importance.

“I think that what is most important in choosing a person other than a Jesuit to be president of Jesuit university is that they be someone who is really committed to and enthusiastic about the Jesuit mission, Jesuit values and Jesuit identity in the university,” Fagin said.

Angie Hernandez can be reached at [email protected]