Students and professors may have noticed a few changes in the Boston College atmosphere upon returning from winter recess: a fresh blanket of snow on the landscape, the removal of holiday decorations, and crucifixes hanging above chalkboards in every classroom. This University initiative with the intention of promoting Christian art throughout campus has received mixed results from both faculty and students.
The implementation of the crosses is part of a program organized by University President William P. Leahy, S.J., to promote Christian art throughout the campus through the use of banners, mosaics, statues and, most recently, crucifixes. The administration established the program in 2000 through the implementation of a committee chaired by Rev. T. Frank Kennedy, S.J., and former chairman of the music department. In a statement to the BC community, Kennedy highlighted the purposes and goals of the initiative. "In a world that is pretty successfully driven by media (imagery), ours is a response that seeks to pose the age-old invitation of Christ to enter into love - a love that is made perfect in its unselfishness," he said.
During the past nine years, the committee has developed Christian art forms throughout BC's campus. The committee is responsible for art presentations such as the St. Ignatius statue in front of Higgins Hall and the mosaics of former Jesuit Superior General Rev. Pedro Arrupe, S.J., and social activist Dorothy Day in Lyons Hall.
As the program has progressed into its current stages, University administrators share the same sentiments and stress the importance of reflecting the University's religious tradition through the symbols. University spokesperson Jack Dunn said that the religious icons play a role in the University's identity. "As a Jesuit, Catholic university, the effort to promote Christian art reflects our pride in and our commitment to our religious heritage and the role it plays in fostering the Catholic intellectual tradition that we celebrate as a university," Dunn said.
Some faculty members, however, were not as enthusiastic about the University project. Paul Davidovits, a professor in the chemistry department, said in an e-mail that the placing of the crucifixes in classrooms "undermines" the efforts of BC in recent years to create an inclusive environment.
"Boston College has become a highly respected world-class university. At the same time, the University provided opportunities for students to deepen their commitment to Catholicism, to Catholic-Jesuit values, and religious sensitivities. Placing Catholic iconography in classrooms undermines the successful efforts of Boston College to be a university that welcomes all students, faculty, and staff," he said.
Davidovits said that the president's office's lack of communication with the faculty and the provost's office on the matter was both "distressing" and "alienating" to both himself and his employees.
Davidovits is not the only faculty member who has expressed his dissatisfaction regarding the new measure. Lawrence Scott, also a professor in the chemistry department, shares many of Davidovits sentiments on the issue. Scott said in an e-mail that while he shares many ideals with the Jesuits, he believes that the placement of crucifixes in classrooms is a hindrance to the greater aspirations of the University.
"I was proud to read in the Institutional Master Plan that my institution is committed 'to becoming the leader in liberal arts education among American universities.' It seems to me, however, that the mounting of religious artifacts on the walls in campus classrooms will almost certainly reduce the ability of Boston College 'to achieve the quality and reputation we seek, to achieve the diversity of perspectives that are essential to the fullness of our intellectual and cultural life, and to fulfill the commitment to our students to prepare them for citizenship, service, and leadership in a global society,'" Lawrence said, quoting text from the Institutional Master Plan.
Amir Hoveyda, also a professor in the chemistry department, declined to comment on the issue. In a recent article published in the higher education journal Inside Higher Ed, Hoveyda said that "a classroom is a place where (he) is supposed, as a teacher, to teach without any bias, to teach the truth."
Hoveyda also said he is concerned over the nature in which the measure was carried out. "For 18 years, I taught at a university where I was allowed to teach in an environment where I felt comfortable. And all the sudden, without any discussion, without any warning, without any intellectual debate, literally during the middle of the night during a break, these icons appear," Hoveyda told reporters.
University administrators have reacted to the faculty comments by re-affirming the significance of the crucifixes while at the same time attempting to promote increased dialogue between the faculty and administration. "Faculty members are free to disagree and express their opinions and what we hope is that given our role as a national leader in fostering inter-religious dialogue, our efforts to celebrate our Jesuit Catholic heritage through Christian art will lead to further open discussions with those who do not share our faith tradition or beliefs," Dunn said.
While a number of professors have taken a stand against the program, the majority of faculty members have not been opposed. "Most faculty members are either neutral or supportive," Dunn said.
"There was never any formal consultation on the issue (among the faculty), but I thought it was a good idea," said James O'Toole, a professor in the history department. O'Toole, who teaches a class on the history of American religion and another on American Catholic history, said that neither religion nor religious symbols have been an issue in the classroom for him. "In my classes, I'm not preaching. The crosses don't matter in my classes because we're not trying to convert people; we're not there for devotional purposes. The crucifixes just come with the territory," he said.
Other faculty members have also shown their support for the measure. Michael Naughton, chairman of the physics department, said that while he does not suspect that the University is attempting to implement a "stealth" operation, he does respect the opinions of the faculty who disagree with University conduct. "I think it can be healthy to have a legitimate, academic debate on the subject. Perhaps this will happen. I am certainly not in the 'love it or leave it' camp: in an open academic environment, diverse views are welcome, including dissenting ones."
Students at BC seemed to be accepting of the new measure. Kate Herr, A&S '12, said that she does not believe that there should be any disagreement on the issue. "I don't think anyone should get mad about it," Herr said. "It's a Catholic university, so it's just natural." Other students, such as Laura Grealisch, A&S '12, agreed. "We're going to a Catholic school. If the professors agree to teach here, the crucifixes should be tolerated."
Be the first to comment on this article!