CARA Catholic Higher Education Research

Surveys of Students:

CARA can develop surveys designed to meet the unique needs of campus ministry. A combination of in-pew surveys of Mass attenders and/or residence hall surveys can be used to collect information for use in pastoral planning, in evaluations of programming, and in understanding the unique ways that college students express their spirituality. Additionally, for residence hall surveys, special survey items can be included for those of particular faith traditions or denominations. Results are presented in a reader-friendly, comprehensive report , and can also be presented and discussed by a CARA researcher on campus.

Surveys of Staff:

Catholic colleges and universities have “a responsibility…to affirm its essential characteristics, in accord with the principles of Ex corde Ecclesiae, through public acknowledgment in its mission statement and/or its other official documentation of its canonical status and its commitment to the practical implications of its Catholic identity.1” CARA can design surveys of faculty and staff at Catholic colleges and universities to evaluate the expressions of mission found on campus. These surveys would include program-specific issues, staff development, and the unique charism of the institution, and would be developed in collaboration with key stakeholders, including mission officers, campus ministers, and senior administrative leaders. Results would be presented in a comprehensive report.

Surveys of Alumni:

CARA can develop surveys of alumni of colleges and universities. For Catholic colleges and universities, surveys could focus on faith change over time, reflection on time at the university, and the impact of attending a Catholic college or university, as well as development and other issues pertinent to alumni. For non-Catholic colleges and universities, surveys could be evaluations of campus ministry while on campus, the impact of Catholic campus ministry programming, and other issues specific to the Catholic alumni of the institution.

For further information about research for Catholic colleges and universities and Catholic campus ministry, contact CARA Senior Research Associate Mark Gray.