Mercy Mission and Transformative Change: Evaluation of a Revised Governance Structure

Abstract

The University of St. Joseph, a Mercy institution, was founded during the Great Depression to provide women a gateway to higher education for careers in fields that would serve the well-being of society. Recently, the institution has undergone changes to modernize its organizational structure. Consistent with its commitment to educate people of all kinds who will make significant contributions to society, the university opened a School of Pharmacy in 2007. This positioned it to move from its structure of divisions to a school model. A School Evaluation Committee was charged with studying the change and determining its assistance in strengthening the mission. This article describes the research process implemented by the institution using Catholic social justice principles of participation, the common good, and stewardship to guide its work.