Lay Leaders In Catholic Higher Education: An Emerging Paradigm for the Twenty-First Century.

LAY LEADERS IN CATHOLIC HIGHER EDUCATION: An Emerging Paradigm for the Twenty-First Century Anthony 3. Cernera; Sacred Heart University Press, 2005; 168 pp; $24.95

LAY ADMINISTRATORS ARE INCREASINGLY taking the helm at Catholic institutions of higher learning, which were traditionally led by priests and nuns. Now lay leaders outnumber those who have taken religious orders, and this change over the past 35 years has prompted the question: Can these IHEs still maintain their Catholic identities with this dramatic shift in leadership?

This provocative question is pondered in a book of essays edited by the long-time lay president of Sacred Heart University (Conn.), Anthony J. Cernera. Lay Leaders in Catholic Higher Education is based on presentations from a 2003 conference sponsored by his university and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities.

Essays by a number of lay and religious leaders of Catholic IHEs explore the possible spiritual ramifications of a trend toward lay leadership, and consider how best to educate lay leaders on the goals and missions of Catholic IHEs.

Cernera suggests that although the book is geared toward Catholic IHE administrators, decision makers in secular institutions would benefit from the discussions on how best to mold campuses into communities of social, moral, and intellectual engagement.--J.V.