ERIC Number: EJ938854
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Sep
Pages: 25
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1097-9638
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Nature and Extent of Catholic Identity Communicated through Official Websites of U.S. Catholic Colleges and Universities
Gambescia, Stephen F.; Paolucci, Rocco
Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice, v15 n1 p3-27 Sep 2011
The advent of the Internet has significantly changed how organizations interact with their customers and constituents in the areas of marketing, information sharing, and engagement processes. College and university websites have become major communication venues for prospective students to learn about schools of interest to them. Catholic colleges have been defining or redefining their "Catholic culture" since modernity (Gleason, 1995). Some critics have contended or demonstrated that many Catholic colleges have become "disengaged" from the influence of their religious sponsors or no longer practice the precepts of their founding mission. The purpose of this study is to assess the nature and extent of ways in which U.S. Catholic colleges publicly explicate their Catholic identity through their official websites. Regardless of the range in the quality of websites, a reasonable expectation is that these colleges communicate at some level their Catholicity. Findings from this study will assist college leadership and religious sponsoring entities and Catholic college associations to understand the degree to which their Catholicity is communicated to prospective students and the college's many constituents. (Contains 3 tables.)
Descriptors: Catholic Schools, Catholics, Web Sites, Internet, Church Related Colleges, Religious Factors, Marketing, Information Sources, Professional Associations, Educational Objectives, Student Recruitment
Boston College. Roche Center for Catholic Education, 25 Lawrence Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467. Tel: 617-552-0701; Fax: 617-552-0579; e-mail: journal@bc.edu; Web site: http://www.bc.edu/catholicedjournal
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A