Center for Faith and Public Life

Center for Faith and Public Life (CFPL) at Fairfield University, Connecticut, promotes teaching, research, and other activities to advance student understanding and public dialogue on issues of faith and justice, and to foster global citizenship. In the Jesuit tradition of educating men and women for others, the Center also offers insertion experiences through its office of service learning.
The Center has made major contributions to the national debate on migration policy, and given special attention to the issue of the education of women.
Academics
Coursework. The Center has advanced its objectives by engaging 55 faculty members at Fairfield University to include education for compassionate global citizenship in 85 University courses. They share ideas for these course components with professors in the Jesuit Universities Humanitarian Action Network (JUHAN) and also learn from 35 community-based organizations worldwide with whom the Center maintains relations.
Service Learning. The Office of Service Learning (OSL) handles placement of students in situations relevant to their coursework which give them an opportunity to practice the faith that does justice. Placements are with clients of social service agencies, the elderly, public school students, or hospital/clinic patients.
Research projects
University access. Fairfield along with Santa Clara and Loyola Chicago universities in 2010 received a Ford Foundation grant to study how to assist more of the 65,000 undocumented high school graduates to enter a tertiary institution, with fewer than 10% entering now; advocacy in Washington followed the research.
Welcoming immigrants. Following up on a Carnegie Foundation grant (2008-2009), a study funded by the Hagedorn Foundation and Jesuit Conference in Washington researched how to help Catholics fulfill the gospel mandate and welcome immigrants as neighbors. This Strangers as Neighbors on Long Island project in 2013, with the full support of the Bishop of Rockville Centre, brought together Catholics with differing views on immigration for town hall meetings to discuss immigration from the perspective of their faith. The research showed that placing faith as a basis for discussion brought about less polarized exchange on controversial issues.
Public forum
Fairfield on Wall Street invites young alumni working in financial services to come together and reflect on the impact of Jesuit education on their professional life.
Interfaith. Various events on campus promote dialogue and understanding among those of different faiths.
Business leaders' breakfast. This annual Mass and breakfast for Catholic business leaders is cosponsored by the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation of Fairfield County. It includes a keynote speaker and Catholic leadership award.
L‌ectures and discussions. Other events are scheduled to promote reflection on the role of faith in public life.

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