Dominican University’s new partnership with three other Catholic universities is being hailed as an “education constellation” that will provide new opportunities for students from each institution.
CHARISM, which stands for Catholic Higher Education Alliance of Rising Institutions in Service and Mission, comprises Dominican, University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, University of Mount Saint Vincent in New York City and Universidad del Sagrado Corazon in San Juan, Puerto Rico. All are Catholic, Hispanic- and minority-serving institutions in major metropolitan areas and were founded by women religious.
The partnership will foster academic pathways that allow students to conduct part of their program at one institution and transfer to another for completion. It will also offer joint degree programs, where a student can earn a degree or certificate at more than one school.
Additionally, faculty and staff will be able to pursue professional development, faculty exchange and collaboration for discussion and sharing ideas.
It’s a unique approach, but innovative as well, according to Dominican provost Mia Hardy.
“It’s uncommon, but all of our institutions realize we need to meet this moment in higher education to serve students better,” Hardy said. “A lot of different people have come together to work on this collaboration, and it all comes together for the benefit of our students, which benefits all of us.”
CHARISM became official Dec. 8 at a special ceremony at the University of the Incarnate Word. Dominican president Dr. Glena Temple and the presidents of the other institutions were in attendance, along with Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of the Archdiocese of San Antonio.
The ceremony was “centered on what we hold in common,” Temple said. “The overwhelming theme is hope.
“We will expand opportunities for students and find ways to grow together to better meet the students in our community.”
For example, Temple said, Dominican has a PhD program in information studies and is the only school in the foursome with that program. Thus, the opportunity to bring in students from the other institutions is now possible. Additionally, the University of the Incarnate Word operates two campuses in Mexico and one in Strasbourg, France, so that will provide Dominican students opportunities to travel abroad.
That’s the real value-add for all four schools, according to Genaro A. Balcazar, Dominican chief operating officer and senior vice president.
“The limit is our imagination,” he said. “We want to make sure we are adding more value, finding collaborative partnerships and even our faculty exchanges.”
Temple said the collaboration discussions between the four universities started in November 2024.
“It’s a little over a year, and that’s record speed, so it’s exciting,” she said. “The senior leaders and faculties have been working diligently. We all bring different strengths and ideas to sense ways we can work collaboratively.
“Some students will take courses online, and we expect exchanges for semesters for students to travel between institutions. Technically, a student could do coursework at all four institutions throughout the course of their educational journey.”
Margaret Garcia, associate vice president for communications and marketing at University of the Incarnate Word said the constellation may expand.
“We’re happy to have four strong collaborations, (and) down the road, we might look at adding other Catholic institutions,” she said.
Balcazar said that could include “maybe a West Coast institution that’s Catholic and has a regional reach like we have with the other four.
“I think a large part of the future of higher education will be these types of partnerships and collaborations to add value not only to the students but the communities they operate in,” he said.
