University of St. Thomas and NARAL

Yesterday I drew attention to the unfortunate fact that the Biology Department at the University of St. Thomas was directing its students toward pro-abortion activism. Okay, that was a bit too strong. I should have written “listed.” The Biology Department’s website listed NARAL and Planned Parenthood as volunteer opportunities.

Those opportunities were deleted yesterday. But a friend forwarded me a screen shoot of the Women’s Studies Department there. Same ugly, very ugly problem. Among the internship possibilities it lists Pro-Choice Resources and Minnesota NARAL Foundation.

This web page was also scrubbed of the offending organizations.

I’m afraid the University of St. Thomas has a problem facing all Catholic educational institutions. Unless faculty hiring is closely monitored, these institutions slowly change to mirror the wider academic culture. This is what has happened over the last generation or more. The result is a faculty culture increasingly at odds with the Church’s teaching.

It takes forceful, courageous academic leadership to resist this trend, to say nothing of reversing it. I hope the University of St. Thomas is up to the task.

R. R. Reno is editor First Things.