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On Monday, September 9, U.S. News & World Report released its annual rankings of the best colleges and universities in the United States. Jesuit institutions were featured prominently on the list.

It's that time of year again! The class of 2023 has arrived on Jesuit campuses across the country, ready to begin the next four years of their lives. Over the past few weeks, students have participated in orientation programs, many of which included community service events. In addition to bringing students together, these events helped to introduce them to their local communities, as well as the Jesuit mission of being men and women for and with others.

In February 2019, Jesuits across the world received a letter from the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Rev. Arturo Sosa, S.J. In this formal communication, Fr. Sosa recommended four areas of consideration for all Jesuit ministries, institutions and organizations over the next ten years. Known as the Universal Apostolic Preferences, these four areas have been approved by Pope Francis and received enthusiastically throughout the world.

For more than two decades, incarcerated individuals in the United States have been banned from receiving Federal Pell Grants, thereby leaving the financial cost of post-secondary education up to the individual who desires to further his/her education while imprisoned. This summer, the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities has worked to advocate for the Restoring Education and Learning (REAL) Act of 2019 (S.1074/H.R. 2168): a critical step in removing the ban and reinstating Pell Grant eligibility for individuals incarcerated in Federal and state prisons.

The International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU) is a global network of Jesuit institutions of higher education that serves as the international advisory and coordinating body for the Secretariat of Jesuit Higher Education. On July 11, 2019, IAJU will mark one year since it was approved by Rev. Arturo Sosa, S.J., Superior General of the Society of Jesus, during an international assembly at the University of Deusto in Bilbao, Spain.

Earlier this month, Loyola University Chicago hosted the sixteenth annual Jesuit Leadership Seminar (JLS) for faculty, staff and administrators from Jesuit colleges and universities. For the first time, two staff members from Loyola University Andalusia in Spain, participated in the Seminar, reflecting the program’s growth and impact both in the United States and abroad.

On Sunday, June 16, Rev. José Alberto “Chepe” Idiaquez, S.J, president of the University of Central America (UCA), a Jesuit institution in Managua, Nicaragua, received an honorary degree during the undergraduate commencement ceremony at Seattle University. The degree was conferred by Seattle University’s president, Rev. Stephen Sundborg, S.J., at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, WA.

The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) is pleased to welcome Jenny Smulson as Director of Government Relations. A proud Georgetown University graduate with nearly two decades of experience advocating on higher education issues, Smulson comes to AJCU from the American Psychological Association (APA), where she served as senior legislative and federal affairs officer.

On Wednesday, June 5, members of the AJCU Career Service Leaders affinity group gathered at the 2019 National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) conference in Orlando, FL. The AJCU Career Service Leaders hosted a panel discussion and networking reception for guests, exploring the theme of Professional Humans: Jesuit Education and the Future of Work.

On Tuesday, May 7, Rev. Michael J. Sheeran, S.J., president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU), became an honorary Rambler when he received an honorary degree from Loyola University Chicago. The degree was conferred during the commencement ceremony for graduates of Loyola’s Graduate School and Institute of Pastoral Studies, for which Fr. Sheeran served as commencement speaker.