CDU Blog

Incarcerated Catholics are not immune to the impact of COVID-19; the pandemic has only increased their isolation. Despite the challenges, many of our brothers and sisters behind bars are using their time to learn and grow in their faith.

CDU’s enrollments in free digital courses for the incarcerated have grown 110% in 2020 to 345,000 free courses taken.

CDU now offers 30 courses in English, seven in Spanish, and three certificate programs to the incarcerated. We are grateful for your support of the underserved.

CDU’s online seminars can be completed at your convenience during the dates posted. While you can enroll in the seminar of your choice, why not make a commitment to your Faith and enjoy both? Do not miss this special $199 package offer. Enroll today at https://cdu.edu/online-seminars/.

Why Do We Need the Church?
(July 19 – August 9, 2021)

Over half of American adults do not regularly attend church and only 20% of Catholics born after 1970 attend Mass. This seminar will equip you to credibly, convincingly, and compellingly explain and share why we need the Church, the sacraments, and the Mass. This seminar is taught by Steven R. Hemler, president of the Catholic Apologetics Institute of North America (CAINA) and author of The Reality of God: The Layman’s Guide to Scientific Evidence for the Creator and Search No More: The Keys to Truth and Happiness.

The Art of Evangelization through Apologetics
(October 4 – October 25, 2021)

Learn to share the good news of Jesus Christ. While articulating the truth of the Gospel, we need to start a conversation, build trust, serve, and then propose who Jesus Christ is. To quote St. Bernadette, “Our job is to inform, not convince.” This seminar is taught by Allan F. Wright, an author, professor, and international speaker who has a passion for scripture and the Catholic faith and is a popular guest on Relevant Radio and also has a show on Radio Maria.

Institutional outcomes are regularly assessed using multiple strategies that include both direct and indirect measures of student learning. The assessment program indicates that CDU’s degree programs produce their intended outcomes, are educationally effective, and produce satisfied students who are well-equipped to teach the Faith. The results of the latest assessment are a testament to our mission to communicate the mind and heart of the Church in a digital world using distance education.

MA (Theology) students who graduated in 2020 achieved an average GPA of 3.90 over an average of 4.9 years. Eighty-nine percent of those who graduated from 2014–2020 are currently in Church-related ministries. For the 2019–2020 terms, students successfully achieved each MA program outcome, and the retention rate was 93.3% for the MA (Theology) degree program and 100% for the MA in Theology and Educational Ministry degree program.

The 2020 graduates of the BA in Theology degree completion program fulfilled program requirements with an average GPA of 3.61 over an average of 3.8 years. Most students who enroll in the program either are seeking a Church-related ministry or desire to study the Faith more deeply to participate in volunteer ministries in their parishes in the future. Of the 2016–2020 alumni, 80% of undergraduate alumni are working or volunteering in Church-related ministries. For the 2019–2020 academic terms, students successfully achieved each BA program outcome, and the retention rate was 87.2%.

In 2020, those who received the Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Catholic Studies were awarded the degree with an average GPA of 3.76 over an average of 3.8 years. For the 2019–2020 terms, students successfully achieved each AA program outcome, and the retention rate was 84.4%.

One-hundred percent of students completing end of program surveys in 2020 stated that they had achieved their learning goals, would recommend CDU to another, expressed satisfaction with their studies, and indicated that they are equipped to teach the Faith.

From fall 2019 to December 2020, the number of program students increased 11.2%. Beyond the numbers, outcome must ultimately be measured in the way that alumni use their gifts and talents in service to the Church — whether that be formally or informally. Perhaps the most significant effectiveness statement is that CDU has been an accredited distance education institution for more than 37 years, being the first to offer online Catholic education in the United States, and is committed to educating students in Catholic theology, catechetics, and evangelization for years to come.

Despite the challenges of 2020, the CDU community is growing. During the pandemic, friends, donors, students, and alumni have reconnected to support and pray for CDU. We are grateful and eager to see you again. The 2021 Gala is planned for November 18th, and we look forward to honoring Bishop Robert Barron with the Founder’s Award. Mark your calendars, because it will be a celebration that you will not want to miss.

While the CDU headquarters in Charles Town is generally quiet these days with only our IT director, director of operations, and local staff onsite, most of us are working from home. Our university chapel remains quiet with the red sanctuary light reminding us that our Lord Jesus is present and watching over CDU even with very few staff there to offer worship and love.

The work of CDU continues, and the staff are at home with technology and daily meetings via Zoom and Google Meet. The Board of Trustees is preparing for transition as we welcome Mr. Stephen Pryor as Board chair on March 15, 2021. The staff leadership is finishing an implementation plan for the first year of our new 3.5 year strategic plan, which focuses on growth and financial sustainability, institutional effectiveness, and program development. With new staff and procedures in admissions, we have seen 11% growth in student enrollment in the last few terms. The implementation of Populi, the new cloud-based student information system, is moving forward and will be ready to launch by the end of June.

CDU’s partnership with the International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU) will continue as CDU teaches international faculty to excel in distance education and online pedagogy. Faculty at universities in the Philippines will take the next training module in April. Two additional modules are planned for universities in other global regions in 2021.

With so much energy and hard work devoted to accreditors in 2020, we now await the decisions of their accrediting boards in late February and early March. The Student Life Center that is home to our co-curricular programs has added significant activities and opportunities for student interaction. One of our students’ favorite instructors, Alissa Thorell, a moral theologian, serves as faculty advisor to Student Life. She works with Mary McKay, director of Student Life, to oversee the programs and assessment.

I could not mention Student Life without thanking George Muñoz for stepping up as alumni president. He is a recent MA graduate who is planning a great event for alumni and the university. Stay tuned! We are also reaching out to alumni to help support our fundraising goals.

Finally, the new year has also reminded us that we live in the shadow of the cross. Our longtime board leader, brilliant strategic thinker, benefactor, friend, nuclear physicist, business executive, and cheerleader for this university and its mission, Dr. Joseph V. Braddock, stepped into eternity very quietly on Saturday, February 6. We keep bombarding him with intentions and favors, and we have great confidence that he continues to work overtime to ensure the success of this unique university.

May the entire CDU community encounter our Lord in life-changing ways in this Lenten journey of 2021.

New Alumni President George Muñoz brings vast leadership experience to CDU. George is a recent graduate of the MA (Theology) program in addition to being a graduate of the Harvard Law School, the Harvard Public Policy School, DePaul University, and the University of Texas. Currently the principal at Muñoz Banking Group, LLC, and a partner at Tobin and Muñoz Law Firm in Washington, D.C., George has extensive experience in corporate governance. He also serves on the Board of Trustees at the National Geographic Society, Laureate Education, Inc., Walden University, Marriott International, and the Altria Group. He has also served as President of the Chicago Board of Education, President of a federal agency overseas private investment corporation, and as Chief Financial Officer of the U.S. Treasury Department under President Clinton. George lives in McLean, Virginia, and enjoys raising his two sons, Mario and Manuel, with his wife Kathy.

We hope that you will enjoy connecting with George as we work together to ensure a bright future for CDU as a world-renowned Catholic online university

We are proud to introduce the new Director of Admissions, Todd Nolan. Todd is a graduate of CDU’s MA (Theology) program. He has 10 years of experience in teaching high school theology, youth ministry leadership experience in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Diocese of Grand Rapids, and most recently, expertise as a student success advisor and adjunct faculty member at Ave Maria University. Also, Sherry Shipley joined the staff as Bursar in October. Both Todd and Sherry bring extraordinary experience and talent to our team. Please join us in welcoming them.

We are pleased to announce that The Most Reverend Mark E. Brennan, Bishop of Wheeling Charleston, joined the Board of Trustees this year. A compassionate, humble leader, Bishop Brennan has a history of serving immigrants and the poor. His first motto “To Teach All Nations” has transitioned to “Living in Truth and Love.” He naturally embraces CDU’s mission to bring others joy through the Truth and serve those who serve as well as the underserved.

The Honorable Janice Obuchowski joined the Board in October. President of Freedom Technologies, Inc., and a graduate of Wellesley College and the Georgetown University Law Center, she brings years of experience in U.S. government and private sector leadership. She has served as the U.S. Ambassador to the World Radiocommunications, an Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information at the Department of Commerce, and has held several positions at the Federal Communications Commission. She has served on several public Boards of Directors, including those of Inmarsat PLC, Orbital Sciences Corporation, CSG Systems, Inc., Stratos Global, and Qualcomm, and is also an active member of the Order of Malta Federal Association.

In addition, CDU enthusiastically welcomes back Dr. Joseph Braddock and Dr. Margaret Melady to the Board of Trustees. We will miss Jean Halle, whose Board term has ended after 9 years of contributions to academic, financial, and digital leadership. Please join us in thanking Jean for her meaningful contributions.

Professor Rev. Bevil Bramwell, OMI, has published a new graduate textbook on the philosophical and theological aspects of the priesthood. The bishops and their assistants, the priests, participate to different degrees in the priesthood of Jesus Christ. This book focuses more on the priest, exploring the rich and profound theological background of the priesthood as well as the shattering distraction of scandal. The liturgy, spirituality, the intellectual life, and even the life of Saint John Vianney, the Patron of Pastors, are also covered. The Catholic Priesthood: A 360 Degree View can be purchased on Amazon.com.

The National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (NCCL) has named Director of the Diocese of Portland’s Office of Lifelong Faith Formation, Lori Dahlhoff, EdD, to its board of directors. Dahlhoff, who has more than 20 years of experience in catechetical ministry at the parish, diocesan, and national levels, has served the diocese in her current position since 2017. Prior to her arrival in Maine, she served as an adjunct faculty member at CDU. She designed and instructed an online graduate course titled “Principles of Catholic Education.” Join us in congratulating Lori and praying for her in her new role.