How Catholic University Is Building Differentiated Value and Ethical AI Leadership
Many colleges are scrambling to prove value, control costs, and stand for something clear. The Catholic University of America's president, Peter Kilpatrick, offers a model: lead with mission, build programs that are truly different, and put ethical guardrails on AI.
For education leaders, this is a playbook for standing out in a crowded market while keeping formation and fidelity at the center.
Purposeful leadership grounded in mission
Kilpatrick spent his career in academic leadership across engineering and provost roles before stepping in as president. A convert to Catholicism, he frames his role as service to a mission-driven institution with a clear identity.
The throughline: academic excellence is strongest when it flows from a defined purpose-and that purpose is visible in daily decisions, hiring, and student formation.
Higher education's reality check
Kilpatrick names the hard truths. Public trust has slipped, student debt has ballooned, and institutions overbuilt during decades of demand that has now cooled.
International competitors are stronger, U.S. demographics are shifting, and enrollment isn't guaranteed. The schools that thrive will be the ones that are distinct and deliver obvious value.
Strategy: differentiate with mission-aligned excellence
CUA's approach is straightforward: build programs that few others can credibly match-grounded in Catholic intellectual tradition and real market need.
- Law: National ranking improved from 122 to 71 (2023 to 2025) after leaning into identity and launching three centers: Religious Liberty; Law and the Human Person; and Constitutionalism and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition.
- Nursing: Jumped from 54 to 28 in national rankings by forming nurses in the image of the Divine Physician and investing in advanced simulations and clinical experiences.
- Humanities and Business: Philosophy, theology, and business are highlighted as additional areas of distinct strength.
The lesson for any institution: don't chase generic growth. Build signature programs that match your mission and meet clear needs.
Free inquiry and fidelity-together
CUA insists that intellectual freedom and faithfulness are not in conflict. Ecclesiastical faculty publicly take an oath of fidelity, and the president commits to the same.
This clarity attracts faculty who want to do serious research and teaching in a context where truth claims are taken seriously. Mission clarity is a talent magnet.
AI: ethics first, policy-aware, and cross-disciplinary
CUA chose to lead on AI ethics rather than outsource it to tech firms. The university co-hosted a 2022 conference with Leidos on ethical military AI and continues to convene panels that prioritize guardrails and responsible use.
A university-wide AI task force led by Senior Vice Provost for Research H. Joseph Yost launched the Institute on AI and Emerging Technologies. Its new director, Taylor Black (from Microsoft's Office of the CTO, and a Greek Catholic deacon candidate), brings deep technical and venture experience.
CUA has also hired AI scholars like Dr. Hanseok Ko and Dr. Gregorio Toscano who work closely with ethicists and moral theologians. Their aim: define virtuous use consistent with a recent Vatican instruction on AI often referenced as "Antiqua et Nova," and participate in initiatives such as the Vatican-hosted AI Builders Forum.
The university is also open to advocating for policy guardrails where self-regulation falls short.
Practical takeaways for education leaders
- Define the one thing you stand for-and let it drive strategy, hiring, and program design.
- Build two to three signature programs that your institution can deliver better than anyone else.
- Tie programs to outcomes that matter: licensure, placements, clinical and simulation hours, or centers that attract notable faculty.
- Create an AI governance framework that involves technologists, ethicists, and legal counsel. Publish use policies for students and faculty.
- Partner beyond campus-industry, public sector, and faith-based networks-to bring real problems into classrooms and labs.
- Address affordability head-on: scholarships, transparent debt guidance, and program auditing for career value.
Further reading and resources
- U.S. Department of Education: AI and the Future of Teaching and Learning
- Curated AI learning paths by job function
Bottom line: Distinct identity plus measurable value beats scale. CUA's moves-mission-first programs, faculty who share that mission, and serious AI ethics work-offer a clear template for institutions that want to stand out and serve well.
