College Sponsored Centers and Institutes

Record Group

Identifier: RG14-11

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This record group contains material regarding the institutes and centers sponsored by the College. It is arranged into the following series: McFarland Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture; Institute of Industrial Relations; Center for Teaching and Learning; and J.D Power Center for Liberal Arts in the World.

The Institute of Industrial Relations series contains correspondence, enrollment and attendance figures, newspaper clippings, brochures, flyers, newsletters and other print materials. It is arranged in the following files: Director’s General Records; Office Subject Files and Print Materials. Records date from 1946 to 1988.

The next series, Center for Teaching and Learning has two files that are arranged chronologically. The first, Financial Records, includes financial records such as budget. The Workshops and Programs file contains proposals, correspondence and promotional materials sponsored by the center. The material in this series dates from 2010 to 2014.

The Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics and Society series contains event posters dating between 2023 and 2024.

The J.D. Power Center for Liberal Arts in the World series consists of four chronologically arranged files. The first includes correspondence and reports relating to the College's Academic Internship Program. The Washington Semester program file includes correspondence, and reports relating to Holy Cross' semester away program in Washington D.C. The next file, Semester Away Program contains correspondence and reports related to these programs. It should be noted this program is different from the programs offered through the Office of Study Abroad. The final file, General Office Files contains administrative documents related to the operations of the center such as reports and correspondence. Material in this series dates from 1966 to 2016.

Finally, the McFarland Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture series holds records dating from 1977 to 2021. It is mostly arranged chronologically including correspondence, general records, programs, and lecture materials.

Dates

1943-2024

Creator

College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, Mass.). Institute of Industrial Relations (Organization)
College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, Mass.). Center for Teaching and Learning (Organization)
College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, Mass.). J.D. Power Center for Liberal Arts in the World (Organization)
College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, Mass.). McFarland Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Consult with Archivist.

Conditions Governing Use

Materials believed to be under copyright or other restrictions are available for limited noncommercial, educational and personal use only, or for fair use as defined by United States copyright law and with proper citation. Please note that the College of the Holy Cross may not hold the rights to all items in this collection. Users assume responsibility for identifying all copyright holders and for determining whether permission is needed to make any use of the content. For permission under rights held by the College, please contact archives@holycross.edu.

Historical Note

The College of the Holy Cross has supported a variety of centers and institutes since its founding in 1843. They serve as hubs for targeted study for faculty, students and members of the wider academic community.

The Institute of Industrial Relations was founded by Rev. Thomas E. Shortell, S.J. as an outreach program for the Worcester community in September 1943. At the time, there were labor issues in the city so there was a desire for a special school for workers and managers to help them in collective bargaining relations. Throughout its history, the institute held continuing education classes and many were taught by Holy Cross faculty members. Lectures given by representatives of management, labor unions and government agencies also were held. Eventually, a two-year certificate was offered, which included courses in arbitration, personnel administration and public speaking. The Institute of Industrial Relations closed in 1984.

The Center for Teaching and Learning was founded supported by a grant from the Andrew Mellon Foundation in 2011. Located in the Faculty Room of Dinand Library, it provided funding for faculty research, workshops and lunches to foster the interchange of ideas and to be a place for frank communication. The first director was Professor Amy Wolfson, a member of the psychology department. The Center appears to have closed in 2020.

The Center for Liberal Arts in the World, which was established by Margaret Freije in 2016 and serves as a hub for experiential learning programs at Holy Cross. Programs include academic internships, the Washington Semester Program, student research, and Community Based Learning. It was renamed the J.D. Power Center for Liberal Arts in honor of J. D. Power III, class of 1953 after a gift from his family in 2018.

The Carlyse and Arthur A. Ciocca '59 Center for Business, Ethics, and Society prepares students to become ethical leaders and critically engaged citizens of a society deeply shaped by business. It offers multiple opportunities to explore questions about how business can contribute to the common good and promote real, long-term sustainable value for society.

The McFarland Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture was established in 2000 and initially, was led by David O’Brien, professor emeritus of history. Its mission is to support and sponsor programming that explores the basic human understanding of meaning, morality and mutual obligation. From 2003-2009, William Shea served as director. Today, the McFarland Center is directed by Thomas Landy, who started as associate director when it was established. Additionally, Landy served as director of the Lilly Vocation Discernment Initiative, which funds programs both in the academic, chaplains and student affairs divisions before becoming director of the McFarland Center in 2009.

In 2011, it was renamed the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture in honor of Fr. McFarland, the 31st president of the College. Today, it plans and co-sponsors lectures and conferences that address current issues and meet the timely needs of faculty and students. In addition, events are planned to fulfill ongoing funded programs.