Activism in Context 

Student activism in the mid to late twentieth century created a turbulent climate for university students and administration. The Civil Rights Movement set up a new paradigm through which students were able to model their activism after. The Free Speech Movement, Second Wave of Feminism, and Anti-Vietnam War protests were all spearheaded by students demanding changes to institutionalized discrimination and injustice.

Activism throughout the country took the form of protests, walkouts, and sometimes even shootouts. However, at St. Edward's, activism took its form through public criticism of the university in the school newspaper. Administrative response to vocalizations of these criticisms is what deterred activism on campus from escalating. In part, this is due to the Joint Statement endorsed by St. Edward's. In 1969, the Student Handbook outlined the rules for activism on campus. Although the school embraced student freedoms, it prioritized the rights to teach and learn. If activism took the form of disruptive protests, the students involved would be penalized.[1] Due to this, the newspaper became the best platform for student activism. Publishing an article meant more than making information available, but rather it was a call to action for the university to respond to the petitions of students.

Although it may seem like these movements happening across the country may have been inconsequential to a small Holy Cross University tucked away in Austin, Texas, the response of St. Edward’s University to student activism on its campus has led to the inclusive and diverse community present today. Student activism at universities in the ‘60s and ‘70s led to an increase in diversity of the student population, increased the inclusivity of minority groups, and changed the priorities of the university administration. St. Edward’s students followed this path through their public criticism of the university, and attempted to push for a more inclusive collegiate community and transparent administration.

      For decades migrant workers have been unseen, unheard, and mistreated despite being an essential part of our nation's economy. A combination of unfair pay and lack of opportunities and resources has kept these families trapped in poverty and lives of hard work with little to nothing to show for it. However, in the mid-970’s the first step towards changing this was taken by implementing the first program of it’s kind, known as MAPP/Estima. Designed to expose Texas high school migrant students to a university-level curriculum and occupational opportunities, the MAPP/Estima programs made St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas the center point for this advancement in equal opportunity education and the rise of available opportunities for future migrant students. 

The Vatican II Council: Catholic Higher Education in Transition

The date is October 11, 1962, the setting is Rome. Pope John XXIII convenes the first meeting of the Second Vatican Council, officially opening a series of meetings, the likes of which had not occurred in at least a century. The Second Vatican Council aimed to modernize an institution still set in medieval times, bringing it in line with the modern world.

The modernized doctrine introduced proclamations that served as a catalyst of change across all levels of Catholic Higher Education, introducing a more secular and inclusive worldview. Catholic Higher Education shifted from an isolated policy on education in the service of establishing proper Catholic morals over education for its own sake. 

The changes at St. Edward’s University from during the 1960s reflected this paradigm shift in the new curriculum models, religious services, administration practices, and student experience on campus. 

The intent of the following pages is to chart how St. Edward's transitioned from its antiquated practices into a modern era introduced by the Second Vatican Council.