Professor Susan Ostermann will not ultimately assume the directorship of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies at the University of Notre Dame, one of the leading Catholic universities in the United States, after weeks of strong controversy and public opposition from several bishops.
According to a statement from the dean of the Keough School of Global Affairs on February 26, Ostermann “has decided not to proceed” with the position she was to assume next July. Therefore, it is not a formal dismissal, but a resignation that comes after intense reaction both inside and outside the campus.
A Catholic university under scrutiny
Notre Dame, founded in the 19th century by the Congregation of Holy Cross and located in the state of Indiana, is considered a benchmark for academic Catholicism in the United States. Its confessional identity is an explicit part of its institutional mission.
For that reason, the appointment of Ostermann—a professor at the Keough School since 2017—immediately sparked a debate about the coherence between the university’s Catholic identity and the designation of a public figure identified with the active defense of legal abortion.
In recent years, the professor has published articles and op-eds in which she argues that abortion is essential for women’s freedom and well-being, criticizes pro-life laws, and questions the work of pregnancy help centers. She has also stated that laws against abortion would have roots in racism and has linked the abortive practice with the concept of “integral human development,” a central principle of the Church’s social doctrine.
According to The Pillar, in 2022, the then-president of the university, Father John Jenkins, went so far as to publicly distance himself from her positions in an open letter published in the U.S. press, while at the same time defending academic freedom.
The intervention of the local bishop
The controversy took a qualitative leap when the bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend, the diocese in which Notre Dame is located, intervened. Its ordinary, Kevin Rhoades, described the appointment as a “scandal” and expressed his “firm opposition,” emphasizing that what was at stake was not the freedom of research, but the suitability to hold a directorial position at a university that defines itself as Catholic.
According to The Pillar, in addition to the reaction from students and professors, other bishops also conveyed their concern—some privately—and several benefactors expressed their displeasure to the university administration. Two professors linked to the institute resigned in protest.
Finally, the dean of the Keough School announced that Ostermann will not assume the directorship planned for July.