Tania Tetlow, who in 2018 became the first woman and first layperson to serve as president of Loyola University New Orleans, is set to repeat history.

The historic event will be hosted by Loyola University Chicago in collaboration with Emilce Cuda, the new head of the office of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, who convinced the pope to participate.

Students like these represent the bright future of Catholic higher education, but we in university administration must be sure our institutions adapt to help them thrive.

Catholic universities must make a coordinated effort to engage bigger economic questions, like why a college degree is valuable and how to fund education.

To secure a more promising tomorrow, institutional presidents should reclaim a commitment central to the founding of Catholic colleges and universities in the United States: a special focus on the needs and the dignity of the marginalized.

The model for today’s university must involve working for true societal transformation.