The iconic Catholic school Notre Day seems to be promoting a “culture of tolerance” by participating in a “Coming Out Day.

Lilia Draime, a junior history major and Executive Editor of the student publication Irish Rover, says the institution should actually be focused on promoting marriage.

This year’s Notre Dame Forum on “Women in Leadership” has me a bit uneasy. What really got me was how Father John Jenkins, CSC, explained in his message to the student body that this Forum is meant to introduce students to different fields “from the personal accounts of women who have risen to the top of their professions.”

Of course, Notre Dame women need strong role models as they consider post-graduation plans, and the university is the most natural venue through which students can encounter such individuals. But given the extremely narrow focus on high-profile careerism, is the Forum doing women a disservice? Let’s take a deeper look.

The message that this Forum puts out seems to be that a woman cannot be successful unless she is at the top of her field, and her career should be the focus of her time and energy. These notions are limiting in two key ways and have contributed to feelings of guilt in women for decades. First, it tells Notre Dame women that career success—embodied in high salary and high position—is the most important use of a college education. More importantly, though, the Forum as described by Fr. Jenkins does not account for the two most important jobs most Notre Dame women will have in their lives: wife and mother.

….It is time for the university to assume leadership and begin guiding students discerning marriage and parenthood. This year’s Forum reinforces the fact that Notre Dame desperately needs to reassess its priorities, and it can become a platform for the university to address the need for intervention in students’ holistic development. The majority of Notre Dame students will find themselves trying to responsibly balance work and family life in the future. Notre Dame women especially need role models in both the professional sphere and the domestic sphere. By nurturing a culture of marriage in the midst of the pervasive culture of careerism, students will leave Notre Dame with a richer understanding of their most important jobs.