Leading the conference were His Eminence Cardinal Peter Turkson, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, and University of Notre Dame , both co-sponsors of the June 12-14 dialogue, “The Energy Transition and Care for Our Common Home.” ��

Pope Francis addressed the summit today, and participated in a rare Q&A with participants. His remarks were also ��

“Collectively, these leaders will influence the planet’s future, perhaps more than any in the world,” said Father Jenkins. “I am deeply grateful for their commitment to the transition to a low-carbon future while providing the energy needed to support the integral human development of every member of the human family.”

Carolyn Woo, former dean of the Mendoza College of Business at Notre Dame, and Leo Burke, professor emeritus of management, spearheaded efforts on behalf of the Vatican and Notre Dame to encourage the energy industry and its investors on a path toward energy transition.

A Dialogue on Paths Forward

In a joint statement, Cardinal Turkson and Father Jenkins made the following observations:

At its foundation, human civilization and progress rely on energy, and the world’s energy mix is clearly in transition. A powerful driver of the energy transition is the undeniable reality of the climate crisis and environmental degradation, which affect the poor most. Addressing this social-ecological crisis requires radical change at all levels, both personal and collective. This transition needs the support of markets, significant adoption of renewables as a source of energy, increased efficiency in the use of existing resources, new technologies, farsighted policies, educated civil society, and new forms of global leadership and cooperation. As neither the energy transition nor climate change can be reduced to economic, technological, and regulatory issues alone, there is the need for a moral voice.

Given the Holy Father’s groundbreaking Encyclical Letter, Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home, the Vatican is in a unique position to offer this moral voice.

Leaders from oil and gas companies, the global investment community, and other sectors strongly agreed on the urgent need for a systematic transition to a low-emissions economy consistent with a 2°C scenario while governed by care for people, especially the most vulnerable. The participants discussed the paths forward with a specific focus on (1) the integral role of a just transition that addresses the needs of disadvantaged populations, (2) importance of carbon pricing toward the reduction of emissions, and (3) necessity for disclosures to provide clear information on strategies and actions, governance process and performance. From these discussions, two joint statements relating to carbon pricing and proper disclosures are formulated. ��

Cardinal Turkson and Father Jenkins added: ��

The Vatican, Rome. Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame.

“We are immensely grateful to all participants for their generous response to its invitation to the Dialogue. At the end of the dialogue, we cannot help but be humbled by the rich engagement, sense of urgency, honest exchange, and spirit of collaboration demonstrated in this meeting. Let us move forward with resolute persistence keeping in mind the question from Laudato Si’, ‘What kind of world do we want to leave to our children and those yet unborn?’”

Inspired and guided by Laudato Si’, Notre Dame developed a comprehensive plan for sustainability in 2016, which targets six key areas: energy and emissions; water; building and construction; waste; procurement, licensing and sourcing; and education, research and community outreach.

Implementation efforts since that time have included the introduction of five green roofs, construction of a 30,000-square-foot thermal energy production and storage facility, three operational solar arrays, and funding for several research initiatives by faculty and graduate students on sustainable energy and development. The University is on track to cease its use of coal nearly a year ahead of the initial projected date. ��

Founded in 1842, the University of Notre Dame is the nation’s leading Catholic research university, providing a distinctive voice in higher education that is at once rigorously intellectual, unapologetically moral in orientation and firmly embracing of a service ethos.

Rated among the top 20 of all U.S. institutions of higher learning, Notre Dame ranks second nationally in the percentage of students who study abroad and has seen research funding increase from $87 million to $141.5 million in the past decade.

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Contact:��Paul Browne, vice president for public affairs and communications, pbrowne@nd.edu

The University of Notre Dame will appeal the decision announced Tuesday (Nov. 22) by the NCAA Committee on Infractions to vacate 2012 and 2013 football victories, the University’s president, , said. The NCAA has never before vacated the records of an institution that had no involvement in the underlying academic misconduct, and the membership has since voted to change the rule that brought this case within NCAA jurisdiction.

The penalty was based on misconduct by a former student who participated in the University’s student trainer program. She wrote papers for student-athletes, which was obviously unauthorized academic assistance. The University discovered the academic misconduct in 2014, and then addressed that misconduct through its honor code process. As a result, Notre Dame retroactively lowered grades of three student athletes who received improper assistance from the former student, giving them no academic credit that was not honestly earned.

“We very much appreciate the hard work of the NCAA enforcement staff and the members of the Committee on Infractions for their review of our case, but we believe the penalty they have imposed is not justified,” Father Jenkins said.

“We are disappointed in the actions of students who engaged in dishonesty, but we are gratified that the NCAA investigation confirmed the conclusions of our own internal investigation: Notre Dame acted honorably throughout. As soon as professional staff suspected academic dishonesty on the part of a student, the matter was reported promptly, investigated aggressively and thoroughly and adjudicated in accord with our Academic Code of Honor procedures and norms. In this case, everyone involved — those in Academic Services for Student-Athletes, in our football program and in our Compliance Office — and the faculty and students resolving these cases under our Honor Code did everything that we could have asked of them.

“We disagree with the decision of the hearing panel to impose, at its own discretion, a vacation of records penalty. In past academic misconduct cases, the Committee on Infractions has imposed this penalty only when it has found serious institutional misconduct, such as actions with the direct involvement or knowledge of a coach or academic personnel, a failure to monitor or a lack of institutional control. The NCAA enforcement staff and the hearing panel agreed with Notre Dame that no such institutional misconduct occurred in this case. Indeed, the only reason the NCAA reviewed the matter was because the misconduct involved a former fellow student who happened to participate in the University’s student trainer program—an activity which involved no responsibility for the academic work of student-athletes.

“We believe that imposition of the vacation of records penalty without serious underlying institutional misconduct will not primarily punish those responsible for the misconduct, but rather will punish coaches, student-athletes and indeed the entire institution who did nothing wrong and, with regard to this case, did everything right. We are also concerned that establishing this precedent will infringe on universities’ autonomy in deterring academic dishonesty, for it will discourage the retroactive lowering of grades even when an honor code committee deems this appropriate.

University academic staff members became concerned about potential academic misconduct by one student-athlete and the former student in the summer of 2014. As a result, the University promptly launched a comprehensive investigation that included the review of 95,000 documents. The University immediately suspended the involved student-athletes from all athletic activities. At the conclusion of its honor code process, the University dismissed four student-athletes and imposed retroactive grade changes in the affected courses.

Notre Dame will submit its case to the NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee.

Donald R. Keough, chair emeritus of the University of Notre Dame Board of Trustees, chair of Allen & Company and former president and chief operating officer of the Coca-Cola Company, died Tuesday (Feb. 24) in Atlanta with family members at his side. He was 88.

“Don Keough was a celebrated business leader, a transformative philanthropist, a devout Catholic, a devoted husband and father, and a friend to so many who today mourn his passing,” said , Notre Dame’s president. “Don’s visionary leadership and generosity has had a profound impact on the University. He believed that we were put on earth to do good in the world, and his life tangibly demonstrated that faith. He has been a dear friend and cherished mentor whom I will miss terribly.”

“Don’s decades of dedicated service helped secure Notre Dame’s reputation as one of the world’s great institutions of higher education,” Richard C. Notebaert, chair of the University’s Board of Trustees, said, adding that, “Don loved his family, he loved Notre Dame, and he inspired all of us who had the privilege to know him.”

Keough served as a Trustee since 1978 and chair from 1986 to 1991.

The Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs, the first new school to be established at Notre Dame in nearly a century, is only the most recent example of generosity to the University by Don and his wife of 65 years, Marilyn. In addition to Jenkins Hall, which will house the new school, the Keoughs’ benefaction has made possible Notre Dame’s ; two endowed chairs in Irish studies; the summer internship program in Ireland; Malloy Hall, which houses the Departments of and ; three library collections; the restoration of in Dublin; the Keough-Hesburgh Professorships for leading scholars committed to Notre Dame’s Catholic mission; and a men’s residence hall named in Marilyn Keough’s honor.

Five children — Shayla Keough Rumely; Michael, Patrick and Clarke Keough; and Eileen Keough Millard — are Notre Dame graduates. Shayla is a member of the University’s Board of Trustees, and Michael, Patrick, Clarke and Eileen serve on Notre Dame advisory councils.

The recipient of many honors, Keough received an honorary doctorate from Notre Dame in 1985 and was awarded the University’s highest honor, the , in 1993. Marilyn received a Notre Dame honorary doctorate in 1998.

Keough remained actively engaged at Notre Dame throughout his life, participating in last month’s meeting of the Board of Trustees. He was also involved in plans for the 2017 opening of the Keough 91��Ƶ and with the Keough-Naughton Institute’s role with the Irish government in next year’s centennial commemoration of the 1916 uprising.

Visitation will take place Monday (March 2) from 5 to 7 p.m. EST, and a funeral Mass will be celebrated Tuesday (March 3) at 10 a.m., both at The Cathedral of Christ the King, 2699 Peachtree Road in Atlanta.

University of Notre Dame President said Tuesday (Nov. 18), “On behalf of the University of Notre Dame, I extend congratulations and best wishes for success to the Most Rev. Blase J. Cupich as the ninth Archbishop of Chicago. He brings to one of the hemisphere’s most important dioceses a caring pastoral approach with rigorous theological thought and visionary leadership in line with Francis’ transformative papacy."

Father Jenkins, joined by Notre Dame Vice President for Mission Engagement and Affairs , and other members of the University’s founding order, the , is scheduled to attend the new archbishop’s installation Tuesday afternoon at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago.

As an 18-year-old hitchhiking through Europe, Father Jenkins first met Archbishop Cupich in Rome, where he was then a seminarian studying for the priesthood. The two are both natives of Omaha, Nebraska. While in Rome, the future archbishop introduced the teenage Jenkins to his first cup of cappuccino.

Contact: Paul J. Browne, Vice President, Public Affairs & Communications, 574-440-4307, pbrowne@nd.edu

“Integrity is at the heart of our mission and academic misconduct will not be tolerated at Notre Dame,” said , the University’s president. “If the suspected improprieties are proven, we will use the experience to reinforce among our students the importance of honesty in all that they do. We are also examining ways of better conveying to students that they can avail themselves of legitimate academic assistance without resorting to cheating.”

Evidence that students had submitted papers and homework that had been written for them by others was initially detected at the end of the summer session, and referred to the compliance office in athletics on July 29. The initiated an immediate investigation.

That investigation is ongoing. If it determines that the student-athletes would have been ineligible during past competition, Notre Dame will voluntarily vacate any victories in which they participated.

“The University is committed to thorough resolution of this matter, consistent with its commitment to academic integrity and adherence to NCAA rules," Father Jenkins said.

Students who are subject to the investigation will remain enrolled until its conclusion.