Mount Saint Mary College’s Marie-Therese Sulit, professor of English (center) with colleagues from Molloy University and Albertus Magnus College. Sulit explored the frontiers of technology with her paper, “Doce Me Veritatem: Conversations about AI.”
Leadership and faculty from Mount Saint Mary College recently participated in the 18th Biennial Colloquium of Dominican Colleges and Universities.
Held at Molloy University in Rockville Centre, N.Y., the national conference gathered administrators, faculty, and academic support staff from across the United States. This year’s theme was “Veritas (Truth) in the Modern World.”
The Mount cohort was led by Robert Gervasi, Mount President, and Charles Zola, Assistant Vice President for Mission, Director of the Catholic and Dominican Institute, and associate professor of Philosophy.
The delegation joined colleagues from across the country to examine the future of higher education through the lens of the Dominican charism. Sponsored by the Dominican Higher Education Council, the event featured keynote addresses, concurrent presentations, and collaborative reflections on navigating contemporary academic challenges.
A central highlight of the 2026 colloquium was the landmark release of an updated version of A Vision in the Service of Truth, a foundational document articulating the mission and values of Dominican higher education. Zola lent his expertise directly to the project as a member of the national editorial committee.
While preserving the integrity of the original 2012 text, the 2026 edition expands the document to address shifts in the educational landscape over the last decade. The new version provides a more developed explanation of Saint Dominic’s mission, incorporates Pope Francis’s urgent call for environmental stewardship, addresses the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in pedagogical practice, and emphasizes a deep respect for diversity.
“The updated version of A Vision in the Service of Truth is not a rewrite of the first text,” explained Zola. “Rather, it preserves and expands upon it, incorporating several important themes and topics that have emerged in American higher education over the past decade. We want the document to reflect the current reality of Dominican higher education and speak to a new generation of students.”
In addition to contributing to institutional policy, Mount faculty presented four peer-reviewed papers that highlight the college’s innovative programs, theological roots, and forward-looking research:
- Mike Daven, professor of Mathematics, presented “Mount Saint Mary College and Higher Education in Prison,” highlighting the Mount's impactful work with the Hudson Link Prison Initiative.
- Marie-Therese Sulit, professor of English, explored the frontiers of technology with her paper, “Doce Me Veritatem: Conversations about AI.”
- Robert Miller, associate professor of Religious Studies, presented “Bartolo and Pier Giorgio: Third Order Dominicans as Inspiration for Youth,” examining the modern relevance of historical Dominican figures.
- Zola presented “Veritas in the Age of AI,” examining ethics and emerging tech.