Six years after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, university administrators say that the attacks and their aftereffects had a profound effect on the school, strengthening its commitment to interreligious dialogue and shaping its academic curriculum.

Since Sept. 11, Georgetown has devoted significant attention to promoting interfaith dialogues. Senior Roman Catholic Chaplain Ennio Mastroianni said the tragedy brought people from diverse backgrounds together and has led to an environment that reinforces the sense of unity among people of different creeds on campus.

“It broadened our sense of with whom we are united,” he said. “Interfaith dialogue makes us aware that we have more that binds us together than separates us.”

Georgetown has hosted many events in the past few years to improve interfaith dialogues. John Borelli, special assistant to the university president for interreligious initiatives, said University President John J. DeGioia, who took office on July 1, 2001, has long wanted to develop the school’s interfaith programs, and the attacks intensified the need for these programs.

“DeGioia was already prepared to explore how Georgetown University might develop further programs in interreligious understanding to add to those already on campus, but the event of 9/11 brought a certain urgency,” he said.

The university has launched several initiatives, including the Nostra Aetate Lecture Series and the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs, both of which aim to promote interreligious understanding. The Berkeley Center, which opened last year, has hosted symposiums and invited lecturers to discuss diverse issues relating to the post-9/11 world, such as the war in Iraq and Muslim-Christian relations.

And some say that the university has even adjusted its academic focus after the 2001 terrorist attacks. Anne Sullivan, an associate dean of Georgetown College, said she saw different academic departments offering more courses that attempted to educate students about the issues concerning the events of 9/11.

“I do think that there were tremendous changes in curriculum, [including] new courses reflecting on terrorism,” she said. Basic history courses on topics such as the Islamic world, for instance, educated students about issues that could help them understand the post-Sept. 11 political climate, she added.

And others say that the attacks impelled the university to tighten on-campus security. University spokesperson Julie Bataille said Georgetown had begun to enhance safety before Sept. 11, but that the process was expedited as a result of the attacks.

“After 9/11, we had series of consultants come to assess our campus for security,” she said. “Our location in Washington just meant that we take these issues more seriously.”

Among the new programs is the Building and Floor Marshall Program, which was initiated in 2003 and ensures that every university building has a trained staff member who can respond to any emergency situation.

The attacks also left an imprint on the Georgetown community, which lost several members and loved ones in the attacks

“More than 20 people associated with the Georgetown University community lost their lives that day,” said Daniel Porterfield, vice president for public affairs and strategic development. “The university community came together in the days and weeks after Sept. 11 in remarkable ways. I could really feel the benefits of our close-knit community, the religious traditions of Georgetown and our academic strengths.”

Several Georgetown students – some of whom weren’t even in high school in 2001 – said the attacks still have a lasting effect on their lives today.

“I feel very fortunate,” Christina Rourke (MSB ’09) said. “I realized I could not take everything for granted. It was a reminder that anything can happen anytime, everything can be lost in an instant.”

New York resident Matt Bunyi (SFS ’11) said he used to show his friends the Twin Towers when they visited Manhattan. “I cannot remember what my life was before,” he said. “Before it used to be the prospect and the hope of dreams, now it is the power and fear of nightmares.”

“9/11 transformed the way I felt about the world,” said Josh Mogil (SFS ’11). “It opened my eyes to an insecure world, and as a New Yorker I suddenly became very afraid. y mom came back from work covered in soot – that woke me up to a new era.”

Campus Ministry will hold a prayer service today at 5 p.m. on Healy Lawn at the Sept. 11 Memorial Tree to commemorate the victims of the attacks.

– Maria Kefala contributed to this report.