1) The mission of the college is firmly within a Catholic worldview. I'd say it's "middle to slightly left" in its Catholic character in that there's a strong ethic of peace and justice, along with a adherence to pro-life (anti-abortion, anti-death penalty) point of view. This does NOT mean that faculty are required to adhere to Catholic doctrine, but they are expected to be able to support the mission of the college. There are definitely some non-Catholic faculty. Students are predominantly but not invariably Catholic.
2) Like many smaller LACs, faculty and administration collaborate closely in matters of governance. There's a large service expectation. I'd not call this micromanagement, but closely collaborative efforts. I'm not sure what you mean by "free rein." Faculty design their own syllabi, and share departmental chores and obligations.
3) Their policy is merely anti-grade inflation. It's like William and Mary in that way. All this means is that a C is the average grade in almost every class. I wouldn't see this at all as "pressure to lower grades," but instead as allowing faculty to record the grades students earn, with no pressure to inflate them.
I hope this helps!
Personally, I love the Manchester area, and find it very livable. It's not a big city by any means, but it's not exactly rural either. Of course it is not a cultural mecca, but Boston is only a little over an hour away.
I'll echo this post. Great college, not as selective as some NE SLACs but def. a good place to land.
