Father Jenkins attended Sunday's presidential debate

The Rev. John I Jenkins, President of the University of Notre Dame, was in the audience at Sunday's presidential debate.

Father Jenkins is a member of the Board of Directors of the Commission on Presidential Debates.

Father Jenkins spoke with CSPAN before the debate.

"The debate is an educational exercise - to learn about the issues and about the candidates, and that's what universities do. Universities are about educating people," Father Jenkins said.

Jenkins also spoke about the importance of attracting college students to politics at a young age.

The Commission on Presidential Debates cited Father Jenkins' leadership on civil discourse in electing him to the Board of Directors in 2011.