Commencement is over and the students are gone – never my favorite time to be on campus. Still, there is a lot going on. For example, 22 undergraduate classes began on Monday with 230 students and 22 faculty members hard at work. More classes will begin the first week in June. And, of course, once the local schools close for summer, we will begin our pre-college and Horizon programs.
Despite the rainy weather on Sunday, our 47th commencement exercises – for both graduate and undergraduate students – went off without a hitch. There was just the right balance of pomp and tradition with frivolity and celebration. It is always bittersweet to say goodbye to those who have been a part of our community for four years or more, but we do so with the knowledge that they leave us with a solid education, leadership skills, integrity and compassion. We also look forward to their return for alumni activities, sporting events, maybe even a wedding in the chapel or – down the road – to drop off their child on Move-In Day.
The annual Pioneer Open golf tournament took place on Monday at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield. The sun came out right around noon just as golfers began to tee off. This year’s event featured more than 100 participants and raised $250,000 for Sacred Heart University student scholarships. We are grateful to all who participated and to our tournament sponsors.
Sacred Heart University’s MBA team was the winner in the fourth annual ACG Connecticut Cup competition. The teams were allowed one week to develop a central thesis encompassing valuation, capital markets and M&A strategic recommendations that they then had to pitch to a panel of three judges, representing the board of directors of the client company. Each had the same case and background information. The presentations were made on RBS’s trading floor in Stamford and were very much like a real-world exercise for the students. Among the groups they beat out were teams from Yale and UConn. They will pick up their trophy and the $1,000 prize at a breakfast on June 7. Congratulations!
Congratulations also to Jacqueline Kelleher. The film she produced, Dungeons and Distractions, will be featured at the Sprout Film Festival. The film stars SHU’s Samantha Markey, a graduate student from the College of Education, and was written and directed by Kelleher’s two teen sons, Teagen and Tyler Comeau, who have been guest lecturing here in a class on autism spectrum disorders. Jacqueline also used the film to conduct research with 300 teachers on perspective taking. The goal of the Sprout Film Festival is to raise the profile of people with developmental disabilities by showcasing works of all genres.
Karen Flanagan, peer education coordinator for the Counseling Center, has been appointed as volunteer state coordinator for the BACCHUS Network. The Network consists of more than 330 member peer education groups and includes over 8,000 students. Approximately 30 people serve on the advisory board, including volunteer state coordinators. Congratulations to Karen and also much appreciation for her willingness to serve. We look forward to the information, research and networking opportunities that Sacred Heart will gain from her relationship with the Network.
It was great to see so many of you at the end-of-year barbecue on Wednesday. Special thanks to Pat Palaka, Sid Gottlieb, Greg Golda, Madeleine Monaghan, Paul Rogalin, Joe Berry and Bill Haug – all members of our extremely talented faculty and staff – for the great music they provided during the festivities. And, thanks also to Ann Miron for organizing everything. Most importantly, thanks to all of you for your hard work and commitment to our students during the past year.
Students, even
though you are home for break, be sure to stay connected with me on Twitter by
following me @SHUprez. (https://twitter.com/SHUprez)
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Have a wonderful holiday weekend!