Dr. Petillo's Blog

You know that President Obama recently made a state visit to South America but managed to keep a close eye on things at home. Well, I took a page from that book myself. I have spent a great week vacationing with family in Florida, but Sacred Heart is never far from my thoughts, and I found that even in the absence of the interim president, many great things are going on!

Ten years ago, the Most Rev. William E. Lori, who is the chairman of our Board, was installed as the Bishop of Bridgeport in our very own William H. Pitt Center.  He was on campus again last Sunday evening to visit with Canadian bishop, the Most Rev. Noel Simard, who celebrated Mass in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit. And I am very proud to say that members of the Sacred Heart University choir were a major part of Bishop Lori’s Jubilee Mass at St. Augustine’s Cathedral in Bridgeport last Saturday as they raised their voices in song. Thanks to all the students of our choral programs for all of the wonderful work they do.

Campus Ministry is sponsoring their regular retreat called Encounter with Christ, this weekend.  A send-off service on Friday in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit got the retreat going, and we send over 50 students, faculty and staff off with our prayers and best wishes.

And take note of the concert this Sunday afternoon with the Sacred Heart University Concert Band under the direction of Keith Johnston. Our talented students will team up with the noted harpist, Fran Duffy. It’s free, and it’s in the Edgerton.

Our talented fencing athletes  will compete  with their counterparts from across the country this weekend in Columbus, Ohio. A field of 144 competitors will participate in the 2011 National Collegiate Men’s and Women’s Fencing Championships. Ohio State University is hosting the championships on March 24-27. Our fencing team is terrific, but the competition is very stiff, and we wish everyone great success.

And students from the John F. Welch College of Business at Sacred Heart University will compete head-to-head in another kind of contest with contenders from the state’s best schools of business in the second annual ACG Connecticut Cup Competition. Sponsored by the state’s chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth, the contest is designed to give students from leading MBA programs across the state real world experience and practical knowledge of mergers and acquisitions, investment banking, financial advisory and private equity. On March 28, teams from SHU will meet their counterparts from Quinnipiac, the University of Connecticut and Yale to present valuation, capital markets and M&A strategic advice to a panel of seasoned M&A professionals from within the ACG Connecticut community.  Good luck to our business school students!

The University’s profile as a leader in science education will be enhanced once again when we host several hundred science students at the Eastern Colleges Science Conference. More than 20 schools ranging from Yale and Fordham to the military academies will be represented. Special thanks to Professors Mark Beekey and Suzanne Deschenes and their team for making all the arrangements for what should be a terrific gathering of future scientists and innovators.

I trust everyone has returned from Spring Break energized and refreshed – and ready for an incredibly busy finish to the academic year. While quite a few of us came back with deep tans, a great number of SHU ambassadors participated in alternative spring breaks assisting our neighbors in need. It is a powerful Sacred Heart tradition, and I am very proud of all those who extend themselves in this way. Our students worked hard in places as distant as El Salvador and Guatemala, in addition to the five groups who traveled domestically to assist Habitat for Humanity in Michigan, Georgia, Texas, Arizona and North Carolina. The SHU crew in Marine City, Michigan, even managed to make the news. As every participant will tell you, it is a robust learning experience and a genuine eye-opener.

As I hope everyone is aware, the University is engaged in a transformative process in which all of us are helping to shape the future. This week, a wide cross-section of students, faculty and staff gathered in University Commons to discuss movement on the Strategic Plan process. We heard reports from committees studying academic issues; learning and living outside the classroom; facilities and infrastructure; and financial resources. While the plan is shaping up to include a number of quality enhancements across the landscape of our University, it was clear that academic excellence will remain the driving force behind our future strategic plan. To echo the sentiments presented this week, an environment that fosters active and engaged learning is one that will ultimately enrich all other aspects of life at SHU and must remain our first priority. As you’d expect, the debate and discussion were lively, and thanks to all of you, especially the students, for making it so. There’s still plenty of time to participate: the committees continue to meet, and they depend on your input and feedback for their success.

Beginning with the distribution of ashes last Wednesday, Campus Ministry has intensified the number of worship services offered throughout the Lenten season. There’s something to fit everyone’s schedule. In addition to daily Masses, the University community celebrates the Sunday Liturgy together at 11:00 in the morning and 8:00 at night. There’s Morning Prayer available in the Chapel of the Nativity and Confessions at mid-week, and for Lent, a special Wednesday night Mass at 10:20 has been added. Check out the web site for details including a daily reflection guide for the entire season of Lent.

A math major could do the calculation, but hundreds of years of service were represented Wednesday at Founder’s Day – the University’s annual “birthday” celebration that honors staff and faculty members for milestone years of service: from 15 years to 35. We first gathered in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit for Mass to thank God for this tremendous gift over many years. Then, a beautiful ceremony in the Edgerton Center gave us the chance to cite each member by name and even to see short videos of this year’s “senior” veterans, Professor Dom Pinto and Professor Sid Gottlieb. This was followed by a reception in University Commons. To everyone involved in organizing this special event, especially Rob Hardy and the HR crew, I offer my thanks. And to all those who celebrated anniversaries this year: you have our unending gratitude.

And, finally, kudos to Professor Jim Castonguay and his team in the Department of Communications. The department’s new Master of Arts in Communication degree was highlighted in an article in U.S. News & World Report as an example of a university program created to meet the real-world needs of applicants and students for practical, intelligent design. In addition to offering cutting-edge tools for today’s new media environment, MACOMM is also decidedly user-friendly. It’s not enough simply to have first-rate educational offerings, they must be accessible to those who will benefit from them – and MACOMM is all of that.

Student retention is something we take very seriously at Sacred Heart University. Along with our commitment to providing a quality education, we are fortunate to have dedicated faculty who build relationships with students that extend beyond the classroom. I’m pleased to report that we will begin rolling out some new initiatives this fall that will even further foster our students’ engagement in the SHU community. For example, to ease the transition for students from high school to college, we are capping the size of freshman seminars at 18. We will also be renovating a floor in Roncalli Hall for honors students to engage in living learning programs, and we will be offering a new minor in performing arts. These are just some of what we are planning to do to address retention.  And, as always, we are open to your feedback and suggestions.

I was reminded this week of the lasting impact our faculty has on our students with this heartwarming example. A reception took place this week to unveil an element in honor of Dr. Raoul A. DeVilliers, a retired SHU professor and dean of Math and Sciences. Several of his former students raised the funds to have the element engraved and placed in the periodic table of elements on the wall in the science wing. Unfortunately, Dr. DeVilliers was not well enough to attend the ceremony, but he was represented by his great-grandson and grandson, Richard, who is a public safety officer here at SHU. Our appreciation to Pat Cascone and everyone in the Chemistry department who helped the alumni put this event together.

This week also saw the inaugural Lachowicz Lecture. The guest lecturer, noted Papal biographer George Weigel, discussed “The Communist War Against Pope John Paul II” and left the audience with much to consider. Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make this event a success. This series is made possible by a long-standing generous endowment from the late Professor Francis Lachowicz. This annual lecture will be a wonderful way to remember this dedicated and giving teacher, who taught in the Department of Modern Foreign Languages from 1978-1995.

Also this week, I heard the good news that Dr. Lucjan Orlowski has been elected as a Member of the Executive Committee of the Association for Comparative Economic Studies (ACES). ACES is the leading scholarly organization for the support of comparative economic studies. Be sure to congratulate Dr. Orlowski on this distinguished honor when you see him!

We had some signs of spring this week with temperatures reaching the 50s and lots of melting snow. Another sign was that our Snow Team had time to attend a thank-you luncheon for their efforts dealing with the snowiest January on record in Connecticut. They did a great job under difficult circumstances to keep the roadways, parking lots and pathways clear and safe for all of us, and we appreciate their hard work.

A heartfelt thank you to the students and parents who wrote letters to their legislators in support of funding the Connecticut Independent College Student (CICS) grant. This financial aid program makes all the difference to so many of our students, so every e-mail, letter and phone call is critically important.

Good wishes to all our students and faculty for a safe and relaxing spring break this week. We especially wish safe travels to those students who are participating in alternate spring breaks.  We have student groups going to El Salvador and Guatemala, and five groups will be assisting Habitat for Humanity in Michigan, Georgia, Texas, Arizona and North Carolina. I am always amazed and proud when our students give up time with their families – or on a warm beach – to serve others. Let’s keep them all in our thoughts and prayers.