- SHU’s version of Ted Talks with SHU professors from a variety of disciplines sharing some great information on various food-related topics in an informal setting.
- Our annual history lecture featuring Giuseppe Mazzotta, Yale University’s Sterling Professor of Humanities for Italian, on “Petrarch’s Confrontation with Modernity.” Mazzotta is also chair and director of Graduate Studies for Yale’s Department of Italian and a highlight of his talk was the reading of sonnets in Italian and the subsequent translation.
- The first of four colloquia in response to the December tragedy in Newtown. University Commons was packed to overflowing as David Johnson and Hadar Lubin from the Post-Traumatic Stress Center in New Haven talked about the role of mental illness in mass shootings.
- A discussion on the Obamas and the presidential relationship. A more intimate group gathered to hear New York Times correspondent Jodi Kantor, author of the bestselling book, The Obamas, talk about the impact on a marriage when one member is the President.
I’m sure you all saw the message earlier today from Jim Barquinero about the hiring of Bobby Valentine as executive director of Intercollegiate Athletics. We are looking forward to having Bobby join the Sacred Heart community. You will hear much more about all of this on Tuesday, but these are exciting times at SHU.
This week’s NEASC topic is Standard 3, which focuses on Governance. This standard provides us with an opportunity to show how our organizational structure empowers each and every member of the faculty and staff to provide the best for our students. NEASC Standard 3 seeks to discover how this University promotes respect, collaboration and the pursuit of truth in the interest of the students. One way we do that is with an outstanding leadership team. I feel very fortunate to be surrounded by talented and dedicated leaders who continuously come to the table with creative and innovative ideas while keeping student experience as the top priority. We are a teaching University, and that means our talented faculty is responsible for educating our students. Our role as leaders is to facilitate and empower the faculty to do what they do best.
Standard 3 also looks at how the University practices subsidiarity. That means that decisions should be made at the appropriate level. Simply put, staff members at all levels are encouraged to be leaders in their own role and to make decisions with the good of our students in mind.
Congratulations to Marni Cutler who was the winner of a gift card for correctly answering last week’s NEASC trivia question. You have until Tuesday at 4 p.m. to submit an answer to this week’s question.
Please don’t forget to respond to the Innovation Survey that was sent out to everyone earlier this week. Your feedback is important to the Innovation Committee and their work.
Congratulations to the Men’s Club Ice Hockey team on winning their first NECHA American Conference Championship this past weekend with a 6-4 win over Westfield State! Way to go!
Congratulations also to Vincent Ramaglia on his accepted illustration to the Society of Illustrators of New York’s Nationally Juried Annual Student Scholarship Competition. His detailed drawing of men in battle makes you feel like you are right there in the foxhole with them.
Still on the subject of art, students from the Department of Art & Design will be displaying their work at the Watermark at 3030 Park from now until April 11. An opening reception is scheduled for February 28 inside the art gallery at the nearby retirement community. We appreciate the Watermark’s continued support of our students.
Recently I sent all our students an email encouraging them to consider taking advantage of the many opportunities we provide to study abroad. I was pleased to hear that during the coming summer and fall, our largest group of students ever will be taking advantage of the opportunity to study at John Cabot University in Rome. Our partnership with John Cabot began in 2010 with the mutual goal of increasing student and faculty opportunities abroad. To date, 36 SHU students have spent a semester or summer term at John Cabot; one faculty member has taught a course at the university and a 2013 summer faculty-led program will use John Cabot’s housing and classroom space. When we count the students headed to Rome for the summer and fall, a total of 68 SHU students will have had the invaluable experience of studying at John Cabot University — all within the span of three years!
If you are looking for something to do over the weekend, check out Gospel Fest at the Chapel of the Holy Spirit Saturday evening. Among the lineup of performers will be our own SHU L.O.V.E. and Four Heart Harmony. Our fourth annual Elements Concert is slated for Sunday afternoon. This program, performed in the round, includes selections from all of our performing arts areas including theatre, band and choir.
One thing I will be doing this weekend is greeting next year’s Early Decision students and their families as they come to campus for a visit. This is the biggest Early Decision class in the history of SHU, and I am looking forward to meeting them and welcoming them and their families to our community.
And if you don’t have plans later this evening, come by Red’s at 5 or so to see if Iannazzi’s Marketing & Communications team can creep past Maresco’s band of teachers in the second leg of the Faculty & Staff Trivia Contest.
Enjoy the weekend!