Flynn Files: December 2005-April 2019

2005

December

As I write, the Flynns are enjoying Thanksgiving weekend with our son, Daniel, a college junior who, like his Alvernia counterparts, has plenty of school work to remind him that exams and paper deadlines are fast approaching.

My own semester has gone rapidly and happily. The many “listening and learning” sessions have deepened my appreciation for Alvernia and our people. Good will and good ideas are in abundance. (My next column will report on the main themes from these sessions—what I have learned—and on some of my own thoughts.) I feel thankful to be your president.

Besides enjoying time with family at Thanksgiving and giving thanks for family, friends, and other blessings, I find Thanksgiving to be the perfect prelude to Advent, the season of preparation. Giving thanks takes on special meaning when we reflect on the ongoing war in Iraq and the poverty, privation, and injustice on display in our Gulf Coast states, across our own land, and around the world. For Christians, Advent calls us to appreciate in a special way the presence of Christ among us and challenges us to live our faith in a way that is justice-seeking. And at Advent, and throughout the year, we are joined in this quest for lives of spiritual meaning and service by those of other faiths and by all women and men of good will.

A joyous Christmas and holiday season to all in the Alvernia College community.

2006

February

By the time you read this, Ground Hog Day and Super Bowl Sunday will be memories, and the flurry of exams and papers will make students long for midterm break and the golden weeks of March Madness. Hopefully, our own basketball teams will contribute their own good “madness” in the PAC Conference tournaments.    

In my last column, I promised to report on the results of the “listening and learning’ sessions held throughout my first several months as your president. These conversations involved over 200 students, faculty, and staff; they were stimulating and invaluable for me and, I am told, for many of you. Faculty, staff, and student leaders heard an in-depth report at the December campus meeting. There is far too much to report in a single column, so we’ll look at a few of the topics most frequently mentioned by students and cover some others next month.

On the first topic, there is broad agreement among students (and faculty and staff) that good progress has been made and that much more improvement is needed:

* Enhanced Services/Resources for Residential Students

Students were quick to praise the recent progress on “residentiality,” expanded nighttime activities and the increased number of students spending the weekend on campus. But students were also passionate about their dissatisfaction with the lack of access to services and resources of all kinds in the evenings and on weekends: group study areas, computer labs, library hours; gathering spaces for socialization; recreation facilities; and especially food options. The need for gathering spaces involves outdoor as well as indoor spaces—perhaps like a new mall or green space developed in the center of campus. Such a gathering space would help us become a more genuinely residential campus.

Many faculty and staff echoed these observations, and some also expressed concern about evening and weekend services for adult students. Students and others also were critical of the barriers to handicap accessibility across the campus. And they were emphatic about the need for far more on-campus work opportunities.

Students appreciate the efforts of campus staff and administrators and note that most are friendly. They cited the addition of smart boards and on-line registration as notable improvements. But students also believe that improvement and greater consistency of service across campus is sorely needed, especially regarding technology support, financial aid, advising, and security (though they consider the campus overall to be well-lit and safe). Numerous examples were cited of what students considered to be service deficiencies or lack of teamwork between offices. (In contrast, students have consistently positive perceptions of the Graduate and Continuing Studies offices.) Residential students emphasized that direct communication with them on campus is badly needed, preferably electronically.

A second topic also elicited broad agreement among students and among students, faculty, and staff:

* Expanded Facilities and Improved Campus Signage and Other Visitor-Friendly Improvements (access, parking, landscaping, information.)

There is overwhelming campus-wide advocacy for new recreation facilities, with priority on a field house; a large lecture hall/auditorium; expanded meeting and meal locations, and student activities’ spaces like a night club. A lighted turf field was suggested as a way to maximize student participation and free up much of “lower campus.” Track, swimming, and football teams were suggested occasionally as possibilities, though most focused on expanding recreation and fitness/wellness options for non-athletes . . . and for those aging employees (like your president) who could benefit from better conditioning!

Addition of flexible and technologically enhanced classrooms was also urged, as was conversion of the library into a learning commons and development of a flexible performance venue and a one-stop location of business and student services. Commuters and older adult students especially were sensitive to the need for signage to welcome and guide visitors, but residential students also noted the need for improved landscaping and signage (especially regarding parking regulations!!)

Unlike the above topics, one infamous issue, though not as frequently mentioned, produced much less agreement:

* Parking

Some students feel parking is woefully insufficient. Some feel that current parking practices unfairly favor resident over commuter students. Some also appear to believe that private parking adjacent to one’s digs is an inalienable right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and the Alvernia Mission. In contrast, some commented that parking was more available and far cheaper than on most campuses. A few suggested a parking fee as at many schools. Others (including many student leaders) feel the parking problem is overstated and due to unreasonable expectations about convenience. Most agree that better information is needed, that parking policies should be reviewed and updated, and that visitors to campus need to have adequate parking and informational signage.

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All this and much more! My purpose is to faithfully report not editorialize, but let me close with a few comments. Progress is already underway. The expansion of evening hours by Aladdin food service to 10:30 on some nights and 12:00 midnight on others is a great first step. Others are underway. The Strategic Planning Council will recommend priorities to improve the quality of campus life and create a genuinely residential campus. A comprehensive plan for facilities will be launched this spring and completed nest fall.

Students participating in these sessions were impressive representatives of their fellow students and their future alma mater. Their voices deserve to be heard. They have been and will continue to be. Let’s all keep talking (and listening!) to one another.

March

March Madness is just beginning, as I write this, and already we have had some of our own “madness” to celebrate here on campus. We can be proud of our men’s basketball team, players and coaches, for their championship season and NCAA bid, and we can be proud also of them as fine representatives of Alvernia, off as well as on the court.  Hopefully, spring break brought opportunities for jobs, service projects, papers and other college assignments, and also some relaxation and fun with family and friends.

As promised, this column will continue my report on the results of my "listening and learning" sessions held last fall with over 200 on campus. Last month, we covered the two topics of greatest emphasis: the need for a) Enhanced Services and Resources for Residential Students and for b) Expanded Facilities—especially for student recreation and campus gathering places—and Campus Signage and Related Improvements. This month, we’ll focus on the most important priority frequently mentioned—Strengthening the Quality and Integrity of the Alvernia Degree—and briefly take note of some excellent suggestions from many of you.

The issue of improved academic quality, as all recognize, does not lend itself to easy summary. There is some feeling on campus that the academic qualifications of entering students need to be improved, though there is strong support for providing opportunity for students whose test scores may mask their future potential. The far more prevalent view is that more needs to be asked of students throughout their time at Alvernia along with more opportunities provided that challenge students to reach and exceed high standards of achievement and personal growth. Students and faculty alike emphasize the need for more rigorous and more consistent standards of expectation in the classroom. For many faculty, this means moving students from competence to proficiency in skill preparation; others stress the need to ensure a higher level of expected inquiry and analysis. A few faculty advocated that programs be more rigorously reviewed and curriculum be updated, and a few faculty (and students) spoke of the need for a more stimulating core curriculum. Several faculty and staff called for dialogue about the primary aims of an Alvernia education and the outcomes we seek in our graduates.

The theme of improved academic quality is not, as at many schools, simply a faculty theme. Some staff spoke similarly. Several groups of students cite a less than challenging academic atmosphere, especially in advanced classes, and the noticeable variance in the quality of teaching and advising. Students have strong overall praise for their faculty and programs and stress that improvements in academic quality and rigor are a matter of ensuring greater consistency across the college. Several programs were singled out for praise, with Criminal Justice and Forensic Science mentioned most frequently. Some students speak with passion about extraordinary teachers who inspire them by challenging them. Examples came from across the college, especially from the humanities faculty. Several staff and students urged a simple response to the question about “how we get better”: place top priority on (continuing the) recruitment and retention of top faculty.

Staff, faculty, RAs and other student leaders are united in seeing the need for greater student accountability, regarding both academic performance and eligibility and mature personal behavior outside the classroom. Faculty, both young and not-so-young, concur that our laudable Franciscan-inspired care for the individual student is no justification for lowering standards and coddling students rather than challenging students and providing appropriate support. Regarding student behavior on campus, a number of RAs and other student leaders emphasize the need for greater student responsibility and accountability but note that the current discipline system is “broken” and that fines are not an effective deterrent to bad behavior.

Among non-academic areas where many of you suggested improvements, several themes are dominant:

Improving campus communication and encouraging open sharing of suggestions and dialogue on important issues;
Strengthening undergraduate recruiting efforts (and moving the Admission Office back to main campus);
Significantly improving Alvernia’s recognition and reputation beyond the Greater Reading community;
Building stronger connections and partnerships with the community; and expanding connections between current students and the alumni;
Expanding interdisciplinary teaching/programs and making service learning a prominent part of the curriculum;
Increasing emphasis on issues of ethical and global significance and on appreciation for diversity of all kinds;
Integrating the Seniors College’ activities with the rest of the College.

One last topic, not mentioned frequently, does like parking evoke strong opinions. A few individuals advocate a smoke-free campus; more common is the suggestion to move smoking zones further away from the main doorways of buildings.

Two final personal observations. We really like each other around here. Students, faculty, administrators, and staff all talked about the great people at Alvernia. Folks also really care about this place and feel good about all the progress of recent years. There were no hints of complacency. There was much evidence of energy, openness, and creativity. There was helpful constructive criticism. One person put it well: let’s not just do more, let’s do better.

Over the next year, we will be charting Alvernia’s future together though a new strategic plan. We will discuss how our Catholic, Franciscan heritage, including our ecumenical embrace of those with different traditions, and our core values shape our future. We will select several major priorities. We’ll talk more about this in my next column. But in the meantime, we need to continue to take action on necessary improvements. Some have happened. More are to come. Enjoy the coming of spring!

October

3395. What is the significance of this number? Believe it or not, this is the total number of Alvernia “students” enrolled this semester.

Included are the 555 members of our innovative and greatly appreciated Seniors College, comprised of active retirees who model life-long learning. I know first-hand. Teaching a lively group of 42 last spring was among my most rewarding experiences in 30 years of teaching. I look forward next spring to my next Seniors College class and also to my first undergraduate class.

This semester at Alvernia there are 2,840 students seeking an undergraduate or advanced degree. Well over 2,000 study on main campus in Reading. But almost 600 students pursue undergraduate or graduate degrees at our sites in Pottsville and Philadelphia or at one of the customized programs offered at other off-campus locations, such as the MBA program for doctors offered initially at Reading Hospital and now at a site in the state capital. About 800 are graduate students in one of five programs (with 17 concentrations). 27 are new doctoral students. Following their core studies in research methods and leadership studies, they will concentrate in Corporate, Community, or Educational Leadership. Approximately 1350 are full-time undergraduate students on main campus, with many others enrolled part-time.

We have a wide ranging student body—diverse in age and family circumstances; racial, ethnic, and religious background; academic interests and professional aspirations. Approximately 600 live on main campus; many others live in near-by apartments. Most of our students live with their families. Many have significant family responsibilities, with some being parents of their own students! But regardless of differences, all of our students seek the mission-centered, value-added dimensions of an Alvernia education. All are valued and valuable as members of this learning community. And each deserves the best effort of all faculty, staff, and administrators.

The numbers cited above reflect the strong interest of students of all ages in an Alvernia education. We have become the school of choice in the area for many students seeking an advanced graduate degree. We have a long standing reputation among adult students--many of them women returning to the workforce--as a place where the faculty and staff welcome and encourage older students. As one such alumna told me recently, “Alvernia helped me transform my life”; another put it less grandly, but with equal emotion: “Alvernia believed in me and gave me the opportunity I needed at a vulnerable time in my life.” This commitment to the adult learner has its roots in our first faculty, the Bernardine Sisters, but it is a constant of our five decades and embodied today by many men and women on our faculty.

As we anticipate our fiftieth anniversary, we need as an academic community to recommit ourselves to educating adult learners. Enhanced support for graduate education is essential—in improved library resources and related support for research, to name just two areas. More and more current undergraduates will aspire to graduate education and seek a second Alvernia degree. We must ensure that their graduate education stretches their capabilities and performance well beyond their undergraduate course work. Our doctoral students will expect (and deserve) mentoring by scholar-teachers, even as they seek insights from faculty who are “reflective practitioners”--accomplished professionals, active in their fields, skilled at connecting theory and practice and reflection in the classroom and in the community.

Paralleling our recommitment to excellent graduate education, and to the needs of returning adult students, must be enhanced commitment to a first-rate residential undergraduate experience. Recently, thanks to visionary leadership by trustees, administrators, and faculty, we have expanded educational opportunities for young men and women recently graduated from high school. We now offer housing to 630 students, almost half of our full-time undergraduates. The draft of the strategic plan envisions significantly expanding housing for residential students and also the much needed recreation facilities and student services necessary for a more vibrant, engaged campus life—during the week and on weekends. This is exciting.

But much needs to be done. Progress over the last year has been notable, with expanded intramural programs and the new convenience store in the PEC as examples of the resources students need and deserve. Student activities are increasing, campus ministry is active, and the opening of the Crusader Café as a student-operated activities space will be a welcome improvement. Yet an engaged undergraduate culture and a vibrant residential experience require far more than leisure activities and ample food options. They require an integrated educational experience that engages and motivates students and builds passion for their soon-to-be alma mater.

Our first-year and senior capstone programs need to become more central to students’ experience during their initial and final years on campus. Over the last two decades, many schools have developed exciting shared learning experiences for students throughout the years on campus. We must increase cultural opportunities by supporting the arts and expanding other co-curricular programs. Students in demanding professional fields deserve the flexibility to select a minor in the liberal arts or even to elect several courses outside their field of specialization. Student-athletes should be able to enroll in all necessary courses for their academic majors and still compete on varsity teams.  Service-learning projects, internships, international education, and other forms of community-based learning need to be readily available for all students in all majors, not just as options for a few. Perhaps such learning experiences, along with ethics and leadership education, and knowledge of the Franciscan tradition, might become “signatures” of an Alvernia education.

In short, whether in undergraduate or graduate education, we have an extraordinary opportunity to build on a strong foundation and much good work. We have a talented faculty and staff, and a terrific group of students. The members of the Strategic Planning Council and the Advisory Committee on the Campus (Facilities) Master Plan are serving us well. Good ideas abound, and priorities are “emerging.” The week of November 3-10 will feature multiple opportunities for input and advice.

The future is ours to shape. Have a great semester. And remember, only a few short weeks to Midnight Madness!!

November

There are few experiences more invigorating for a college president than talking to recently graduated students, a school’s newest alumni. I especially enjoy listening to them reflect on what was special about their education and what really matters as they build lives of meaning as young adults. Equally valuable is talking with seniors close to graduation. They are usually even less sure about career plans and their life’s journey but still are insightful about what has mattered most in their undergraduate experience.
 

Over the last month, as we have celebrated Alumni and Family Weekend and hosted a number of gatherings of alumni, I’ve been fortunate to have stimulating conversations with several recent and about-to-be alumni of Alvernia. Their wisdom is instructive.
 

One recent graduate spoke with deep feeling about how the faculty in his department had believed in his potential, brought opportunities to his attention, and supported his aspirations. His principal faculty mentor is still a significant influence, even as they now are becoming professional colleagues. Another alum, having returned to complete a college education begun many years earlier (before marriage and children), found that learning was now fun and that her best professors were the most rigorous and demanding ones—“faculty that had the highest expectations of their students and themselves.” A third individual had his life transformed in a different way by his alma mater. Graduate education at Alvernia provided community-based learning experiences and strong ethical preparation for subsequent professional leadership. For him, the accompanying opportunities for private and collaborative reflection promoted additional life lessons.
 

At one reception, I offhandedly asked a soon-to-be alumnus, carrying a heavy load of courses, which ones he was most enjoying. He responded with passion and excitement, describing two general education courses—neither on topics of prior interest to him. One probed controversial contemporary issues; one explored topics from unfamiliar cultures. Yes, the teachers in both cases made class enjoyable, but as a mature student this young man’s praise focused not on their personalities but on their ability to stimulate his thinking and reflection. The feature article on Halloween in the Reading Eagle profiled such a teacher, our own Sister Pacelli, while the quotes from students in her classes also made the case for electing courses that stretched them well beyond their usual comfort zone and areas of interest. Along with my other recent conversations, they offered testimony to the importance of a liberal education. 
 

What are some of the results of a good liberal education? Essential is knowledge of human societies and cultures--our country’s own diverse traditions and those of the wider world—and intercultural competence. Other key outcomes are development of historical (and contemporary) perspective, aesthetic appreciation, respect for the natural world, ethical understanding, and commitment to social responsibility and the privileges of democratic citizenship. Certain foundational skills accompany the achievement of communication, quantitative, and informational literacy.  Equally important are several more complex capacities:  the demonstrated ability to think independently and collaboratively, to connect theory and practice, to synthesize different sources of knowledge, to engage reflectively with the “big questions,” to integrate life experience with one’s formal education.  And at Alvernia, we pledge that, at the core of such an  education is an expectation that all students are intentional about clarifying their values and acting ethically, exploring the role of religious belief and spirituality in their lives, and drawing practical inspiration from Franciscan values.  
 

And the two major ingredients needed for this recipe? Excellent faculty, of course:  skilled teachers who are actively engaged in their subject matter, broadly curious and inquisitive about much else, passionate about student learning, and determined to expect the best of themselves and their students. And also, excellent students: actively engaged in their subject matter, broadly curious and inquisitive about much else, passionate about their learning, and determined to expect the best of themselves and their faculty.

2007

April

Spring has arrived. Easter and Passover have been celebrated. The secular rites of renewal and resurrection--with flowers and trees blooming joyfully--confirm the end of winter.  

Institutions need rebirth too, especially fundamentally conservative ones like colleges and universities. Even vital, healthy schools like Alvernia. As a former colleague, beloved for his devotion equally to students and to tradition, liked to warmly growl:  “Change is Our Friend.”

For the past eighteen months, the Alvernia community has been discussing not just change but improvement. “How do we get better” was the question I posed upon my arrival. Faculty, staff and administrators, students, alumni, trustees, community leaders, and other friends responded with affection for and confidence in this special place. And, like our Franciscan Foundresses, we have responded with bold aspirations for our future.

Elsewhere in this issue, the Alvernian staff will report on the new strategic plan and the campus master plan. By now, we know the five priorities well:  To Strengthen Alvernia’s Identity, Educational Quality, Student Communities, Community and External Engagement, and Resource Development. Members of the SPC, to whom we owe much appreciation, undoubtedly can even quote many of the goals in their sleep!

The master plan to guide the physical development of main campus can be similarly summarized:  Zone I, a new approach through the park and new entrance road, shared with the Bernardine Sisters, winding up to a renovated Francis Hall; Zone II, a pedestrian-friendly, fully renovated center campus, featuring expanded dining services, a 24-hour “learning commons,” improved classrooms, a small recital hall, and a campus mall; Zone III,  a new lower campus, featuring a residential village for juniors and seniors, an outdoor field and track linked to an expanded PEC, and the always popular parking;  and Zone IV, the development of NCAA-level fields in Angelica Park and the refurbishment of Upland Center as a high-end academic building, including the home for Graduate Studies and Life-Long Learning Programs (like our beloved Seniors College).

All of this is exciting. Some projects are long-term, timed for ten to twenty years in the future. The best plans are dynamic not static. Better ideas will emerge. We will continue to be fiscally prudent, not replicating the mistake of many schools that spend well beyond their means. But good work has already started. Results will appear next year, during the Foundation Phase (2007-2008). Much will be completed in Phase I (2008-2013), as we launch celebration of our Fiftieth Anniversary.

But all of our projects--renovated buildings or even academic improvements like our new Centers for Community Engagement and for Ethics and Leadership--assume special significance when they support a broader, overall vision for the future.  And our new, shared vision for Alvernia’s future is compelling:

To be a Distinctive Franciscan University, Committed to Personal and Social Transformation, through Integrated, Community-Based, Inclusive, And Ethical Learning.

We have reaffirmed that the Franciscan values and spirit will inspire and guide us anew. Recognizing the breadth of our programs and students—including over 800 graduate students, some of them doctoral students—we have come to see ourselves more as a small, personalized university than a traditional undergraduate college. For all our students, and for all of us who work here too, we seek nothing less than “transformation,” both individually and collectively, both as an educational community and as citizens committed to a just society.

Transformation to what? Our revised Mission Statement pledges that within a “rigorous, caring, and inclusive learning community committed to academic excellence,” faculty, staff, and students seek to be “broadly educated life-long learners; reflective professionals and engaged citizens; and ethical leaders with moral courage.” All of this guided by our Catholic and liberal arts traditions and inspired by the Franciscan educational ideal of “knowledge joined with love.”

Heady stuff, this business of “transformation.” And it doesn’t mean changing all those other folks while staying untouched ourselves. If change is indeed “our friend,” then high expectations, continuous improvement, the striving for excellence must be embraced by each and every one of us, privately and personally as well as collaboratively—with our fellow students, our good colleagues, and the entire, extended Alvernia community.

It is springtime at Alvernia.

May

The Alvernia Class of ’07.

Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? It should. This is a special group.

Early congratulations to our seniors and to all students who are finishing those final classes, practica, and capstone exams and who will receive undergraduate or graduate degrees or certifications on May 20.

This has been a special graduating class who will leave an indelible mark on their soon-to-be alma mater. And they are off to a great start as alums.

This past week, many of them celebrated together at the second annual “Margaritaville,” a social at which our alumni association, joined by numerous faculty and staff, salutes and welcomes this year’s graduates. From an exciting beginning just a year ago, the event blossomed this year, with 400 in attendance, including many continuing education and graduate students and many recent alumni. It is now officially a tradition! Our food service staff, assisted by volunteers, outdid themselves and managed to provide food and drink for more than double the number expected. A highlight, once again, was our own Buffetmeister, Mike Pressimone, crooning this year’s version of “Wasting Away in Alverniaville.” Priceless.

But there was also an unprecedented highlight, announced by Senior Class President, Matt Nied. This year’s seniors organized a class gift program and succeeded where many in the past have fallen short. To date, they have raised over $2,500. Their gift will fully underwrite the cost of a handsome campus clock and will set the bar for future classes.

Our students’ fundraising success is impressive; the money raised is significant. But most important is what this says about these graduates and about their appreciation for a special period in their lives and their commitment to a special place.

We should not be surprised. The recent Honors Convocation featured diverse student awardees: among them, honors program graduates, with multiple majors; those who have excelled as scholars and student leaders; NCAA-recognized athletes with top academic records; individuals already accomplished professionally--through outstanding performance in internships, clinical work, student teaching, or other field experience.

Many others have flourished in one of the academic clubs and honor societies that compete successfully at the state and even national level. Or on the stage. Or in service projects. Or on one of our PAC Championship Teams. Some led the planning and development of the remodeled Crusader Café, now a joint legacy of some generous alums and this year’s student government and senior class leaders.

This semester I was fortunate to “teach” two classes and to join another class for one of their sessions. These groups taught themselves. They were bright, spirited, candid, collaborative, and insightful. One group of “seniors” are retired adults who model the ideal of life-long learners. Another were student leaders, both seniors and others, who met several times to discuss leadership philosophies, styles, and values. One memorable session focused on the challenges of embracing and not just tolerating diversity and discovering ways to both maximize the benefits of diversity while seeking common ground and shared values.  A morning spent with the upcoming graduates of our On-Line Health Care MBA program featured men and women bonded in a strong learning community, led by some of our very best faculty and supported by top staff. Their capstone project: a volunteer trip to Santo Domingo to support a school sponsored by our Bernardine Franciscan Sisters. We will hear more from them.

And we will hear more from those receiving diplomas this May. Count on it.

They are a special group. The Alvernia Class of 2007.

November

To be a distinctive Franciscan university [emphasis added], committed to personal and social transformation through integrated, community-based, inclusive, and ethical learning.    

Vision Statement (Approved March 2007)

Guided by Franciscan values [emphasis added] and the ideal of “knowledge joined with love,” and rooted in the Catholic and liberal arts traditions, Alvernia is a rigorous, caring, and inclusive learning community committed to academic excellence and to being and fostering broadly educated, life-long learners; reflective professionals and engaged citizens; and ethical leaders with moral courage.

Mission Statement (Approved March 2007)

“A distinctive Franciscan university.” “Franciscan values.”  Among the concepts with virtually unanimous support during our strategic planning process was commitment to deepening our Franciscan identity. It is an important promise of our revised mission statement; it is central to our vision for the future. What do such phrases mean? Surely, becoming more Franciscan is an aspiration complex in meaning and rich in possibilities.    

Recently, I had the opportunity to be immersed in the Franciscan tradition. My wife, Helen, and I were fortunate to enjoy a gift from our Bernardine Franciscan congregation, given for my inauguration as Alvernia’s sixth president: the gift of a pilgrimage to major Franciscan sites, centered in Assisi, Italy, and including brief visits to Rome and to La Verna, the mountain on which Francis—two years before his death—received the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, and the place that gives us the name, Alvernia.

Assisi.  Home of St. Francis (1182-1226) and St. Clare (1194-1253).  Both left their families at the age of today’s college students:  Francis, the son of a prosperous merchant; Clare, daughter of nobility, descended from the famous Emperor Charlemagne. Both surrendered all possessions. They chose lives of prayerful contemplation combined with service to those in need. Francis, physically unattractive, was a charismatic preacher of the “Good News.” Both were rebels in the society of early 13th century Assisi. Both were rebels within the Church they loved faithfully. Both were in fact radicals:  individuals faithful to the “roots” of the gospel as embodied by the life of Jesus.

Assisi.  Birthplace of the Franciscan Movement. By the time of Francis’ death, there were already several thousand Franciscans committed to living in radical poverty. Not simply living without possessions or money, these men and women wished to live lives stripped down to the essentials involved in following Christ’s example. Religious communities were opened to the needy or, at one location in the town, housed in a leper colony. Initially disgusted by lepers, Francis came to find beauty in them as the “least among us.” From the outset, Franciscans have been pretty diverse.  There are great theologians and a rich intellectual tradition. (St. Bonaventure’s concept of “knowledge joined with love” is featured in Alvernia’s mission statement.). Others are focused on front-line service, especially to the underserved. Yet the many types and branches of Franciscans, including lay women and men, are united in confidence in the bonum—“the good”:  the goodness of God and the innate goodness (and capacity for greater goodness) in all of us.

Assisi.  Home of the World Peace and Interfaith Movements.  The European peace movement continues to return here for inspiration. The legendary hospitality of Franciscans, their respect for and embrace of all, regardless of background or belief, has made Assisi also a home for interreligious dialogue. Franciscans have a special devotion to the late Pope John XXIII, founder of the modern ecumenical movement. When the late John Paul II invited leaders of the world’s religions to Rome for shared prayer and conversation, few accepted. When the location was changed to Assisi, the result was an unprecedented gathering of the world’s religious leaders. There is a rich tradition of action as well as prayer:  the German officer assigned to occupied Assisi during World War II bravely ensured that the town be spared from Nazi bombings; during Hitler’s Holocaust, the bishop of Assisi, assisted by Don Aldo, a young priest, hid hundreds of Jews and protected them from deportation and death. Even sixty years later, the town honors the officer, and descendants of those Jewish families return to give thanks.

Living in Assisi, being immersed in the lives of Francis and Clare, guided by three inspirational Franciscans (including Alvernia trustee Sr. Roberta McKelvie), one cannot help but be moved by the passionate intensity with which Franciscans throughout the ages have pursued the “the good.”  Contemplation and Prayer. Compassion and Service. Respect for Creation. Hospitality and Embrace of Others. Peacemaking and Justice-Seeking. “Franciscan values.” Our new heritage statement says it well:  

To be Franciscan is to respect the dignity of each human person and all creation; to be open to the world and its diversity of cultures, faiths, traditions, races, and peoples; to honor right relationships; and to seek peace through action for justice.

December

This semester’s earlier columns have explored two key elements of Alvernia’s new vision statement:  our commitment to inclusive (intercultural) learning and the roots of our Franciscan heritage. As the semester winds down, let me report on the implementation of our strategic plan, focusing on improvements in the student experience. This month’s report will cover campus facilities, anticipated during 2008 and 2009. A report on program improvements will follow next semester.

Upland Center: Along with the O’Pake Science Center, the Upland Center is our second new major academic facility opened in the last year. The new home of our Graduate and Adult Programs, it provides all students with a range of high-tech learning spaces. From a large, multi-purpose room suitable for large lectures to small seminar rooms, the nine classrooms and accompanying lounge spaces have enhanced the learning environment.

Student Life Center: Opening in January ’08 next to the PEC in the old graduate and continuing studies building, is this 24x7 facility, with a lounge and computer lab. It will house student life offices and promises to be the new hub of student activities on campus.

Campus Student Center:  Construction is scheduled to begin in Spring ‘08 on a first-floor renovation and expansion of this facility. The food serving area will be expanded, and seats for dining will almost double. A new addition will house an expanded college store. Financial support from both Aladdin and Follett’s has helped make this possible.

Campus Commons: A large, park-like greenspace will provide an attractive gathering place for students in the center of campus. It will replace the parking lot, so a new parking plan will be necessary, as will the addition of some satellite parking. But as students, faculty, and staff widely agreed, a central campus greenspace is worth some inconvenience and is perhaps the most dramatic improvement in the campus master plan.

Student Services (Bernardine Hall):  Plans are evolving to transform the lower floor of the West Wing of Bernardine into a “one-stop shopping” location for student services. The Offices of the Registrar, Student Financial Planning, and Student Billing will be housed together to improve coordination and streamline service to students.

“Lower Campus”:  The large area nestled against our beautiful, south-side hills is also scheduled for improvement, tentatively beginning in 2009. Current plans call for the first of several phases of apartment-style housing, targeted to seniors, and including fully equipped kitchens and many single rooms. A new all-weather turf field, surrounded by our first track, will be built below an expanded PEC (second gym and new fitness center), with a large parking lot added below Francis Hall on the site of the current baseball field.

Angelica Park:  The development of “lower campus” is made possible by a partnership agreement between the City of Reading and Alvernia covering our improvement and use of the baseball and softball fields. (We already use the tennis courts.) Construction is scheduled to begin in Spring ’08, with the fields ready for play in Spring ’09. We hope to have use of the new approach road to campus, winding through Angelica Park, sometime this spring.

One other important project is also envisioned: initial renovation of Francis Hall and the accompanying upgrade of arts facilities, along with the construction of a new entry road to Francis Hall. Fundraising is already underway for this project.

Obviously, the pace of campus expansion will depend on available funds, from both the annual budget and from fundraising.  And we must balance all this with support of important program needs. But as I have told prospective students and their families at our Admission Open houses, look for bulldozers on campus over the next few years!

As we celebrated Thanksgiving, several faculty had special reason to be grateful. Congratulations to Professors Beth Berret (Business), Neil Penny (Occupational Therapy), and Di You (Psychology) for completing their doctorates. And to all, best wishes for a blessed Christmas and happy holiday season.

2008

February

Recently I was called on to write essays on two apparently unrelated topics. The first one is much under debate in the media and throughout higher education: the responsibility of colleges and universities to be accessible and affordable to students of all backgrounds. The second one? A topic that most of us reflect on all too little: the meaning of vocation

As with the many projects which students and faculty (and presidents) juggle, these projects seemed connected only by their deadlines not their subject matter--until I realized that they were not only related but closely linked to what Alvernia is all about.

Alvernia has a long history of reaching out to students often overlooked by larger, more expensive, and better known schools. Our students have been sons and daughters of immigrant families, women returning to school after raising families, working adults seeking to achieve long-delayed educational goals or to change careers; young students from families with limited resources but high aspirations. Since its founding by the Bernardine Franciscans—indeed, because of our Foundresses--Alvernia has believed that the personal attention families expect of a private college should be accessible to all, regardless of financial resources.

From freshmen to doctoral students, we hear the same message: Alvernia faculty and staff care about their students. Individual attention, intellectual challenge, practical experience in a caring community and at an affordable price are hallmarks of the Alvernia experience.

None of this happens by accident. Franciscan values and the ideal of “knowledge joined with love” make a pivotal difference in the quality of an Alvernia education. Unlike at larger public institutions and even private colleges with no religious affiliation, Alvernia’s students experience more integration of values and ethics in classroom discussions. Not only do they strengthen communication and leadership skills and emerge well prepared for their first job or for graduate school, but they deepen their commitment to service and to the common good. And their lives are changed in even more profound ways: they develop social awareness and a moral compass to guide their actions.

At Alvernia, we expect our students (and graduates) to do well and to do good. And this is where the concept of a vocation, or “a calling,” comes in.

As a young boy, raised in a Catholic family where both uncles had left home shortly after high school to become priests, I had a very focused understanding of vocation. It was a calling, to be sure, but a mysterious and elusive one reserved for a select few. One might consider it, even seek it, but membership was limited.

October

Isn’t it a strange irony that at the same time when the country is in the midst of its most serious crisis in a generation (or two), Alvernia is celebrating historic accomplishments.

The Iraq war drags on. Its human cost—the civilian as well as military casualties—is most important, but the financial cost also drains precious resources away from social programs and other national priorities. Meanwhile, the debacle on Wall Street has intensified financial stress on Main Street. It is no wonder the November election is hotly contested, and it is heartening to see college students so politically and socially aware.

Student Activism. Engagement. Involvement. Call it what you will, it is—along with dedicated and expert faculty—the essence of an excellent college . . . and university. During a quiet moment, right before our dramatic announcement on University Day, it was inspirational for me to see such an enormous turnout of students sharing the same excitement about Alvernia’s growth and development that I hear constantly from alums of all ages. And I looked with pride (and some laughter too) at the large contingent of faculty gathered together . . . alongside a well dressed statue of our patron, St. Francis.

Perhaps the most frequently asked question by students and reporters alike has been what will be different about Alvernia now that we are officially a university. In Pennsylvania, universities must have a broad range of offerings, especially in professional programs, and emphasize graduate as well as undergraduate education. Universities usually contribute greatly to the cultural and economic life of their local communities. Those located near cities often have extensive internship and other community-based learning opportunities. All of this is already true of Alvernia. No change there.

Many universities, both famous and less so, feature professors well known for their research who work primarily with a few graduate students, while those same graduate students teach many of the undergraduate classes. There are lots of opportunities, but it is hard to get individual attention. Alvernia has faculty in many fields who are respected, productive scholars; our faculty also includes individuals active professionally and able to apply this experience in the classroom. Yet all of our classes are taught by faculty—never by graduate students—and all of our faculty share a passion for undergraduate education . . . and for each student’s personal growth and development. No change there.

As schools grow in prestige, many become places primarily for students with top test scores or impressive high school records or privileged backgrounds. Bright students who don’t test well and students with average academic backgrounds are overlooked. And high tuition makes it difficult for students with modest or limited financial resources to reap the benefits of a personalized education. In contrast, guided by Franciscan values, Alvernia has long been a place of opportunity affordable to a wide range of deserving students. Tuition will not spike up because we are now a university. Alvernia will continue to be a great value, with costs noticeably lower than most private colleges and universities in our region. Alvernia will also continue to be the place where students of diverse backgrounds blossom as students and student leaders. No change there.

So why become a university? One good reason is that it recognizes what we already have become. It calls attention to the range of our academic offerings, including masters and even doctoral programs. It highlights that we have approximately 3,000 degree-seeking students and several hundred more life-long learners in our Seniors College—here in Reading, in Philadelphia and Pottsville, and other locations. Becoming a university does validate the impressive growth and development of Alvernia. And it helps us tell this exciting story not only locally but also regionally and even nationally.

But becoming a university represents a challenge too. Academic programs, both liberal arts and professional, must be of consistently high quality. It demands improved facilities and learning opportunities for our students. The O’Pake Science Center and the Upland Building now provide first-rate learning spaces. New athletic and recreation fields will continue the progress made by the Center for Student Life, the renovated dining center, and the beautiful Campus Commons. And by next fall, 150 additional juniors and seniors will be able to live in high-end, convenient apartments right on campus.

Such improvements make heightened student involvement even more important . . . and possible! Whether college or university, Alvernia will best thrive if students are intensely engaged in their education and their entire Alvernia experience. Active participation in class discussions, informal dialogue with one’s teachers and advisor, work on a collaborative class project are a few of the many ways. Opportunities for leadership abound on campus, as do opportunities to strive for excellence athletically and artistically and to deepen one’s spiritual life. Internships and field experiences, service projects in Reading and the Dominican Republic, Alternative Break trips to Baltimore and El Salvador all deliver on the familiar promise: students do much of their most important learning outside the classroom.

Becoming a “distinctive Franciscan university” is a worthy aspiration. We have taken the important first step and should feel proud but hardly satisfied, certainly not complacent. We have raised the bar for ourselves. Our expectations are higher. As they should be. So, too, should be our results.

November

Last month’s column told the stories of three individuals—two distinguished alumnae and a legendary coach--who embody Alvernia’s “Legacy of Leadership.”  This major theme of Alvernia’s Fiftieth Anniversary celebrates the contributions of women and men, Franciscans and lay people, individuals of diverse backgrounds and talents who share a passionate dedication to Alvernia’s mission. Individuals who have also made a major impact on the lives of those around them . . . and on Alvernia.

Here are three more such Alvernians, all honored recently, all still active today. Twice this fall, we had the opportunity to recognize a former president for his accomplishments, past and present! A few weeks ago, a prominent community leader and dedicated trustee was honored with the Franciscan Award, our highest honor. And earlier this fall, on Founder’s Day, we honored a Franciscan Sister both for her own exceptional contributions and also as representative of the many pioneering Sisters and committed lay women and men who founded and sustained Alvernia in our earliest years.  

President Emeritus Dr. Laurence Mazzeno led Alvernia through a period of transformational change and growth. Following a twenty-year career in the military, with several impressive leadership positions, he came to Alvernia after gaining experience as an administrator at two other colleges. A tiny school when he arrived in 1997, Alvernia boasted large graduate programs, an innovative Seniors College, and a robust undergraduate enrollment by the time he departed in 2005.  From the Student Center to Judge Hall, campus facilities were improved. And the academic program was strengthened by the hiring of additional fine faculty.  Recognized on Founder’s Day for these and many other contributions, the Mazz Man was recently back on campus to talk on not one but two new books he has authored, now as a full-time writer of books, articles, and essays. For today’s students, he models the values and value of a liberal arts education as he flourishes in his third career!

Students seldom meet members of the Board of Trustees, unless they hold leadership positions on campus.  Yet Alvernia could not thrive today without the generosity of volunteers like Alfred J. Weber.  A prominent local businessman and co-founder of a respected strategic planning and consulting firm, he is even more renowned for voluntarily contributing his expertise to help countless organizations, most of them small not-for-profit groups that seek to address the community’s most pressing needs. Alvernia is fortunate that, both in the 90s and again today, he has been a leader of our Board. He has challenged us both to strengthen our Franciscan identity and to enhance the quality of our students’ education and total experience. Each year, we celebrate Franciscan values, such as humility, respect for others, and “a life of service” by bestowing our highest honor, the prestigious Franciscan Award. In Al Weber’s case, as with our most impressive alums, we have someone who has done well and done good!

A member of the Alvernia community since 1961, Sister Pacelli is without peer in her contributions, as faculty member and administrator, to the development of our academic programs.  Founder of our criminal justice program, she was for a time the only woman in the country to lead such a program. Countless professionals in law enforcement and related fields trace their professional growth back to their Alvernia education. Today, she is more likely to discuss vampires than criminals in her honors seminar! Few can match the range of her interests. No one can rival her knowledge of Alvernia’s history. (Her second book has just been published.) And Sister also embodies the Franciscan ideal of “knowledge joined with love.”  I seldom meet graduates of our adult education programs, especially alumnae from the 70s and 80s, who don’t recall Sister’s support as they pursued their dream of a private college education. It is fitting that in May, at the close of our anniversary year, Sister Pacelli will be awarded an honorary doctorate at graduation.

When we honor the best among us, we honor the best in all of us. So let us all be inspired and challenged by the example of these and other impressive Alvernians.  Among our current students, there are future school teachers and college faculty members, social activists and government servants, business people and lawyers, those involved with the legal system of justice and those dedicated to religious life, scientists and health care professionals, perhaps even an author or college president!  

So look in the mirror, challenge yourself to excellence, not just routine accomplishments, and become part of Alvernia’s “Legacy of Leadership.”

2009

March

Recently, at our chapel service on Inauguration Day, the day after Martin Luther King Day, I was asked to share a few thoughts on “The Vocation of Leadership.” Even on an ordinary day, either half of this topic is worthy of reflection--the meaning of vocation or the meaning of leadership--never mind an assignment to talk about both together.

And this was no ordinary day but rather an occasion that few among us expected to see in our lifetime: the removal of the last great color barrier in our society, with the inauguration of a person of color to be president of these United States.

I confess that, when reflecting in advance on the talk, I found myself unexpectedly emotional. Some of that emotion arose from the soul of an aging baby boomer, some from the memories of social activism from my own college years, and some from my experience as a former teacher-scholar of American Cultural Studies.

I also found myself thinking of some prophetic documents and speeches in our history:

John Winthrop’s plea to those first pilgrims before they embarked for the Massachusetts shore in 1620 that their community should serve as an example, like a “citty on a hill,” to inspire godliness and goodness;
That famous Declaration, 150 years later, that “all men are created equal,” a promise left unfulfilled for generations of our countrymen and countrywomen and, notwithstanding great social progress, even today a work in progress;
Dr. King’s stirring speech, now almost a half century past, reaffirming both the inspirational power of the American idea and the long journey still ahead for the liberation, equality, and respect due his people . . . And his final speech, five years later in Memphis, the night before he dies, a remarkable reflection, in which at the conclusion he evokes powerfully a vision of his people someday entering the promised land, though he suspects he himself won’t live long enough to do so.

We recognize prophetic leadership in individuals like Dr. King, whose memory we perhaps honor best not by tributes or even holidays from work and school, but by a recommitment—

to respect for human dignity and affirmation of our diverse, yet shared, humanity;
to service, particularly to the underserved;
to peacemaking, in our own circle of family and friends and well beyond;
to social justice, here in America and globally;
to values that, here at Alvernia, are embodied by our Franciscan foundresses, rooted in the Christian gospel, and yet also shared around the world by women and men of goodwill with many faiths and differing belief systems.

Yet prophetic leadership is exercised by many without the titles and positions that bestow power and authority. Servant leadership is an opportunity open to us all. And it can be practiced by we who, unlike larger-than-life figures, like Dr. King and Mother Teresa, are merely ordinary people sometimes able to contribute in extraordinary ways.

So in this spirit, we should be inspired, as was Dr. King, by the pacifist heroes of the southern bus boycotts and lunch counter sit-ins, whose commitment he celebrated in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by quoting what he called the “ungrammatical profundity” of one elderly woman protestor: “My feets are tired, but my soul is at rest.”

Her simple declaration expresses the undramatic heroism of a person with a deep sense of calling that fuses mind, body, and soul. A person both active and at peace. A person, that is, with a genuine vocation.

Growing up in a very religious Catholic family, I had as a young boy a narrowly focused understanding of vocation. It was a calling, to be sure, but a mysterious, elusive one reserved for a select few. One might seek it, but membership was limited. And it would be lived in a seminary, monastery, or convent.

Years later, as a young administrator, I was introduced by my oldest friend to Frederick Buechner’s simple, yet profound, definition of vocation: “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep need meet.”

Imagining myself as responding to “the world’s deep need” has always seemed to be claiming too much for my modest work, first as a faculty member and later as an administrator. Yet for those of us fortunate to work in colleges and universities, especially at a special place like Alvernia, our vocation is rooted in a profound sense of service, a commitment to education. When we put aside the petty and picayune preoccupations that too often dominate campus conversations, it is easy to remember that the growth of our students—intellectual, social, emotional, and spiritual—is indeed serious, important work worthy of a career and a life.

“Deep gladness,” in contrast, captures perfectly for me an essential dimension of a genuine vocation. It suggests not simply happiness but a profound satisfaction and inner joy. It implies the marriage of talents and skills with values and personal goals. It has a spiritual element, not necessarily a religious one, but has thoroughly secular applications. It suggests almost the impossibility of imagining ourselves doing anything else!

A woman or man of vocation is, by necessity and by gift, comfortable in her or his skin. Literally and symbolically. Such a person can indeed do many things, can work in different jobs, perhaps even in different careers. But Buechner’s concept of “deep gladness” sets a far higher standard: it suggests the full deployment of our values, our social philosophy, our personality, our leadership style, our spirituality and/or our religious faith. It is a call to do well and to do good.

“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep need meet.”

In 2009, there is no question that, whether a call from God or from a more secular source, assuming the American presidency provides the challenge and the opportunity to respond to “the world’s deep need.” Let us hope and pray for President Obama that he responds fully and well and that in so doing he indeed experiences “deep gladness.”

And let us hope and pray that all of us, whatever our work and our values, find the “deep gladness” that comes from tired feet and a soul at rest.

October

The first weeks of the academic year have included magnificent fall weekends made to be spent on a beautiful college (or should I say, university) campus like Alvernia. As we look ahead, let us fondly recall the historic year just ended—less in nostalgia than as a launching point for continued progress.

It would be impossible to replicate last year’s excitement. We celebrated our 50th Anniversary, became a university, received national recognition for excellence in community engagement, and launched the “Values and Vision” fundraising effort. Now we get to build on this strong foundation to enhance the quality of an Alvernia education and the overall student experience. Let’s reflect on just a few examples.

Students returned once again in August to a dramatically improved campus. Just a few hundred yards from the recently renovated center of campus, featuring the Campus Commons and Student Center, is a new “South Campus,” with apartments for upperclassmen and an all-weather field and track for varsity teams, flag football and other intramural games, and informal recreation. 700 students now live on campus, but with the large new lot there are actually empty parking spaces!

Among last year’s celebrations was a Founder’s Day event that recognized the Sisters and lay leaders who built Alvernia. This year, we will honor still another local servant-leader, Paul Roedel, with our Franciscan Award. A few weeks ago, a large crowd gathered to hear a world-renowned Franciscan scholar deliver our first Founder’s Day Lecture, a now-annual event reflecting our vision to be a “Distinctive Franciscan University.” Initial discussions are underway to establish a Visiting Franciscan Scholar Program and to expand opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to visit Assisi and the Bernardine Sisters’ mission in the Dominican Republic. And we now have a Franciscan serving as University Chaplain and Director of Campus Ministry, Fr. Kevin Queally. Say hello when you see him around campus.

Last year we honored two distinguished emerita faculty members, Sisters Florence and Pacelli, as exemplars of the order of Catholic religious women who helped make Alvernia a place of transformational opportunity for women of all ages. This year we will bestow our Pro Urbi (“for the city”) Award on two outstanding women-centered organizations, Berks Women in Crisis and Mary’s Shelter/Mary’s Home, and also celebrate the local Visiting Nurse Association’s 100th anniversary by hosting a panel of health educators. 

Mindful of our tradition, we will also join the universal Catholic Church in celebrating the “Year of the Priest” by honoring a priest at each of our commencements. And on December 7, we will host our new Bishop, John Barres, as he celebrates Mass on campus and visits the University and Bernardine Franciscan communities.

Building on the success of the Blessing Exhibit and earlier interfaith efforts, we will be taking further steps, in conjunction with key community partners, to make Alvernia a sacred space for interreligious and inter-cultural dialogue. Look for special events next spring.

Last year’s prestigious recognition by the Carnegie Foundation underscored Alvernia’s reputation for community service and civic engagement. Supported by the visionary philanthropy of our dear friends, the Hollerans, the Center for Community Engagement has made rapid progress. Staff from the Holleran Center and from Campus Ministry are leading the development of a comprehensive program for service and civic engagement. Faculty members, naturally, will take the lead on any curricular improvements, and a range of student clubs and activities will offer multiple options for such work.

To express our shared commitment to service, three days a year have now been designated as Alvernia Service Days:  the feast of St. Francis, the Martin Luther King holiday, and Earth Day.  Alumni and trustees will also participate along with the campus community.  

Alvernia is also known for faculty members who are devoted teachers, committed advisors, and respected scholars. Last year, Ed Hartung  and Bongrae Seok received tenure, and other colleagues were singled out for their contributions. To name just a few: Beth Berret received a national award for her advising of human resources students; Tim Blessing was a guest at the White House; Donna Yarri co-authored two books, one each with Alvernia colleagues Spence Stober and Marc Lucht; and Scott Ballantyne was a national finalist for a distinguished teaching award and also the winner of Alvernia’s Outstanding Teaching Award. We also mourned the loss of Phyllis Hay, whose summertime memorial service included unforgettable tributes from former students whose lives she had touched.

Our students’ appreciation for their faculty is a reminder that Alvernia is a place where faculty enjoy their work with students. At a time when many schools have been forced to shrink the number of faculty, we are fortunate that the large number of new faculty hired a year ago are back with us and eager to share their knowledge with their students. This year, Alvernia will be the national sponsor of the Sigma Tau Delta English Conference, an organization in which professors like Beth DeMeo and Carrie Fitzpatrick work closely with students and alums. And thanks to the efforts of Rose Chinni and other faculty, Alvernia will inaugurate a chapter of Delta Epsilon Sigma, the national honorary society for Catholic colleges and universities.

Alvernia’s reputation is growing too. For the last two years, we have welcomed the largest, best qualified groups of new students in our history, with many from outside Pennsylvania (including far too many Yankee fans but fortunately a few Red Sox fans too). We now compete against many of the area’s best schools in our new athletic conference, the MAC. Alvernia faculty and administrators are increasingly visible at regional and national conferences. We have received generous government grants to build classrooms in Bernardine Hall and to expand distance learning and related technology to connect our Pottsville and Philadelphia centers. And alumni, both near by and far away, continue to bring credit to their alma mater.

At two recent gatherings with student leaders, a “Pizza with the President” campus event and a reception at my house, I was impressed yet again by our students’ generosity of spirit as well as their talents and contributions. They are enthusiastic about their school and committed to making Alvernia even better. They remind me that amidst great progress and many accomplishments, a simple truth remains: the women and men of Alvernia continue to do well and to do good. In that we can all take pride!

Peace and All Good, Tom Flynn

November

The O’Pake Science Center. The Upland Center. Renovated classrooms in Bernardine Hall (with more to come!). A Student Life building. An expanded Student Center and new Green Campus Commons. The Baseball and Softball Complex in Angelica Park. An on-campus Track and Field. Apartments for juniors and seniors, with private rooms and full kitchens. And, yes, a very large parking lot.  

Over the last few weeks, at several student and alumni gatherings, it was inspiring to hear the universal excitement about the physical transformation of the campus and the pride in Alvernia’s progress. Those of us on the faculty, staff, and administration tend to focus on challenges ahead, needed improvements, the ways things might be better. But make no mistake: students understand they are at Alvernia at a historic time of rapid, positive progress. And they are delighted.

But it is not simply about many new facilities and physical changes, important though they are to our students’ living and learning environment. Alvernia’s vitality also involves the quality of campus life and a spirit of active engagement.  

Perhaps a 10 –day stretch in late October makes the point. On consecutive nights, large crowds packed the Shander Room in the PEC and the Bonaventure Room in the Franco Library to hear the compelling testimony of a death penalty activist and an accomplished author who has written movingly about traumatic brain injury, especially as it affects those in combat. Campus Ministry sponsored the first event as part of their peace and justice program; Nursing faculty set up the second event in conjunction with their sold-out mental health conference and as part of Alvernia’s month-long Literary Festival, organized by Sue Guay and her team. A few days later, a large crowd returned to the Bonaventure Room for a sparkling session of the Alvernia Writers’ Series. And the Literary Festival concluded with a one-day symposium, featuring some founding members of the John Updike Society, and several other presentations featuring Alvernia authors. An Interfaith Peace Breakfast provided opportunity for contemplation. And the PEC was home to Gold Rush Night and the launch of the Winter Sports Season, followed by high-intensity intramural championships in male and coed flag football. And these are just the highlights!

There were some memorable moments. Despite (or, really, because) she and her husband faced the unthinkable trauma of having their daughter raped and murdered, Vicki Schieber now devotes herself to educating people about the death penalty and to advocating for its abolition. She cited as reasons data on its racial and geographical bias, high cost and, most importantly, the fact that 138 people on death row have been exonerated. She also quietly observed that the values of her Catholic faith make support for the death penalty unthinkable.

Vicki’s inner peace and deep spirituality were mirrored in Lee Woodruff’s witty and uplifting account of her journey with husband Bob (a famous journalist), as he suffered and recovered from a horrible bombing incident in Iraq. Her personal experience has made her an advocate for our veterans’ health care and a champion for the vocation of nursing. But most striking, in many ways, were the life lessons she (and Vicki) imparted about what it means to live a values-centered life full of compassion and generosity of spirit, absent of self-pity, and guided by love.  

Listening and seeing to Dr. Tom (no last name needed!), straight from the Mothership, strumming and singing provided memories of a . . . well, different sort. From his whimsical, poetic introductory crooning to the show-stopping “Stand By Me” closing number contributed by Rockin’ Ralph Thompson and a dozen other Alvernia faculty and administrators, the Alvernia Writers’ Session was a smash success. Student poets shared some very fine work. Professor Beth DeMeo read a marvelous sketch. Polly Mathis contributed an essay describing why she loves her work (Hint: it is ALL about our students) and left no doubt that she is an Alvernia treasure.  

Amidst all this activity, Alvernia took time to honor some of the best among us. At the annual President’s Dinner, Paul Roedel, former President and CEO of Carpenter Technologies was awarded the Franciscan Award. One of the deans of community service in Reading, Paul is an exemplar of the servant-leadership Alvernians espouse and aim to model in our communities. Two woman-centered organizations were honored with the Pro Urbe (“For the City”) award for their outstanding work on behalf of women in need of support—victims of domestic and/or sexual violence; young and expectant mothers without familial support. One of the two executive directors, Mary Kay Bernosky of Berks Women in Crisis, is herself an Alvernia MBA graduate. The other organization, Mary’s Shelter/Mary’s Home, has four former residents who are Alvernia alumnae as a result of a special scholarship program established several years ago.

During Homecoming Weekend, we inducted several outstanding alums into the Athletic Hall of Fame, including the 1991 Baseball Team, the pioneers of what is now a championship-level program, led by Coach Yogi Lutz. Alvernia staff member Suzanne Miller and Dr. Chuck Barbera, Director of Emergency Medicine at Reading Hospital, received our highest alumni awards. Beyond their professional work, both were held up as models embodying the Franciscan values of humility, collegiality, and service.

It was a good week, don’t you agree? On to the next one.

2010

February

The Martin Luther King holiday and the February celebration of Black History Month always provide occasions for reflection on our nation’s history as well as on the contributions of African-Americans to American culture and society. Last year, the King holiday coincided with the historic inauguration of our first president of color. Regardless of our differing beliefs and backgrounds, most Americans rejoiced in a development that few expected to see in their lifetime. And at Alvernia, hundreds gathered in our newly renovated student center to share this historic moment together.

There was no equally momentous event this year. Instead, we were subjected to endless speculation and post-mortems about the President’s first State of the Nation address amidst the specter of a political culture that is bitterly partisan and often uncivil. But at Alvernia, in contrast, there is as usual much that is uplifting, even inspirational.

Our newest tradition of three annual Days of Service, organized by staff in Campus Ministry and the Holleran Center, is catching on fast. Building on the initial service day celebrating the Feast of St. Francis, the second such event, on an all-university holiday, produced a celebration worthy of Dr. King--not a day off but a day on--a day of responding to some pressing community needs. Over 180 Alvernia students, staff, and faculty stepped up, spreading their time and talent around Reading at numerous agencies and non-profit organizations. Stay tuned for the third service day, linked to Earth Day.

Two weeks later came an unforgettable kick-off event for Alvernia’s 2010 Black History Month. Organized by the Office of Multicultural Initiatives, with several campus and community co-sponsors, it was a truly momentous evening. An overflow crowd gathered to honor the contributions of the Tuskeegee Airmen, genuine heroes and social pioneers. Seldom in my years on college campuses have I seen a crowd so mesmerized by guest speakers. From Dr. Richardson’s account of racism in the military (and throughout American society) and the persistence and the stunning effectiveness of the Airmen to the anecdotes of the panel of WW II veterans to the moving posthumous tribute to Reading’s own Airman, Roosevelt Miller, the evening included historical lessons and poignant tributes. That the University community was joined by so many from the area, including prominent African-American leaders, made it even more special.

For many in my generation (the infamous Baby Boomers), the Civil Rights Movement of the late 1950s and early 60s was a catalyzing event for social awareness and activism. But this era was a time also for consciousness-raising about other forms of discrimination, such as inequities based on gender. As part of the University Life Division’s comprehensive approach to recognizing (and respecting) differences as well as similarities of background and experience, Campus Ministry, Multicultural Initiatives, and Student Activities will be launching the St. Clare Series on Gender Equity later this spring, appropriately named for the great female saint who, with Francis, guided the earliest days of the Franciscan movement eight hundred years ago. This year’s events include a documentary, “Women in War Zones” and a panel on the Gender Equity Act of 2010. Stay tuned for this and other similarly important additions to our campus life.

Events like the tribute to the Tuskeegee Airmen and the King Holiday, by affirming recent social progress, provide inspiration, to be sure. But they should also serve as sobering reminders of inequities and injustice, past and present, close at hand and around the globe. They should inspire us to help shape a more humane world. Perhaps they might also challenge and sharpen our motivations for service. At Alvernia, service is not (or should not be) only about “random acts of kindness,” valuable though they are. Franciscan values call us to “service for justice”--to make a long-term difference for those on the margins of society, those who are victims of discrimination and other forms of injustice, even oppression. For Christians and for many other women and men of good will, whatever their faith journeys, the life of St. Francis and his Christlike embrace of the poor and the outcast (remember his outreach to lepers!) shapes our call to serve.

Peace and All Good, Tom Flynn

April

Our senior class is much on my mind as I write on a too-hot day more appropriate for August than for April.

Recently, I had several opportunities to meet with seniors to hear them share insights on their Alvernia experience. (Shortly after this column appears, Helen and I will also host the annual Senior Leaders Dinner at our home.) As seniors enthusiastically remind me, they have been students during a time when major improvements greeted them each fall upon their return to campus. (Yes, they recall when there was no campus green!) But in these last months of college, they realize that the quality of their experience is defined most by the quality of their relationships, especially their “learning relationships.”

Seniors know first-hand that they learn much from coaches, student life and other staff, work study supervisors, peer leaders, and their fellow students. At a place like Alvernia, students also learn much beyond the campus—in field placements, internships, service projects, Alternative Break trips, and many other less structured activities.  But the most important “teachers”—whether in the classroom, the lab or studio, or the advisor’s office—are the faculty. So it is not a stretch to say that an Alvernia education can only be as good, let alone as excellent, as our faculty.

Faculty Excellence. To paraphrase a famous Supreme Court Justice commenting on obscenity:  is it hard to define precisely, but yet do we still know it when we see it?  

No ten faculty members agree on what defines excellent teaching, so we should not expect a senior class to reach unanimity. But astute students can articulate that excellent teaching is a marriage of style and substance, of interpersonal skills and intellectual gifts, of broad learning and specialized expertise, of strong views and open-minded inquiry, of professional ethics and personal interest, of caring attention and rigorous expectations.  

Just a comment about this last element—high expectations. The faculty most often cited as strong influences by this year’s seniors are those who have challenged them most, to be—as the slogan goes—the best that they can be. Such faculty are not simply drawn from a student’s major. At a recent “Pizza with the President” session, all seniors cited a memorable faculty member from outside their major field, often someone who had taught them in a freshman course and who subsequently had kept in touch.

Excellent teaching and advising are essential for faculty excellence, but they are not sufficient. University faculties are expected to contribute, indeed excel, far more broadly—on campus and beyond, both through scholarly and creative achievement and through many types of service.  Here are just a few of the many notable recent examples at Alvernia: 
 

Several faculty members are at various stages on major book projects. David Silbeyis working this spring and summer to finish his third book, The Third China War:  American, Britain, and the Boxers, 1900; Scott Ballantyne, Beth Berret, and Mary Ellen Wells are well underway on Planning in Reverse:  A Short-Sighted Approach to Long-Term Viability; and Spence Stober and Donna Yarri have begun their second volume, God, Darwin and the Origins of Life.
Others have received national recognition for their professional service. Last month, Carrie Fitzpatrick served as chair for the annual convention of Sigma Tau Delta, the international English Honor Society. A highlight of the convention, in addition to the sessions conducted by Alvernia’s delegation of 14 students and 4 faculty, was the recognition afforded Beth Demeo who received the prestigious Delta Award (presented only 8 times in the 85-year history of the honor society). 
Following extensive review, including student feedback, six faculty were recognized this year for their fine work here at Alvernia. Five received tenure, a university’s most important recognition—Terri Adams, Peggy Bowen; Rose Chinni, Debbie Greenawald, and Mary Schreiner, with Peggy, Rose, and Mary also promoted to Associate Professor. And a sixth, Spence Stober, received academia’s highest honor: promotion to Full Professor.

So, as our seniors contemplate their futures, and share their most memorable (yet printable!) college stories, let us be grateful for faculty who stretch themselves, their students, and the entire Alvernia University community toward excellence.

September

I do not see her walking along the main Francis Hall corridor outside my office. For the first of my six autumns at Alvernia, she is not heading to a class, to a campus event, or to lunch in the Sisters’ Motherhouse. For the first time in a half century, Sister Pacelli is no longer with us at Alvernia. We are much the poorer for her absence, but her example and spirit continue to inspire, especially in such troubled and troubling times for our country.

I miss our brief, but lively, chats outside my office, and I regret that my busy schedule kept them all too brief. I miss hearing about what she was reading and, even more important, what she was teaching, or what she would teach the following semester. I miss her interest in my work with its many challenges and her supportive comments: a compliment from Pacelli was the real thing! I miss her insightful commentary on University or world events. Never biting nor uncharitable nor mean-spirited, often whimsical and witty, she nonetheless left little doubt regarding where she stood. She was a “take no prisoners saint,” one admiring colleague remarked to me the day after she died, a holy but no-nonsense woman, firm in her convictions.

I miss the surprising turns in our conversations:  Sr. Pacelli’s interests were so diverse, her mind so curious, so open to new experience and perspectives. She was, to be sure, Alvernia’s very own Renaissance Woman.

She had strong, but collegial, opinions. Wit without sarcasm. Wide-ranging interests. Openness to new and divergent views.  Compassion. And Charity.

Doesn’t sound much like American politics, does it, or what passes for social commentary on cable television and the various on-line blogs.  Perhaps in a democracy and a competitive society in which “winner takes all,” we should not be surprised. Nor can we count on high-minded, reasoned dialogue from much of our media, now that the line between news and entertainment (and the theater of the absurd) appears to have disappeared. Certainly not in an election year — and don’t they seem to occur far too frequently — when polemic and extremist rhetoric are all too often the path to victory.

While her specific opinions were not predictable, it is not hard to imagine Sister Pacelli’s view of the current hysteria and fear-mongering rhetoric surrounding the controversy over the proposed Islamic Center being built in Manhattan near Ground Zero. A woman who, as a young nun at Alvernia, reached instinctively to educate and support students of all ages and religions, she had no use for extremism, intolerance, or narrow religiosity.

But she would have been pleased indeed by three recent events occurring on top of her beloved Mt. Alvernia. The panel on the “Mosque Controversy,” sponsored by Campus Ministry and the Center for Ethics and Leadership, was a model of reasoned and civil discourse. She would have applauded the view, expressed by the Fr. Kevin Queally, our University Chaplain, that when people probe deeply the basis of their religious traditions, they find more, not less, common ground and shared values.

Shared values and traditions, or “threads,” as she once called them, link together the living Franciscan heritage of Alvernia.  This year, at the Founder’s Day lecture, Alvernia launched a year-long tribute to the contributions of American Catholic religious women who, like her, have contributed so much to so many, especially through their work in education in this country.  So it was only appropriate that we dedicate this year’s event to Sister Pacelli who embodied this work for a half century here at the place she loved.

As her close colleagues know, Sister Pacelli loved the theater. If not a Franciscan, she may well have been an actress. And even as a Sister, she could at times enjoy the stage. She was excited indeed last year by the upcoming renovation of Francis Hall Auditorium into a Theater and Recital Hall. So she was much on our minds on Sunday evening at the inaugural performance, when our singer, Deanna Reuben, a trustee and proud alumna of the music department, closed the concert with a moving tribute to the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters and to the sacred, “holy ground” that is Alvernia.

Note:  the Celebration of Sister Pacelli’s life and contributions will occur during Homecoming Weekend, October 9, 4:00 p.m. in the Francis Hall Theater.

December

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday, a genuinely American holiday, a family holiday. It is also an especially welcome holiday on college campuses, providing a much-needed extended weekend after a long semester and immediately before the onslaught of final papers, presentations, clinical reports, exams--performances of all kinds!

Since my arrival at Alvernia 5 ½ years ago, I have been impressed by the capacity of our students for gratitude—for thanksgiving of all kinds. Rather than espousing a sense of entitlement, as is the case on some campuses, they appreciate what Alvernia offers. Perhaps they are following the lead of the many fellow students, staff, and faculty who express their sense of thanksgiving regularly through service.  

Timely reminders of these admirable attitudes came for me at three recent student dinners—two with lively groups of freshmen and one with our impressive staff of resident assistants. Junior and seniors cite the benefits of significant improvements in academic and student life since they arrived on campus. Several had classes currently in the Upland Center or in the renovated portions of Bernardin Hall; some had competed on one of the new athletic fields. A few remarked on the transformation of the BH lecture hall from a dreary cavernous space to a appealing, high-tech venue and were delighted that an Educational Technology Center was scheduled for construction this summer. And many felt fortunate to live in the new student apartments.

The freshmen spoke enthusiastically about the “quad,” that great green gathering place in center campus, and expressed amazement it had once been a parking lot! Some were especially excited about the new FH Theater and Recital Hall. But they were especially animated when expressing appreciation for Alvernia’s people.  Besides the overall friendliness of their fellow students, they cited caring and attentive staff in Admissions and the Registrar’s Offices, faculty who had helped confirm their choice of major or who had provoked serious reflection through philosophy or theology courses.

Alumni, of course, express their appreciation tinged with warm nostalgia or--as one whom I met on an airplane did recently--the rueful acknowledgement that they could have taken fuller advantage of their time as a college student. But even more than current students, alumni are thankful for the people who made a difference for them. Hall of Fame inductees thank coaches and athletic trainers as well as teammates. Those celebrated with our top awards, like Dr. Josephine Elia ’75 and Dominic Murgido ’79, recall teachers. (For Elia and Murgido, alums from Alvernia’s early years, these teachers were most often Sisters.) This gratitude is profound and expressed movingly: teachers and staff quite simply changed lives, often by calling students to a level of personal excellence they thought beyond them, personally and professionally.

Thanksgiving. Just the name of the holiday demands more-than-the-usual self-reflection, what those of us old enough to remember recall as our “examination of conscience.”  Gratitude is impossible without humility regarding our gifts, our need for others, our shortcomings, our faults. And at Alvernia, genuine thanksgiving also means action.  There are countless projects throughout the year, but a unique tradition is celebrated each November. For 23 years, Polly Mathys and John Luvisi have teamed up to lead a turkey drive, assisted this year by Francis, their four-foot high stuffed turkey! The need seems--and is--bigger each year, greater demands on food banks, more homeless people. And each year, members of the Alvernia community respond overwhelmingly.

So as we anticipate 2011, let us be grateful for the gifts and opportunities and people in our lives. Let us be conscious of our shortcomings and seek to remedy them. Let us be inspired to serve. And let us reflect on why we serve and on what we learn and gain from service.

2011

January

Amidst the blessings of Christmas and the joy of the holiday season, the Alvernia University community mourned the loss of a beloved member of our family, Senator Michael A. O’Pake. Collegiate communities have many impressive individuals, but iconic figures heroic in virtue, accomplishments, and reputation are rare. During 2010, Alvernia lost two: our dear Sister Pacelli and now Senator O’Pake, a legendary servant-leader and a member of our Board of Trustees for almost two decades.

Senator O’Pake was an impressive and influential statesman who embodied the best in public service. Most importantly, Mike O’Pake was a genuinely good man, a virtuous man, who never forgot his roots in the Glenside Projects and cared deeply about people regardless of their background. The principles of Catholic Social Teaching were the guideposts of his life. Inspired by his faith and the Jesuit ideal to be “a man for others,” he lived his vocation of service and justice-seeking to the fullest.

A life-long Reading resident, the Senator was elected in 1968 and was the longest-serving member in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Among his legislative achievements, he was best known as a tireless advocate for children, senior citizens, crime victims, and those who could not help themselves. He led the charge to protect children through the passage of the Child Protective Services Law in 1974 and by spearheading efforts to implement the Amber Alert Child Abduction Early Warning System throughout the state. He sponsored legislation to help Pennsylvania’s senior citizens, including property tax and rent rebate and prescription medication assistance.  A long-time leader of the Democratic Party, he was the model of a bipartisan statesman who earned universal respect as a man of integrity devoted to the common good.

Mike O’Pake was also a passionate and compelling champion of Catholic education—both for elementary and secondary schools and for Catholic universities like Alvernia.  He was explicit about how his education at Reading Central Catholic, where he was valedictorian, and at St Joe’s, where he graduated summa cum laude, shaped his life. As a long-time trustee, he was our most distinguished advocate for the Franciscan charism at the heart of an Alvernia education.

Yet with religion, as with politics, O’Pake was a model for emulation. A daily communicant, with deep religious faith, he carried his beliefs humbly and had special  respect for those with values and beliefs different from his own. Another local legend, Albert Boscov, noted that O’Pake’s strong religious faith was one of his most admirable qualities and yet the Senator warmly embraced Boscov, a Jew, and others of diverse backgrounds.

Three personal memories of the Senator stand out for me.  

I recall his joy and his public gratitude to his beloved mother when we celebrated the naming of the O’Pake Science Center. A former recipient of the University’s highest honor, the Franciscan Award, he was as loyal to Alvernia as any proud alumnus.

His love of children and commitment to educational opportunity for inner city youth came together in Alvernia’s South Reading Youth Initiative (SRYI), coordinated by the University’s Holleran Center and serving over 50 students daily from St. Peter’s parish. During my first months as president, Mike helped convene some brainstorming sessions at the Jesuit Center in Wernersville that evolved into this major initiative, and he then secured the initial funding to launch the program. Just last month he spoke to the children as part of a Career Exploration Workshop. And as always, he peppered the Alvernia students with questions about themselves—their motivations for service and their aspirations for the future. He was thrilled with the success of this program and will always be remembered fondly as its godfather.  

An especially happy memory is the surprise 70th birthday party that Alvernia hosted earlier this year, attended by close friends, some dating back to his high school years, and organized by his loyal staff. Getting the Senator to campus without telling him the purpose of his visit became easy when we told him the event would honor some of the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters, for whom he had great affection and respect.  

What Mike O’Pake admired in Sisters, like Sister Pacelli, was the same deep spirituality and selflessness that marked his own vocation as a public servant.  So it is fitting that we, at Alvernia, will remember both Pacelli and O’Pake not only for their talents and accomplishments but also for their virtue.  And we will treasure, too, their same marvelous combination of wisdom and wit, accompanied by their warm, engaging smiles.

May this good, generous, Christ-like man inspire us all for years to come.

May

Recently I was invited to speak at a national symposium on the purpose and role of the humanities. Rather than talk theoretically, I asked our students and humanities faculty members to share their reflections. Their responses underscore the importance of the humanities at a Franciscan university. And it provided me an ideal occasion to reflect anew on some of the student experiences which help produce what I like to call the “Alvernia Advantage.”

I was fortunate to speak with students just returning from Alternative Break trips and several in a course I team-teach with Professors Fitzpatrick and Yarri — “Faith and Doubt in Modern Literature” as well as a sampling of first-year students, most of them majoring in Business, Nursing, and Occupational Therapy.

What I learned is that these students, regardless of major, are drawn to humanities courses because, in their words, such courses “help me to see myself,” “to open my mind,” “to walk a mile in another’s shoes,” and “to visit other cultures and historical eras.” Students don’t usually think about the humanities collectively, but they are familiar with the disciplines that comprise their humanities requirements in general education: philosophy and theology as well as language, literature, and history.

Humanities courses, several noted, push them “far outside [their] comfort zone” and encourage creative, open-ended thinking rather than memorization and more passive learning. One non-major, while acknowledging he liked his intended major, announced rather proudly to a large group of fellow first year students, that his philosophy course had greater personal significance: it compelled him to re-examine his beliefs. Humanities courses, said one older student, “made [him] squirm,” by posing uncomfortable questions and forcing him to question unexamined assumptions.  

Students praised humanities courses as opportunities for dialogue and community-building, in contrast to courses where learning seemed more a private matter between instructor and student. And, as I pointed out to one group, they had praised humanities courses for apparently contradictory but really interconnected reasons: both for prompting deep self-reflection and for challenging them to look beyond themselves to probe beliefs and cultures quite different from their own.

Several students emphasized that faculty should not be apologetic about requiring students in professional fields to take humanities courses seriously. “If faculty don’t act like this is very important,” said one student, “there’s no chance students will think so.”

Humanities faculty members naturally identify far more strongly with the humanities collectively and emphasize the intrinsic value of such study rather than its practical application. While a compelling case for the humanities includes the development of critical thinking and communication skills, skill development should be viewed as an appealing byproduct of such study, rather than as a central purpose, they note, especially since many non-humanities courses make similar contributions.
 
Nor are the humanities merely another method of acquiring of information, noted one colleague, as if education were like filling a car with gasoline or transferring a computer file.  For him, to further develop the computer analogy, humanities education is about changing the hardware not the software of one’s computer: it is the pursuit of “intellectual maturation, the structural change of the mind.” One colleague noted simply that the humanities emphasized the importance of human development—“the growth of humans as humans” more than as “productive workers.”

In my view, humanities studies are an essential way students learn about the world’s diverse societies and cultures, past and present, and the diversity of human experience. It has also never been more important that today’s students (and all citizens) reflect on differing responses through the ages to the questions about the existence and nature of God and the meaning of human nature, goodness, justice, and a free society. Such inquiry also has the power to help cultivate in our students habits of the mind, habits of the heart, and habits of the soul.  

How does this happen beyond individual courses? A coherent general education program shaped around some intentional, integrated shared learning experiences is an essential way to foster the kind of “human development” and cultural inquiry mentioned above. Other ways include Alvernia’s Literary Festival and Writers Series, the activities of our high-profile Sigma Tau Delta chapter, popular interdisciplinary courses, and the entire faculty’s emphasis on ethics. Alvernia’s “Ethics, Leadership, and Community” lecture series, with its focus on the ethical dimension of contemporary, often controversial, issues, has  built the University’s reputation as a “safe space” for sometimes difficult dialogues and a center for interfaith programs and intercultural dialogue.

Such programs also underscore what students consider to be a key attribute of humanities courses: their refusal to settle for easy answers. One faculty colleague noted that, given their subject matter, humanities courses should be taught by the Socratic method—“asking questions and questioning answers.” This made me recall an essay written as a young faculty member, when I suggested that undergraduates needed to approach their education with “constructive skepticism,” a process of relentless questioning to help clarify their values, beliefs, and what they considered sacred.

That is a worthy goal for all of us, especially at a Franciscan university.

September

I didn’t expect to write about 9/11. But I found I had no choice.

As an academic trained to be critical (in the best and worst meaning of that term), I expected that the anniversary would bring media overkill, excessive sentimentality, and mindless jingoism. Media saturation and sensationalism were indeed in overdrive, along with some predictably foolish commentary. Yet the overall national tone was respectful and dignified. And we were called to contemplation (a core value of Alvernia) about the meaning of heroic service and peacemaking (two other of our core values).

Those of us who did not lose a loved one on 9/11 or who have been touched only indirectly by those events and the resulting casualties from decade-long wars in Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan can only imagine the ongoing grief, anger, and loss suffered by the victims’ (and soldiers’) families and friends. Yet we can still be touched deeply and inspired, as ten years ago, by stories of astonishing humanity.  

The tale of Welles Crowther, the “Man in the Red Bandanna,” a 24-year old graduate of my alma mater, Boston College, made a deep impression on me. An economics major, lacrosse player, and member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Welles organized rescue efforts on the upper floors of the South Tower. Appearing in the Sky Lobby on the 78th floor, where the airplane had hit, he directed dazed victims to the one open stairway and made successful trips with injured survivors — most of whom were likely strangers to him — all the way to the main floor lobby. He was discovered there, with members of the FDNY, under the rubble of the tower, preparing for still another trip up the tower to rescue others. Two survivors who later identified him from a picture sent by his mother have talked about how knowing his identity has been a source of healing and of hope.  

Heroism of a more familiar kind was celebrated a few days after the 10th anniversary of 9/11 when a young marine sergeant, Dakota Meyer, became the first living soldier from the current wars to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Listening to his conscience and disobeying the orders of superiors not on the scene, Meyer made repeated trips under heavy fire to rescue (or recover the bodies of) Afghan as well as American comrades. As he accepted his award at the White House, memorial services were held at his request for four comrades who did not survive the firefight.  

Amidst these and other inspiring stories, it is surprising how little commentary has probed the costs of the two wars begun in response to 9/11, both producing extensive civilian as well as military casualties and having significant economic impact.  Bi-partisanship is virtually invisible in Washington . . . except for the almost universally shared silence about the “costs” of these wars.  

In contrast, Alvernia’s Founders Day speaker, Marie Dennis, the co-president of Pax Christi, the Catholic international peace organization recently nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and the recipient of a distinguished peace award previously bestowed on Martin Luther King and Mother Theresa, challenged prevailing thinking.  In her address, “’Love Your Enemies’: The Lessons of 9/11,” she decried the horror of 9/11, shared her anger at the loss of a dear cousin, and affirmed the need for a strong response. But she noted that the Church’s “just war theory,” once widely cited as justification for military action, was now almost impossible to apply to global conflicts. She questioned the efficacy (and the morality) of the response to 9/11. And as a veteran of peacekeeping and human rights trips to dangerous conflicts in Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, she suggested that genuine peacemaking, based on countercultural gospel values, and requiring economic justice and respectful dialogue, is the world’s best hope.

Neither Dennis nor the three faculty panelists --Professors Kevin Donnelly, Janae Scholtz, and Donna Yarri--who offered the diverse perspectives of historian, philosopher, and theologian at a campus event suggested there were easy answers. Donnelly emphasized it was far too soon for any national consensus on the deeper “meaning” of 9/11.  Sholtz, like Dennis, recalling the hopeful unity and outpouring of support for the United States in the early days after 9/11, decried the increasing polarization and disrespectful dialogue now in ascendancy. And Yarri, like Dennis, besides doubting a major conflict could any longer meet the test of the “just war’ theory, noted that the widespread destruction unleashed in the last decade posed troubling questions that most Americans are hesitant to face. The final panelist, State Senator Judy Schwank, encouraged students (and all of us) to use the 9/11 anniversary as an opportunity for personal and national reflection.

Such reflection is troubling and challenging, to be sure, but necessary. And we have the integrity and moral courage of Welles Crowther, Dakota Meyer, and Marie Dennis to inspire us.

December

Thanksgiving is a distinctly American holiday, originating in that famous gathering of Native Americans and Pilgrims almost 400 years ago. It is a special favorite of mine. After all, it brings a long weekend! And as a life-long academic, I depend on the weekend to be a welcome respite before the final busy weeks of the semester.

Thanksgiving is a family holiday that sometimes includes others who are themselves far away from their own families. It is also a day that promotes reflection. If you avoid Black Friday, it is possible to insulate yourself from most of the rampant commercialism that tends to warp the Christmas season. My son and I have for many years enjoyed starting the day by attending a low-key, short-homily Mass with a diverse group of fellow worshipers. It is an opportunity to appreciate our many blessings. The weekend is also linked in my mind to things more profane: lots of good food and memorable struggles (and missed field goals) involving my alma mater, Michigan, and our dastardly foes from The Ohio State University. This year, happily, ended well. Go Blue!

Now, after 6 ½ years at Alvernia, the holiday has taken on new meaning for me through the efforts of two servant-leaders. For 24 years faculty member Polly Mathys, assisted by John Luvisi and many others, feeds a few thousand community members through the annual Alvernia turkey drive. Trustee Steve Elmarzouky also serves a special dinner for more than 1,600 at his Queen City Diner. Reflecting on this generous, selfless service and recalling the mutual respect, spirit of sharing, and peacemaking ethic represented by that first Thanksgiving, I have come to think of the day as a Franciscan feast of sorts.

As this Thanksgiving season approached, leadership of a different kind was in the news, as the media provided over-the-top coverage of still another major “college sports scandal,” one close to home at Penn State. To be sure, there is so much we do not yet know. As friends have remarked, it is like the Watergate scandal we recall from our own college days: who knew what, when did they know it, and who did they tell (or not)?

But we do know two things for sure. First, rather than just involving minor NCAA infractions or even major violations of athletic rules, this was a genuine scandal involving horrific allegations of abuse, even assaults, against children that went unreported or were ignored and perhaps even were covered up. And second, this was not primarily a sports scandal — though coaches are at the center of the controversy — but rather an institutional scandal. We’re not talking about coaches attempting to gain a competitive advantage or players trying to procure some extra cash or programs trying to win at all costs. We’re talking about abuses of power and moral authority, involving leaders well beyond the athletic program, prominent administrators who did not do the right thing and then had the audacity to pretend otherwise. It is a colossal (and widely shared) failure of leadership that is on display. It is a reminder too that we are morally responsible at important times for what we do NOT do as well as for what we do.

But at least for those of us in leadership positions, there is no room for self-righteousness. We know, with humility borne from experience, that it is all too easy to make mistakes. Even courageous leaders we view as heroic role models are far from perfect. They are women and men with ample faults. Some rise to great virtue, some fall far from grace. Yet even the best make errors in judgment or execution. As Alfred E. Newmann, that great philosopher from Mad Magazine used to say, “To err is human, but why must you be so human?”

Historians and biographers as well as the public record demonstrate that Martin Luther King had his share of imperfections. Yet visiting his memorial with my family the week before Thanksgiving, and reading the stirring selections from his speeches imprinted on the walls surrounding his statue, I was struck by the unabashedly moral tone with which he led. Two passages, one from the walls and one on the memorial’s website, are instructive and inspirational:

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

Alvernia’s mission statement calls on our students and graduates — and, indeed, all of us who serve them — to be “ethical leaders with moral courage.” At this Thanksgiving, let us be thankful for moral courage and ethical leadership, wherever we find it, and let us resolve to speak up “about things that matter.”

2012

February

“This is why we do what we do!”
Trustee Jerry Holleran to President Tom Flynn

I remember the moment vividly. My first May Graduation at then Alvernia College in 2006.

I am waiting just outside the Shander Room in the PEC to join the commencement procession with trustees and the rest of the stage party. And as I look down at hundreds of soon-to-be-alumni—undergraduates and graduate students of diverse ages and backgrounds—our distinguished trustee and generous donor, Jerry Holleran, captures in a brief phrase what should be the motto and inspiration for all who work and serve in higher education: “This is why we do what we do!”

That moment and that simple, eloquent phrase have stayed with me. It is, or at least it should be, all about our students. I have cited the phrase in talks at subsequent graduations and when thanking our trustees, women and men who devotedly serve and guide Alvernia, volunteers who donate their time, talent, and financial resources. Most students, faculty, and staff are not aware that private, independent universities like Alvernia could not survive, let alone thrive, without the support of trustees, loyal alumni, and other friends.

So in this context, Jerry’s inspirational call to service took on new meaning for me last month when he and his wife, Carolyn, were honored with the national award for philanthropy by the Council of Independent Colleges at the largest annual gathering of the country’s college presidents. (To give perspective, Bill and Camille Cosby were earlier honorees.) Carolyn and Jerry have been generous donors and devoted trustee leaders at their alma maters, Carnegie Mellon University and Connecticut College. But in addition they have been extraordinarily generous to Alvernia, the school that has become for them a shared alma mater, a school they view as a place of opportunity for so many deserving students.

In accepting their award, the Hollerans celebrated Alvernia—our Franciscan mission, our longstanding commitment to educate women and men of diverse backgrounds, our commitment to community engagement and service, our evolution from tiny college to respected university. But they used the occasion primarily to teach a lesson for us all: a lesson about the need to be generous in supporting those who seek higher education at schools like Alvernia.  

The Hollerans learned this lesson well when they themselves dreamed of a college education. Carolyn’s family had worked hard to afford tuition at a faraway liberal arts college, so she was stunned when at Freshman Convocation the president announced that her entire class was on scholarship. Had her parents not been able to pay the bill? Would she be able to stay the entire four years? The answer was unexpected. The cost of her education was actually far more than what she was paying. Only through the generosity of alumni and other donors was her college able to keep tuition more affordable for her family. And most of her classmates were also receiving financial aid from the college to make it possible for them to attend. It is a lesson she has never forgotten.

Jerry was a promising student in math and science but he had no chance of affording Carnegie Tech (as it was called in those days). A generous employer paid for his education and made clear that he did not expect to be to be paid back. But there was a catch! Jerry had to promise that someday, when he made some money, he would help make it possible for other deserving and promising students to attend a fine, private college. This is why we do what we do.

May all of us—yes, especially, current students—remember that a college education is a great privilege, especially at a private school. Let us all be mindful, too, that tuition covers only a portion of the cost of a college education and that financial aid and generous support from people like Carolyn and Jerry Holleran make up the difference. And may each of us, in our own way, be challenged, as Jerry was, to be generous and visionary in helping promising women and men to become future Alvernia alumni.  

March

One of the best, most provocative books I have read since college is Michael Herr’s Dispatches, an account of his time as a journalist during the Vietnam War.  It is a book of wide ranging, apparently separate vignettes, sketches, vivid images that linked together reveal the experience of those who fought the war.  Reading it propels the reader into a different world, almost a different solar system.

I thought of this recently as I pondered the array of recent campus developments. So here are some springtime “dispatches” from the “other Dr. Tom” here on Planet Alvernia. New buildings under construction, like the  two new residences and the Campus Commons, are always exciting.  But the good work of so many good folks always best captures the energy and spirit of a university on the move.

Alvernia has once again received the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll Award, with Distinction. Only 8 Pennsylvania schools are in this elite category!

Honorees are chosen based on criteria that include the scope and innovation of service projects and the extent of student participation. Kudos to the Holleran Center staff and all those involved.

For the eighth consecutive season, the Alvernia women’s field hockey team was recognized by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association as one of the top academic teams in Division III.

This year's top five teams and their GPAs were Vassar (3.52), Wesleyan (3.52), Clark (3.51), Alvernia (3.48) and Johns Hopkins (3.48.) Congratulations to the team and head coach Laura Gingrich!

A special shout out to seniors Katy Eby, Sam Landis, Tonya Rutt, and Mary VanKirk who were on the National Academic Squad each of their four years. And they are winners on the field too!

Dolores Bertoti has quite literally written the book on kinesiology.  She co-wrote the latest edition of Clinical Kinesiology, the textbook used at universities globally (including Alvernia!) and considered the gold standard in this area of study.

Neag Professor Spence Stober, together with Alicia Sprow, recently returned from the International Conference on Sustainability in Vancouver where they presented “Universities and Community Engagement for a Sustainable Community,” highlighting the unique partnerships that are transforming Angelica Park.

And Tim Blessing has been a familiar face in the media during the presidential primary elections, offering his insights on candidates for news outlets across the nation, something he has been doing for nearly 25 years.

The CJ faculty-- Peggy Bowen-Hartung, Barry Harvey, Rose McFee and Ed Hartung—recently participated in the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. More importantly, they brought with them Criminal Justice students Ryan Hermany, Tom Hall, and Angela Smith who presented research papers.

And Alvernia’s longtime, high profile presence at the International English Honor society continues. Joining Professors Beth DeMeo and Carrie Fitzpatrick in New Orleans were seven student presenters—Sean Cullen, Jessica Heller, Megan McCue, Maria Locicero, Derrick Rowe, Derek Smith, and Michael Wagner.

Our men’s basketball team added to their winning tradition, bringing home the ECAC South Region Championship in dramatic fashion with 93-85 overtime wins over Catholic University. It was Alvernia’s second ECAC title and Coach Mike Miller’s first.

Congratulations to Mike and the team, especially our seniors—Corey Boone, Brian Nerney, and Stephan Thompson. Very few student athletes get to say they won their last game!

Melissa Fellenbaum became the first Crusader to compete in the NCAA Indoor Track Championships earlier this month and finished tied for ninth in the nation with an 11’ 9” effort in the pole vault.   She also won the MAC Women's Pole Vault event and was named to the All-ECAC women’s team.

Twenty-seven Alvernia students took part in Alternative Breaks this month, performing service at three different locations.

In Washington D.C., 10 students worked with the homeless and toured the White House with alumna Emily Berret '11.

In Niceville, Florida, seven students worked with the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance to clean up the environment.

And in Reading, 10 students worked with the South Reading Youth Initiative, GoggleWorks, the Pagoda, the Salvation Army, and others.

Speaking of D.C., we have a new alumni chapter in the nation’s capital. I had the pleasure of presenting the charter to four recent alumni who are already extraordinarily successful:  Emily Barrett ’11, Amanda Fenkner ’08, Steve Koons ’05, and Melissa Masone ‘ 09.

And, finally, thanks to the generosity of two former trustees and a dedicated alumna, the Franco Library Learning Center is being seen in a brand new light.

Through generous contributions to our Values and Vision Campaign, Glenn Miller and his wife Carol, along with Chester (Chet) Winters and his wife RoseMarie ’82, have helped make possible the stunning, custom-made stained-glass window celebrating the university’s 50th anniversary, newly installed in the Franco Library.

May the wonderful contributions of so many and the bright promise of spring renew our own energy and spirit. On to Margaritaville and graduation!

April

Flowers are blooming all over campus, the quad is once again a gathering place for frisbees and sunbathing, and the countless year-end dinners and ceremonies are well underway.

It is a wonderful time of year at Alvernia, as we anticipate the graduation of the Class of 2012 and the many impressive honors achieved by our students.  More on that in a minute!

This spring, however, has also been a time of unusual sadness. Each week seems to have brought news of some loss suffered by our students, faculty, and staff. Parents of students. Children of students and staff. Even some of our own adult students.

And as we celebrated the feasts of Easter and Passover, Alvernia lost another icon—John R. “Jack” McCloskey, Sr., our Hall of Fame men’s basketball coach, 1991-2004.  (There are fine tributes posted on our website, and the Alvernia Community will join together next fall in paying tribute to Coach.)

Alvernia basketball did not start with Jack McCloskey. Coaches and student-athletes from the 1980s and early 1990s -- like his fellow Hall of Famers Dave Samsel ’80, Brian Bossler ’83, Steve Westley ’85, Seane Krinock ‘92, Dawn Ermert ’94, and Nicole (Brown) Schomp ’94 -- were among the earliest pioneers who helped launch Alvernia’s basketball programs.

Yet Coach McCloskey made Alvernia basketball matter to a lot of people. And at a time when our school was the little college somewhere in Reading that no one could find, he helped make Alvernia matter, both locally and regionally and even—during one memorable season--nationally.

Those of us who love March Madness still marvel that even his first team, the famed “Sixpack Attack,” enjoyed a winning season and some big-time victories. And only a few years later, when our program was still new to Division III, Coach led the team to the Final Four.

Yet when I visited Jack recently, we talked far less about past games than about coaching colleagues, former assistants, and former players, including his son, John, our Vice President for Enrollment who transferred to Alvernia from another fine Pennsylvania college to play for his dad back when it all began in 1991.

We are so fortunate that Coach considered Alvernia his second family.  Jack McCloskey was a Hall of Famer, on and off the court.

The countless tributes from Coach McCloskey’s former players remind us all that the legacies of devoted faculty and staff members are the students whose lives we touch and whose accomplishments we celebrate.  And as usual, we have many to celebrate at this special time of the year.

None more so than Jennifer Kingman ’13, who has been  recognized as one of only 162 Newman Civic Fellows nationally—“inspiring college student leaders”-- by Campus Compact, an organization representing 1,200 colleges and universities and over 6 million students.

Among many contributions, Jennifer will be helping lead both our Eco Fun Day in Angelica Park (April 20) and the all-University day of service on Earth Day (April 21).

Our largest-even Honors Convocation recently recognized dozens of outstanding students, including our student speaker, 2011 Senior Scholar Andrew Smolarski; the 2012 senior scholar, Daniel Kwasneiski, and the Peace and Justice honoree, Katherine Roesch.

And joining these worthy students in the limelight were some faculty honorees: Beth Berrett (Business), our 2011 Lindback Award winner; Deborah Greenawald (Nursing), the Sr. Donatilla Service Award; and Michael Kramer (Communication), the Faculty Service Learning Award.

There are so many other memorable occasions  that make spring a special time. . . the Senior Athletics Banquet, the Senior Leaders Dinner, the Nursing Pinning Ceremony, to name just a few.  And so many special seniors.

Congratulations to one and all.  And, Seniors, see you on stage on May 12 for a handshake, a photo, and a diploma.

September

Welcome back Alvernia students!  And a special welcome to our transfer students and the Class of 2016.

It’s that time again...time for classes and clubs, athletics games and good friends, teaching and learning. As you arrived on campus, I’m sure you noticed the two new Founders Village residences. Student feedback and suggestions directly influenced the design of these buildings, so it has been great to see our students enjoying the results.  

It’s a scene that will be repeated in January when we celebrate the opening of the Campus Commons, the new home of a two-story fitness center, a dance and aerobics studio, spaces for student clubs and offices, and a large campus living room.

As many of you have noted, these are just a few of the summertime investments in students’ living and learning environment. Our facilities team made dramatic improvements to classrooms in Bernardine Hall. The expanded learning commons in Franco Library has transformed an already popular spot for individual and group study.

Also completed was the second stage of renovations to the Assisi and Siena Townhouses and some long-overdue repainting and refurnishing of Veronica Hall.  And alumni are getting in on the action too.  Our first Alvernia Alumni House, on the corner of St. Bernardine Street and Greenway Terrace, will open later this month.

Several new academic programs are being launched.  A healthcare science major will welcome its first students this spring.  In addition, The Philadelphia Center has added several new programs, including Bachelor’s degrees in management and social work, a Master’s in education, and certificates for principals and superintendents.

Summertime is a hot bed of activity for hundreds of youth from the area. In addition to basketball, soccer, field hockey camps and Creativity Camps for South Reading children, the Holleran Center and Carpenter Technology co-sponsored a free science camp for 100 area junior high students. One 8th grader said it was literally a “blast,” referring to a “reactive mixtures” science experiment in which campers created toned-down version of gunpowder.  Fortunately, I was at the beach that week!

And just one day after saying goodbye to parents, all first-year Alvernia students worked together with faculty, staff and alumni to clean up parks and playgrounds in the City of Reading — a service project related to a book they read over the summer: Amazing Grace by Jonathan Kozol. Throughout the coming year, freshman students will work on projects together responding to Kozol's challenge to make a difference for children in poverty. Don’t miss your chance to hear the award-winning author and learn more about his work when he speaks on campus on Oct. 10.

In addition to Kozol’s visit, there will be many other arts, cultural, and athletic events to fill schedules this semester. But whether you’re cheering on the Crusaders or just sipping coffee with friends in the Courtside or Kestrel Cafes, spend some time reflecting on and discussing the upcoming presidential election. Most importantly, make sure your voice is heard by planning to vote in the November election. There are big issues at stake, as our country faces war overseas, joblessness and poverty at home, and a range of additional moral and social issues.

Voting is a cherished right and an important responsibility of all of us as citizens in a democratic society. To vote, you’ll need to make sure you are registered. The deadline to do that is fast approaching.

Six Alvernia students are being sponsored by the University to attend the Democratic and Republican National Conventions.  Junior Bernard, Ryan Cupo, Brandon Harry, Slate Kleinsmith, Melissa Mitchell, and Brendon McGirr have been invited to attend, and some of them will be blogging about their experiences.

You can access these and other student and faculty blogs from the Alvernia website: http://www.alvernia.edu/news/blogs.html.  I hope you will read your colleagues’ blogs and maybe even participate in one yourself. Remember that contemplation is one of our core values at Alvernia. And blogging is a great way to consider your thoughts and then share them with others.

Look forward to seeing you all around campus. Have a fine year.

 

Peace and All Good, President Flynn

October

“Knowledge joined with Love.” It is perhaps the most distinctive phrase in Alvernia University’s Mission Statement. The concept originated with St. Bonaventure, one of the first great Franciscan intellectuals. Like the far more famous Francis of Assisi, Bonaventure was a deeply spiritual man of action. But unlike Francis whose spirituality is perhaps captured by the popularly known (though apocryphal!) phrase “Preach the gospel and if necessary use words,” Bonaventure was also a talented academic who would be comfortable serving on Alvernia’s faculty!

As I start my eighth year at Alvernia, “Knowledge joined with Love” continues to resonate with me now as powerfully as it did in 2005.  I have come to believe that this phrase captures well our culture at its best: faculty and staff challenge students to pursue excellence in learning and to deepen their commitment to charity and compassion. (And these are not parallel journeys but interconnected ones.) Just as our faculty share their expertise and educate with encouragement and care for individual students, our staff seek to serve effectively in a thoughtful and kind way. Accordingly, our students are urged to fuse the work of their minds, their hearts, and their souls.  Our university motto still resounds: To Learn To Love To Serve.

And so although the undertaking was extraordinary, it seemed only natural that just a day after welcoming a record incoming class, the largest and most diverse in our history, I witnessed first-year students working shoulder to shoulder with faculty, staff, and alumni – some 500 strong – to clean up parks and playgrounds in the City of Reading. It was part of an ambitious project related to the book all freshmen read this summer, “Amazing Grace” by New York Times best-selling author Jonathan Kozol, who will speak on campus on Oct. 10.  The entire class of 2016 is spending its first year at Alvernia completing community service projects related to Kozol's idea of making a difference for children in poverty.  

The Kozol event follows another memorable campus program. At our Founders Day Lecture in mid-September, we welcomed Rabbi Howard Hirsch, founder of the Center for Christian-Jewish Dialogue and professor of theology at Regis University. He provided an informative history and insightful reflections on changes in Jewish-Christian relationships during the last half-century since the Second Vatican Council convened. His lecture inaugurated a series of programs to be held over the next three years, in conjunction with the worldwide commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Vatican II (1962-1965).  Through these events we hope to deepen understanding of the Council’s transformative work, global impact, and significance for Alvernia as a distinctive Franciscan university.  

Rabbi Hirsch’s captivating address also launched an expanded initiative in interfaith dialogue, rooted in the inclusive mission of our founding sponsors, the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters. Coordinated by the Holleran Center for Community Engagement, the multi-year initiative promotes mutual respect, understanding, and appreciation of diverse faith traditions.  This spring Alvernia will participate in the President’s Interfaith Challenge, sponsored by the White House and the Department of Education, and we will also begin a new partnership with the nationally respected Interfaith Youth Core.

In recognition of the work done by Rabbi Hirsch, Alvernia trustee Michael Fromm, CEO of Fromm Electric Supply, and his wife Susan, generously created the Fromm Interfaith Award as part of their support for the Values & Vision Capital Campaign. This recognition, underscoring the Fromms’ interest in influencing young people to be voices of unity, will be presented annually to students who demonstrate leadership in interfaith dialogue and includes a grant to support related work.

Even a casual observer knows that, all too often, religion is used to divide not unite us. Interfaith dialogue, grounded in mutual understanding of our own faith traditions and those of others, is a process of exploring and discussing differences and shared values with respect, even with reverence, dare I say with love.

At a time when contemporary politics is all too often accompanied by negativity and even nastiness, when efforts toward mutual understanding and compromise are scorned, the university has an essential role, critical for the health of our democracy.  It must be a “sacred space” where diverse ideas are explored and where knowledge and truth are pursued freely and respectfully.  And the Catholic university, where spiritual and religious values are not simply tolerated but celebrated, has a special opportunity to emphasize the moral and ethical dimension of learning . . . and of life.  Think of the challenge we issue to our entering and graduating students: “To Be Ethical Leaders With Moral Courage.”

“Knowledge joined with Love.”  It is an inspiration for Alvernia and a worthy ideal for our country and our world.
 

Peace and All Good,   Tom Flynn

November

Service, Contemplation, Humility, Collegiality, and Peacemaking.

Alvernia University’s Core Values have been identified and transmitted to us by the Bernardine Sisters, our foundresses and sponsors. They are rooted in Franciscan spirituality, intended as guides to public and private life for us both as individuals and as members of this university community.  

These values are referenced at events and programs throughout the year. Many of us can readily cite them (though seldom in the same order!). But all too rarely do any of us, myself included, ponder how they might be actively and practically lived . . . especially beyond the campus.

On an early November evening, my enjoyment of ESPN’s Sports Center was interrupted by six consecutive political commercials, most of them “attack ads” representing the toxic tone of contemporary politics. I found myself wondering how the University’s Franciscan values might reshape, indeed transform, political discourse . . . and help guide the bi-partisan cooperation and compromise needed in the months ahead.  

SERVICE: We probably should give the benefit-of-the-doubt to politicians—federal, state, and local—that they are motivated primarily by a desire to serve their fellow citizens and promote the common good. Yet special-interest politics calls the genuineness of a service ethic into question. Doesn’t callousness or indifference toward a large segment of American society and narrow single-issue politics seem at times to make advocacy of an agenda far more important than high-minded public service?

CONTEMPLATION: It’s perhaps our most counter-cultural value. Doesn’t contemplation involve far deeper reflection than normally associated with contemporary life? Self-reflection, prayer, gazing appreciatively at a work of art or the beauty of nature all require quiet and an absence of distraction to make engaged listening possible. It was heartening on election night to hear Governor Romney promise to pray for the President and to hear President Obama promise that he had carefully reflected on what he had heard from Americans throughout the campaign.

HUMILITY: Strong convictions and confidence in one’s abilities need not preclude humility. In fact, couldn’t we say that those leaders with the strongest opinions and greatest certainty about their righteousness might be best served by a healthy dose of this sadly misunderstood virtue?  Imagine if our most influential political leaders were open to the possibility that there might be more than one answer to the same question? Or that others might have quite different ideas helpful for understanding (and addressing) a problem? Or that they should leave to God, not assume themselves, the role of moral judge concerning the motives of others?  

COLLEGIALITY: Collegiality requires respect for the minds and hearts of others, especially those with whom we most strongly disagree. That is the great high-minded purpose of the American college—to be a “sacred space” of inquiry and dialogue devoted to the pursuit of truth, a protected environment where differences are disputed and wide-ranging views receive respectful consideration. Collegiality does not necessitate agreement or false niceness that masks important differences. Isn’t the ultimate purpose of collegiality to discover as much common ground as possible and, equally, to target ways to bridge the gaps caused by unresolvable differences?

PEACEMAKING: It all does lead here, after all. We must acknowledge that conflict is under certain circumstances sadly inevitable. But doesn’t this value call us not merely to strive to avoid hurtful conflict but also to seek actively to create peace, harmony, unity. It’s easy to be colleagues with those most like us in views and disposition. So what if politicians were evaluated not by how unequivocally they refused to work with those with whom they disagree but rather by how successfully they worked with opponents? And what if they were praised for their charity and compassion and, yes, openness to cooperation — even compromise — rather than for their stridency?

No season of the year lends itself better to personal and national reflection than Thanksgiving. So let us give thanks for our many blessings. And let us also seek renewal—the kind of “personal and social transformation” articulated in the Alvernia Vision Statement—guided by our core Franciscan values.

2013

January

“It was a dark and stormy night.”

Well actually, it was daytime — but Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s infamous line was surely an appropriate description of the weather on the day ground was broken for Alvernia’s Campus Commons last May.

In contrast to that somewhat ominous occasion — only eight months later — a new bright spot has been created on campus. In place of a small, cramped (most would say unremarkable), building that provided limited space for student organizations and some university life staff now stands the Campus Commons. As with the already popular PODs, student leaders and staff provided great ideas that talented architects and engineers turned into an appealing gathering place for our students.  

While the outside is striking, the inside is even more so. A two-story fitness center with all the latest exercise equipment is a highlight, as is a large dance and aerobics studio. Both commuter and resident students will also enjoy the new campus “living room” complete with a fireplace, couches and arm chairs that make it perfect for studying, meeting with friends or just relaxing.  

At a time when student organizations and clubs and key university life offices have injected considerable energy into campus life, the Commons will bring them all together under one roof. For the first time, students will have a genuine “center” for activities and for informal socializing, supported by ample technology options. And since it will be open 24/7, it will accommodate a wide variety of schedules.

Projects like this would not be possible without the help of generous donors, businesses, and our own Student Government Association. Last spring, SGA stepped forward to contribute $150,000 from its capital account to support construction of the facility.

In addition, a distinguished member of Alvernia’s Board of Trustees, Tom Martell, and his wife Marcia, parents of two recent college graduates, believed so strongly in the importance of this new facility that they issued a challenge to students’ parents. The Martells are matching (dollar-for-dollar) up to $50,000 in gifts to support the Campus Commons.  Alvernia’s parents, as of mid-December, have already exceeded this goal! And the Martell Challenge is in addition to a major financial commitment the couple has already made to the project. Their generosity is a reminder that today, as in years past, respected community leaders have been essential contributors to Alvernia’s growth and development.

The opening of the Campus Commons completes the transformation of the center of campus, begun as a result of the 2007 Strategic and Campus Master Plans. It’s hard now to picture what the university looked like just a few short years ago when a parking lot (not a beautiful green quad) was situated in the center of campus.  

Now surrounding the quad is an expanded dining hall, remodeled town houses, and most importantly a soon-to-be completely renovated Bernardine Hall (more on that below!). With the remodeling and expansion of Francis Hall, we have greatly improved and expanded facilities to support fine and performing arts programs. We now have attractive options for outdoor recreation and athletics, and the creation of the Founders Village residences has provided ample appealing housing for sophomores, juniors and seniors. (Some exciting plans are also emerging for the near-by Crusader Café.)

The Francis Hall and Bernardine projects complete the important priorities of the Teaching and Learning Plan developed by faculty and academic administrators in 2009. This summer, the last stage of Bernardine’s complete renovation, will create faculty office suites, specialty labs for our expanding Occupational Therapy program, and some upgraded classrooms for general use. The transformation of Bernardine Hall is a tribute to excellent planning by faculty and administrators and parallels the gains made by the addition of the O’Pake Science and Upland Centers.

As always, the new year will bring new and enhanced academic offerings. The faculty has developed and approved a health sciences major, a program which welcomes its first students this semester, and a new minor in Community and Environmental Sustainability. And just approved by the Board of Trustees in December is a doctorate of physical therapy program that we expect will enroll its first students in fall 2014.  

2013 will undoubtedly be filled with excitement and thoughts of the future . . .  especially for those students graduating in May. To those seniors, and to all of our students, Happy New Year!

Peace and all good,

Tom Flynn

President

April

March Madness. With rare exception (“Holy Madness” — see below), madness is not a characteristic or word we see in a positive light. Unless it is linked to March.

 

This year Alvernia was fortunate to experience our own best kind of March Madness. Guided by our award-winning Coach Mike Miller and his staff, our Men’s Basketball Team won the regular season championship and the conference tournament on the way to the second round of the NCAA Division III National Tournament. They ignited the spirit of both the campus and the local community. Winning is always fun and popular. But it was also how they won that built so much support: they modeled unselfish team play and a fun-loving yet intense style. They cared about each other and made us care about them. That they weren’t even picked to make the conference tournament in the pre-season rankings made it all the sweeter. And all but one of them are back for next year. October 15 is only six months away!

 

This March, there was also some welcome “Holy Madness.” For the first time, a Cardinal from the Latin world was elected Pope; and for the first time, the new pope chose “Francis” as his name. Our Trustees were gathered for dinner that evening, and naturally our Bernardine Sisters were pretty excited. The Holy Father’s first actions have evoked great enthusiasm. His simplicity of style, his respect for his fellow bishops, his embrace of those from different faiths and backgrounds, his Easter message of reconciliation and unity, his decision to wash the feet not of priests but of prisoners (including women) have modeled core Franciscan values that we at Alvernia know well: service, humility, contemplation, collegiality, and peacemaking. In these early days, he has reminded me of Pope John XXIII — someone also selected unexpectedly who brought joyful optimism and welcome renewal to the Church and the world.

 

March, of course, brings with it the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. At Alvernia, closely linked in time and celebratory atmosphere is our annual Employee Recognition Ceremony. So many of our loyal faculty and staff contribute devotedly to the university and our students, often behind the scenes and without recognition, We feature all who are marking service anniversaries of five years or more and present special anniversary gifts as a way to thank them for all they continue to do to make this a special place. This year, those being recognized had totaled 445 years of service, with 9 faculty and staff having served 20 years or more, led by Professor Elaine Schalck, who began here 35 years ago. It is humbling and inspiring to be reminded of this dedication.

 

Finally, March is often the month when I teach a literature class in our Seniors College. Calling this a privilege and a gift for me is an understatement. The two dozen or so students bring a wide range of professional and life experiences to our discussions. They are articulate, insightful, opinionated, and full of energy and fun. Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms was this year’s main reading, and they did not disappoint. Like many of the members of the Class of 2013 I meet on campus during their last semester, these other “seniors” are appreciative of their Alvernia experience and enthused about all the progress that they see and feel on campus.

 

So now we have been enjoying April, with the opportunity to celebrate students at the Honors Convocation or at all of the myriad fine and performing arts events, athletic contests, thesis presentations, and honor society dinners. The new Commons is buzzing with activity, and the Fitness Center is crowded with those getting in shape hurriedly before summer arrives. Special senior class gatherings abound, and Commencement Weekend will follow soon. It is indeed a wonderful time of year. But forgive me if I also feel a bit wistful for March and all of its wonderful madness!

 

Peace and All Good, Tom Flynn

 

A Final Note: The phrase “holy madness” was used approvingly in a famous essay written in 1960 at the dawn of what was to become an exciting, often turbulent, era. I bet Dr. Tom knows both the essay and the author!!

October

Welcome to a new academic year, students! You are fortunate to readjust to homework and campus life in an inclusive, caring community, rooted in Franciscan values. Alvernia is no utopia, but it sometimes seems like a safe haven when we consider the divisive tone of our politics, reflected in some popular attitudes about religion and the value of a college degree.

There is little doubt that higher education and religion get criticized harshly because of some extreme abuses. Fair enough, but both are often stereotyped and misunderstood. And both are underappreciated for their positive potential to foster individual and social progress.

Pundits and politicians, liberals and conservatives, sadly see political gain in deriding higher education as an overpriced, overrated product, purchased without a warranty--a guaranteed job upon graduation. They sound as if they are shopping for a lawnmower or, perhaps, a used car.  

Some colleges are overpriced. They cost much more than regional and national averages and are far from a “best value.” But many schools have limited tuition increases and provide significant financial aid. Such schools, like Alvernia, continue to be places of opportunity for students of diverse backgrounds.

Lost in the media-fed harangues about higher education’s cost is sound reflection about its purpose.  College should prepare students not simply for a first job, but for multiple future careers. Higher education also should prepare you for life as well as for work and to be engaged citizens in a democratic society. Students need to understand history and psychology as well as to develop technical knowledge. They need the analytical ability taught in philosophy, the insight into human nature unfolded in literature, the logical approach to problems found in mathematics, the appreciation for beauty and creativity revealed in the arts. Above all, students need to confront and learn how to respond to unpleasant ideas, sharply stated disagreements, viewpoints that challenge, even offend them.  

Differences of religious belief especially need understanding and respect from today’s students. For it is not just in the Middle East that religion is used to divide, even polarize, societies. History provides a sad encyclopedia of examples, including the long history of religious prejudice in the United States. Protestors at the entrance of our campus did not object to the content of Senator Casey’s recent lecture, but instead felt that, because of some of his opinions, he should be barred from speaking at a Catholic university. The appearance on campus of Eboo Patel, a distinguished Muslim advocate for interfaith dialogue, also drew objections from some outside the university who objected to the mere appearance of a Muslim.

It is ironic that the subject of both talks was the need for civility and respectful discussion about religious and political differences. And ironic, too, that both men sought to motivate students to be active citizens. Such controversies help explain why religion sometimes gets a bad rap.

Too seldom do we hear voices emphasizing that religion, like the university, has potential to unite rather than divide us, especially in a country that has a far stronger tradition of tolerance than of narrowness and prejudice.
 
It is in the university that differences of opinion about religion, politics, or social issues should be engaged—disputed strongly, sometimes stridently, yet always responsibly.  The university should model the democratic culture envisioned by Thomas Jefferson and others. It should be a “sacred space” for dialogue. And for those colleges and universities shaped by distinctive religious traditions--be they Catholic, Lutheran, or otherwise—there is the added responsibility to ensure that ethical and values-based perspectives infuse intellectual inquiry and the campus culture.

Before his convocation address to the Class of 2017, Patel and I discussed his observation that Catholic universities are ideal places for Muslim students since such schools support the personal and spiritual growth of all students. Interfaith dialogue that celebrates differences of belief and the common ground of shared values models the ideal that the contemporary university be a place fostering “personal and social transformation.” Such universities provide a much needed model of civility for emulation in our nation’s capital and throughout our country. And they also provide a return on investment that is well worth the cost.

Peace and All Good, Tom

November

Fall 2008.  “We’re Doing It For U.”   The phrase was printed on hundreds of t-shirts to celebrate Alvernia’s successful achievement of university status.  I don’t recall who thought of the slogan. But I remember loving it immediately.  Why had Alvernia sought to become a university?  Simple answer.  For our students.

Fall 2013. “We Did It For You.” Five years later, we have a new t-shirt.   And students continue to be why we do what do.

Last month, we celebrated the successful conclusion of our first comprehensive fundraising effort—the Values & Vision campaign announced back in ‘08.  Helped by generous gifts from trustees and others-- with significant support from our faculty, staff and SGA—Alvernia is a quite different place today.

There are more scholarships for deserving students, such as those offered via the Boscov Scholars program. There is far more support for faculty, including initiatives like the Neag Professorships and Faculty Excellence Grants.  An Assisi Fund now sends students, faculty, and staff each year to Italy to experience Franciscan spirituality first-hand. Interfaith programs and awards have been launched. We have both a nationally recognized Holleran Center for Community Engagement and a new O’Pake Institute for Ethics, Leadership, and Public Service.

The campus also looks dramatically different. The campus-side entrance to Francis Hall has been transformed, and fine and performing arts spaces have been improved. Bernardine Hall has been completely renovated. Athletic and intramural teams now compete on a turf field and new track, with spectacular views from Founders Village rooms and suites. The Campus Commons is now an Alvernia landmark.  And in place of an unsightly parking lot, there is a beautiful quad in the middle of campus.

Together we have come further, faster than we ever thought possible five short years ago. Alvernia is now recognized for strong academic programs, undergraduate and graduate--especially in healthcare and the human services—as well as for its emphases on leadership, ethics, and community engagement.

A historically commuter school has become home to a large residential community. A predominantly local school now attracts students from throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. A seemingly land-locked school has expanded its campus dramatically. A once-tiny college has become a thriving university. And amidst it all, Alvernia continues to be a place of opportunity--rooted in Franciscan values--for students of diverse backgrounds.

With the poet Frost, we know there are “miles to go before we sleep.”  Much important work lies ahead. There will be challenges and setbacks, to be sure. But together we are well on our way to being a “Distinctive Franciscan University” committed to graduating “broadly educated, life-long learners; reflective professionals and engaged citizens; and ethical leaders with moral courage.”

Each year, at the First-Year Convocation, and twice a year at graduation, I challenge our students “to do well and to do good.”  Now in my ninth year at this special place, I am no longer surprised by the countless ways our students rise to this challenge.
 
Elsewhere in this issue, there is a sampling of the many collective accomplishments of our students. 
 
Congratulations, students. And keep it up!  

Peace and All Good, Tom

2014

February

We are living in an age without heroes. Sports stars are routinely charged with using performance enhancing drugs. Prominent politicians are caught in lies or at least serious "inconsistencies." Assertive advocates of so-called family values are exposed as philanderers. Educators and clergy are accused of betraying the sacred trust of young people charged to their care.  

It hardly seems to matter that this misconduct, if not rare, is not usual. Perhaps this is why we are skeptical when a public figure seems too good to be true. And perhaps it is another reason why even usually cynical secular media critics cannot hide their fascination, indeed admiration, for Pope Francis.  His authenticity inspires one and all. In fact, in Rome, a local street artist has enshrined him on the wall of the city as Super Pope, flying through the air with his white cape billowing behind him.

Among the gifts we lose in a post-heroic age is a capacity to find inspiration in extraordinary people for our much more ordinary lives. This occurred to me as I read the tributes to the late Nelson Mandela and especially some famous passages from his writings and speeches. I found in his words still another perspective on Alvernia's Franciscan core values of Service, Collegiality, Contemplation, Humility, and Peacemaking. And I found inspiration for our shared journey as students, faculty, staff, alumni, and trustees to be--as our mission statement pledges--"life-long learners, reflective professionals and engaged citizens, and ethical leaders with moral courage."  

Listen to Mandela describe the dedication and persistence necessary for service:

“I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.”

Let him remind us to practice the contemplation and humility (and Christ-like love) necessary for genuine collegiality and peacemaking:

“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.” 
May he remind us of the high-minded purpose of all we do at Alvernia as well as the inspirational challenge expressed in our motto- To Learn To Love To Serve:

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”  

Peace and All Good, Tom Flynn

October

Welcome (and welcome back) to all our students. So here’s an unexpected question for you: Are college students at Alvernia and elsewhere really heading to school this fall to get engaged and live happily ever after? It turns out the smart ones are, and the research proves it.

Unlike Alvernia students from a generation or two ago, you probably can’t imagine heading to the altar any time soon. Yet many today are discovering that getting engaged on campus brings big benefits later on. No, not wedding bells.  For this is a very different kind of engagement: active involvement in academic and social clubs, leadership roles, internships, academic research, community service, the arts, and athletics, among other activities.

Such experiences, according to a recent Gallop/Purdue University study “Great Job, Great Lives,” make the largest impact when it comes to determining how well you are prepared for a successful life after college. Forget focusing on pricey elite schools with big brand names. The national study that surveyed 30,000 college grads makes it clear: it’s not where you go to college that counts most toward your future success and long-term well-being; it’s what you do while you’re here.

For students enrolled at Alvernia or any of the many high quality but less well-known, small and medium-sized schools across the country, this is good news indeed. The report suggests that far more than the selectivity or sticker price of an institution, whatstudents do in college and how they get engaged on campus plays a greater role in contributing to a better life after graduation.  

And when it comes to student engagement, Alvernia stands out! More than 98% of our students participate in at least one “real-world” learning opportunity; 86% are involved in a co/extracurricular organization, athletic team or service project with 70% active in two or more!

There is more good news. According to the report, engaged students become engaged employees (who are highly involved and enthusiastic about their work). And engaged employees become productive, thriving people at a rate almost five times greater than their less-engaged colleagues. If students have an internship or other real-world experience where they apply what they learn in the classroom or if they are involved in extracurricular activities or projects taking a semester or longer to complete, their odds of being engaged at work double.

At a time when politicians and pundits are ignoring student learning and are instead preoccupied with the financial “return on investment” of a college degree, here is an appealing bottom line for all students: active involvement in engaged learning during your college years pays dividends long after you turn your tassel and toss your mortarboard at the Santander Arena (or in the PEC for you winter grads!)

For universities committed to serving the common good as well as fostering individual success, the impact is clear: community-based learning and civic engagement opportunities foster student engagement and experiential learning which in turn benefit both students and communities. The evidence was, as usual, on display here at Alvernia as I listened to the stories of the almost 500 students and faculty who “engaged” in our annual Orientation Day of Service, turning an old fruit farm into a dynamic environmental education hub as part of Berks County's Antietam Lake Park.

As my wife and I saw first-hand recently during several student dinners at our home, it is evident too in the passionate and active involvement of our student leaders—SGA folks, RAs, OAs, OWLs, Peer Mentors and Tutors, Student Tour guides and Ambassadors. And the list goes on.

Recent surveys confirm that Alvernia undergraduates are far more engaged than peers at other similar schools. And in addition, as a Catholic university, your faculty and staff here embrace our responsibility to help shape women and men of character and conscience, the kind of committed citizens essential for a free democracy--what we at Alvernia, faithful to our Franciscan heritage, call “ethical leaders with moral courage.”

Student engagement (not the wedded bliss type!) prepares future graduates to contribute to the common good and to be successful professionals. Both are important, as you hear us say--doing well and doing good.  All colleges and universities, as at Alvernia, should be in the business of emphasizing both.

So yes, getting engaged in college may be a noble goal. And it can indeed enable you, our students, to live happily ever after.

 

Peace and All Good, Tom Flynn

December

In my last column, I reported the results of the Gallop national study of 30,000 college graduates. They confirmed what many have long suspected: it’s not where you go to college that matters for your future success and long-term wellbeing; it’s what you do while you’re there. So, as we end 2014, here are a few of the many examples of Alvernia students who are making the most of their college experience.
 

According to Gallup, active engagement by students is THE key. It is not enough simply to study hard and complete assigned tasks. Students should pursue opportunities for engagement best suited to their learning and personal growth: internships, field placements, or academic research, especially with a professor; academic and social clubs; chorus or theater, athletics, or other activities; or, at Alvernia, community service projects or a role as a tutor, OWL, RA, first-year mentor, tour guide, student ambassador. Over time, many students do not simply join these efforts. They lead them.
 

On our campus, beyond the minimum community service expected of all undergraduates, 86% of students are involved in a co/extracurricular organization, club, team, or project; 70% are active in two or more. Best of all, many range widely and join a varsity team and SGA or serve as a tour guide, a peer mentor, and as an officer in their academic club or work in the South Reading Youth Initiative and as a student ambassador and student campus minister.
 

Here’s a sampling of active and engaged Alvernia All-Stars! 
 

Jenna Harper, an OT major, is an SGA officer, OWL, varsity lacrosse athlete, and student ambassador and can also be found—camera in hand—shooting pictures for the Sports Information Office.
 

Andy Kaucher is dedicated to his English major, to Sigma Tau Delta (one of our nationally visible academic societies) and to community service in Reading and can also be found—brush in hand—in his Goggleworks art studio. He also found time to call me out for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge!
 

Rob Waller, an Iraq veteran, accounting major, and Holleran Fellow is one of the students who led the development of our Bog Turtle Creek Farm and is active in other environmental projects and in our Alternative Break program.
 

Ashley Winters, an elementary and special education major involved in the Education Association and as a tutor in the Learning Center, is another Holleran Fellow who has been a leader in the South Reading Youth Initiative and a key person in the launch of the Reading Collegiate Scholars Program.
 

Kelli Fitzgerald, an OT major active in her academic association (SOTA) and another third-year RA, oversees all freshman living-learning communities and serves as a head tutor for the Learning Center in addition to helping out as a tour guide and ambassador.
 

Janessa Rasmus, a nursing major, combines leadership roles as an RA, student campus minister, and member of Alvernia Sexual Assault Prevention Peers (ASAPP).
 

Brianna Whitton, a behavioral health major with minors in psychology and music, leads our flute ensemble, plays French Horn in the band and is the work study staffer in the Fine and Performing Arts Department as well as president of Hooked on Helping and secretary for the Veteran’s Club.
 

Mylen Ruppert, an early childhood education major and two-sport athlete (track and cross country) recently chosen for the highly selective Marine Corps Officers Program, is an officer of the Ethnic Awareness Society and Active Minds and serves as a peer mentor and Diversity Committee member.
 

Amanda Galanti, a sport management major and another two-sport athlete (field hockey and softball), has been a team captain and a member of the Student Athlete and Intramural Advisory Boards (SAAC and IAB) as well as being active in the Sports Management Association.
 

Brielle Gincley, a transfer student marketing major working to launch a campus chapter of the American Marketing Association, is a Holleran Fellow active both in environmental (Bog Creek Turtle farm) and inner city education (South Reading Youth Initiative) issues and has helped found Alpha Phi Omega.
 

Terry Harrington (aka Spiderman), a healthcare science major and vice president of the Science Association, is a third-year RA who works in Student Financial Planning and also serves as a peer mentor, volunteers at St. Joe’s Hospital and the Highlands, and participates in the CureSader and Veterans clubs.
 

Actively engaged students are happy and satisfied students too. A recent extensive survey of our students found 9 of 10 seniors and an astonishing 98% of last year’s freshman satisfied or very satisfied with their Alvernia experience. To say the obvious, those profiled above are a few of the countless examples of Alvernia students (soon to be proud alumni) who are “Doing Well and Doing Good.”
 

Peace and All Good, Tom Flynn

2015

March

Alvernia lost a promising young double alumnus last month. In the early days of this too-freezing winter, Bryan Otruba succumbed to his courageous battle against leukemia.  No death is without sadness, and the premature passing of someone so young brings an especially acute sense of loss. Bryan’s death ended his suffering but brought much pain to family, friends, and many in and beyond the Alvernia community. Yet I write not to mourn his passing but to celebrate the many lives he touched here at Alvernia . . .  and, equally, the many ways that this special community touched and transformed his life.

Bryan earned both undergraduate (2008) and graduate (2013) degrees from Alvernia.  He met his best friend here and married Camille in our main chapel, Sacred Heart, in the convent of the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters. At his and Camille’s request, the viewing was held there.  The chapel and the university were special to them, individually and together.  A great couple, with smiles to match, they epitomized “Knowledge Joined with Love”—the heart of a Franciscan education.  Alvernia nurtured Bryan’s lovefor Camille and helped make him the man he became.  

Bryan was a leader in campus ministry—a student campus minister and, later, a graduate assistant on the staff. Sunday night Mass was an important part of his Alvernia experience, along with the Alternative Break program.  His initial trip to our Sisters’ mission in the Dominican Republic was life-changing. He became one of their first Volunteers in Mission, later serving at their school in Santo Domingo. Former campus ministry staff travelled back to Reading from as far away as Columbus, Ohio, to gather at the wake and funeral, where they were joined by Sisters and others who were part of that mini-community.  Alvernia nurtured Bryan’s faith and his spirituality and helped make him the man he became.

Bryan and Camille were both members of the Honors Program, both exceptional students in their quiet, unassuming way.   Camille was surrounded at the viewing by former roommates and friends as well as some of her fellow nursing and Honors students.  Faculty and staff members were there too—from Nursing, Education, Honors, University Life, and other areas.  A special education major, Bryan became a devoted teacher locally to students with special needs.  Without question, Alvernia nurtured Bryan’s intellectual and professional development and helped make him the man he became.

Bryan was an RA, active in campus life, and a serious and responsible leader. Staff and administrators knew and respected him.  He was also something of a goofball. At his viewing, Sacred Heart Chapel was filled with pictures of his Halloween costumes. Bryan and Camille as characters in the Wizard of Oz was my favorite.    In their years at Alvernia, they attracted a large circle of fun-loving, life-long friends, many of whom returned to campus to comfort Camille and each other.  

The mischievous, playful side of Bryan may be part of the reason he was drawn to Pacelli’s Orphans, our theater program. But I think another important reason was that he found in theater another mini-community.  At least a dozen of our former theater students were on hand, exchanging stories, memories of performances, anecdotes about their friend and fellow actor.  It was heartwarming to witness the close bonds they had formed while together in college. Clearly, Alvernia nurtured Bryan’s creativity and personality (and capacity for friendship!) and helped make him he man he became.

Bryan Otruba loved Alvernia and embraced the many opportunities to be involved in the academic, cultural, religious, and social life of the campus. He and Camille found here not only a caring and challenging community but many smaller communities and groups that became special to them.  Campus Ministry.  The RA program.  Nursing. Teacher Education. Honors.  Theater.  Roomates.

It is not surprising--but so appropriate--that Camille and the entire family wished to return to campus.  Bryan (and she) made such a positive impact on so many at the university. They made a difference during their years here. And in turn, Alvernia made a lasting, positive impact on their lives, in ways they could not ever have imagined. 
   
At Alvernia, our students’ education is based on relationships—with faculty, staff, and fellow students.  Such relationships shape each student’s active engagement—in collegiate life, in and beyond the classroom, on and beyond the campus.  Put another way, we recognize—and value--the power of communities,  large and small. That is at the heart of this special place that is Alvernia—“A Distinctive Franciscan University.”

Bryan will be missed by many, but in his story there are some inspirational lessons for us all.

Peace and All Good, Tom Flynn

May

Springtime is always welcome. Memories of cold weather fade, and summertime beckons. Late April and early May bring a glorious procession of year-end events — Honors Convocation, Spring Fling, SGA Awards Lunch, Senior Send-Off, Senior Athlete Dinner, Senior Leaders Dinner, to name but a few, and then Baccalaureate Mass and, finally, Commencement.

I love this time of year. Yes, it is a bittersweet time. Faculty, staff, and administrators bid farewell to students whom we have come to know well and care about deeply. Students realize, perhaps for the first time, how much a teacher, coach, secretary, or administrator has touched (often changed) their lives.

But these weeks are also marvelous and celebratory, featuring special young women and men: Our Seniors. They become proud alumni. And all at Alvernia are in turn proud of them, graduates prepared "To Do Well and To Do Good."

Here are profiles of just a few of these special seniors. They are scholars, student-athletes, servant leaders, difference-makers, one and all. And they have excelled and made an impact in multiple ways.

RYAN CUPO is our distinguished Senior Scholar, one of eleven Honors Program graduates, a double major in Chemistry and Mathematics, and an invaluable member of our Holleran Center project tutoring inner city children.

JESSICA NEWCOMER, another Honors Program graduate, is a double major in communication and political science and winner of awards in both fields along with recognition as one of the Outstanding Students in the Humanities. She is also the head tour guide for Admissions.

ANDY KAUCHER, a stalwart member of Sigma Tau Delta and a student ambassador, has been chosen to be the student speaker at graduation. He earlier earned the distinction of dowsing me during the fall ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. So I wonder, will he actually graduate?!

Here’s a shout out to the other eight graduates of our Honors Program. They are a notable group: Tina Marie Streleckis, Brianna Whitton, Casey Green, Melissa Fellenbaum, Slate Kleinsmith, William Grigas, Kathleen Fitzharris, Katlyn Roginsky

Four other seniors were honored this spring as scholars as well as athletes. KATE YOH, an athletic training major, and JOSH WOLLASTON, an accounting major, received conference-wide recognition as the MAC Outstanding Scholar-Athletes in Women’s Basketball and Men’s Soccer, respectively. Alvernia’s own Outstanding Scholar-Athletes were JACQUELYN STRANGE, a social work major and women’s lacrosse player, and KIRBY TURNER, a biochemistry major and member of the men’s basketball team. Kirby shared with two senior teammates, HARRISON DEYO and LAMONT CLARK, the thrill of bringing Alvernia our third consecutive conference championship, including many of the over 200 wins now amassed by Coach Miller and his additional grey hair from back-to-back championship game thrillers. This trio has plans for medical school (Kirby), law school (Harrison), and business after more basketball (Lamont).

Two other seniors became good friends through their service work and because they had the privilege of being our initial Assisi student pilgrims.

JENNIFER TOLEDO has combined study in early childhood education, Spanish, and psychology with service in the South Reading Youth Initiative, Project Exploration, and our new Reading Collegiate Scholars Program and participation in both Alpha Phi Omega and the Alternative Break program. A Holleran Fellow, she is the winner of our Franciscan Peace and Justice Award.

Another Holleran Fellow and Assisi pilgrim, KEVIN SHAINLINE, a psychology and theology double major recognized with awards in both fields and also as an Outstanding Student in the Humanities, has been a staff member in the Holleran Center for four years where he has been active in both the South Reading Youth Initiative and Project Exploration. He has been a leader in the Alternative Break Program and is a founder of our Alpha Phi Omega national service fraternity as well as a two-time resident assistant. Winner of Alvernia’s Fromm Interfaith Award, he has been nationally recognized as a prestigious Newman Civic Fellow (2014).

Speaking of servant-leadership, three groups represent Alvernia with exceptional commitment of time and talent. An exceptional group of senior RESIDENT ASSISTANTS includes many who have served 2, 3, even 4 years. Danielle Avington (2.5), Bianca Gibson (2), Terence Harrington (3), Tim Hinchey (2.5) Jennifer Innamorato (2), Laura Mauroschad (4 ), Marlee McNerney (4), Victoria Oliver (3), Jennifer Petrilla (4), James Ragsdale (2), Robert Reitz (2), Alexander Roche (3), Kevin Shainline (2), Jared Toll (3), Erin Verdon (3).

Many others assist the Alumni Office and serve the university as Student Ambassadors or support Admissions as tour guides or in some other capacity. Here’s a shout out to the whole great gang of senior tour guides and ambassadors: TOUR GUIDES — Shannon Browne, Taylor Eichelberger, Jen Innamorato, Mark “Louie” Lacek, Jess Newcomer, John Pena, Joe Raymond, Erin Sheehan, Lindsay Bittle, Taylor Flemming, Sarah Gracely, Tim Hinchey, Marlee McNerney, John Pena, Tyler Reinoehl, Deven Samson, Jackie Strange, Courtney Wilson. And AMBASSADORS — Lindsay Bittle, Cortnee Carr, Brooke Deamer, Jamie Dearie, Kristen Eckert, Andrew Kaucher, Candace Knight, Alexander Roche’, Deven Samson, Erin Sheehan.

SHANNON BROWNE, a four-year starter for women’s soccer, has been a three-year all-star for Admissions, with a leadership role for the annual Scholarship Luncheon. Her help with planning and organization will serve her well in Alvernia’s MBA program. Another faithful and long serving Admissions student staff member, JOHN PENA, is a proud CJ major, President of the Alpha Phi Sigma Honor Society, and a graduate of the Reading Police Academy.

Two other talented seniors, LOUIE LACEK and ALEX ROCHE, each an ambassador or tour guide, have made sweet music in the University Chorus and have also been leaders in Campus Ministry’s popular new Search Retreat Program as well as invaluable members of the student team welcoming first-year students at Connection days.

Two former SGA presidents have made wide-ranging contributions. TAYLOR EICHELBERGER, an occupational major and field hockey player, has served as an OWL, a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Council, and a tour guide as well as a dedicated member and officer of the Student Government Association and the student representative to the Board of Trustees. Both a tour guide and an ambassador, ERIN SHEEHAN was an early leader of our CURE-sader Club and a charter participant in the Ignite leadership Program. As SGA member and later as President, she has served her fellow students and the university community in countless ways. Having served on vice-presidential search committees, the university planning council (APAC), and as the student representative to the Board of Trustees, she has been an influential voice for students.

When we honor some of the best among us, we honor the best in each and every one of us.

So here’s to the Alvernia Class of 2015. Congratulations. We Are Proud of You. See you on stage!

Peace and All Good, Tom Flynn

October

Dear Students,

You are always the primary audience for these columns, which appear first in the Alvernian. But I wanted to begin this year with a special welcome letter to you — new and returning students alike, undergraduate and graduate, doctoral candidates and Seniors College “life-long learners.”  

You share the experience of learning (and often living) in a caring community, enriched by liberal arts and Catholic higher education traditions, and inspired by our Franciscan values. And you are fortunate, as am I, to be part of Alvernia during a historic time of great progress and even more promise. (Hey, Adams Street is even finally free of potholes!)

WE ARE AU! This past summer, Alvernia received unqualified affirmation of our progress during the last decade (2005-2015) through reaccreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Among the 35 commendations from the visiting team were high praise for the dedication of our faculty, the focus on students by staff and faculty alike, and the exceptional way our students embody our Franciscan mission.

We also, as usual, were recognized nationally by the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. And we were again held up as a national model of civic engagement by the Carnegie Foundation which recognized Alvernia for excellence in several categories including interfaith initiatives.  

Essential as is such external validation, we can ourselves point to great strides in quality and reputation even during the last year. Here are a few highlights!

SERVANT LEADERS!  Alvernia students reported over 30,000 hours of community service last year. Thirty-seven students were recognized for extraordinary levels of service: 27 for providing 100 hours or more in service during the academic year; seven for providing more than 300 hours of service during their time at Alvernia, and three for completing over 500 hours.

As part of New Student Orientation, approximately 500 students, faculty, and staff served at 16 sites throughout Reading. The spirit of this year’s freshman class is contagious!

St. Francis Day of Service will take place on Saturday, Oct. 10.

NEW PROGRAMS, MORE OPPORTUNITIES! Faculty members were also especially busy last year, approving several exciting new programs.  

New doctoral programs in physical therapy (AUGUST  ‘15) and Nursing (JANUARY  ‘16) are attracting top students. Undergraduates can now major in finance, healthcare administration, and environmental biochemistry. The new sustainability minor is underway, and a new minor and certificate in community engagement is starting this spring.

HOME SWEET HOME! This fall we have the largest-ever number of students living on campus. Theme housing is all the rage: 100% of our freshmen and 78% of all other residents live in theme housing. This is noteworthy because students who live in theme housing (based on common interests) tend to do better academically and stay in college through graduation.  

LEAVING HOME! There are of course life and opportunities beyond the ’Vern. Occasions for international experiences have been expanded for students and faculty alike, including a formal agreement with Australian Catholic University. Fifteen global options are now available for students through our popular Study Abroad program. We also have a promising new partnership emerging in Ireland and potential service trips to Brazil in cooperation with our Bernardine Franciscan Sisters.

LET’S TALK TURKEY! In September, we hosted seven Turkish and Bosnian college presidents to explore potential international exchanges for students and faculty. We already have 11 Turkish graduate students studying at Alvernia and expect that number will expand in the future. This fall we also welcomed students from the Dominican Republic, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia and hope soon to host students from China and India.

REAL WORLD LEARNING! Whether enjoying international study, a service trip or the Washington Center Program; completing an internship in Philadelphia; or pursuing community-based research or a clinical placement here in Reading . . . Alvernia students are preparing well for successful futures. Senior psychology majors, for example, complete a rigorous full-year internship! And a range of students now have great experiential learning opportunities at the new Oakbrook Housing Clinic, a multi-organization partnership led by Alvernia to provide health services for low-income residents.  

CRUSADER PRIDE! And such experiential learning makes a difference, sometimes a life-changing one. Three recent alumnae illustrate this well. Alvernia occupational therapy alum Capt. Ashley Welsh ‘10, stationed at Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany, made headlines recently for her role in treating one of the American heroes who stopped a terrorist in France. Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone sustained his injuries while preventing an armed attack on a train.

Kate Roesch ’12 continues to make a major impact in Mbale, Uganda where she is teaching local students as a Peace Corps volunteer. And Kathleen Ellis M’04, Ph.D.’14, who stays busy during the day working as a high school special education teacher in the Twin Valley School District, is now serving on the board of directors for the John Paul II Center for Special Learning.

So students, never forget that, for your faculty and staff, you are “why we do what we do.” We look to you--as to alums like Kate, Kathleen and Ashley--to do well and do good. And through you we are inspired to do even better ourselves.

Peace and All Good, President Flynn

November

Surveys of our graduating seniors confirm the countless observations I hear from students: Alvernia’s faculty are knowledgeable, skilled as teachers, dedicated to students’ learning and exceptionally caring about each student as an individual. At the annual senior leaders’ dinner, I regularly hear about faculty members outside each student’s major whose courses were memorable and who have had a positive, personal impact.  

None of this is surprising. All of us at Alvernia expect this of our faculty. And our faculty—to their credit—expect it of themselves.    

Our students take none of this for granted. They recognize that the quality of our faculty’s effort is directly related to the quality of their Alvernia experience. In some fields, students know their faculty members have extensive practical experience, whether as counselors and clinical psychologists, healthcare professionals, business consultants, or other professional practioners.

But most students are not aware that many of their faculty members are productive scholars, with impressive accomplishments. They publish articles and deliver formal, invited addresses. A large number have also published books.

Recently, we recognized 15 faculty members who have authored books, an impressive number indeed for a faculty of our size with extensive teaching and other duties. So here is your chance to meet some interesting and distinguished faculty authors!  

Within the past year, three of our talented young humanities professors—JOSH HAYES (Philosophy), KEVIN DONNELLY (History), and JANAE SHOLTZ (Philosophy and Women’s/Gender Studies)--have published well-received books.

• Josh’s area of interest is ancient philosophy, with emphasis on Aristotle. The subject of his innovative co-edited volume is Aristotle and the Arabic Tradition.

• Kevin teaches European and world history, including courses on the history of happiness, the history of science, World War I, and the global slave trade. His recent book is Adolphe Quetelet, Social Physics, and the Average Men of Science, 1796-1874.  

• Janae is currently one of our two prestigious Neag Professors, a distinction that recognizes excellence in teaching and research. Her focus is on 20th century and contemporary philosophy, with special interest in social and political philosophy. Janae’s book is The Invention of a People: Heidegger and Deleuze on Art and the Political.  

Two senior professors in philosophy—BONGRAE SEOK and SR. JACINTA RESPONDOWSKA—have multiple books.

• Sr. Jacinta has published two volumes in her Come Along series, We are Truth-Bound Volumes I and II. She is currently working on Volume III, We are Glory-Bound.  

• Bongrae, another Neag Professor, has a new book, Embodied Moral Psychology and Confucian Philosophy, reflecting his interdisciplinary interests and expertise in Asian philosophy. It builds on seven previously published books.

Another humanities faculty member, TOM BIEROWSKI (English), author of Kerouac in Ecstasy: Shamanic Expression in his Writings, teaches a range of literature and writing courses and mentors many student writers.    

Two psychology faculty members, ANA RUIZ and JUDY WARCHAL, collaborated on Service-Learning Code of Ethics, reflecting their pioneering commitment to this important pedagogy.

• Ana has also recently co-authored another book, Service Learning in Psychology: Enhancing Undergraduate Education for the Public Good. She teaches a range of courses in our psychology program.

• Judy is the lead faculty member in our counseling program and a licensed psychologist.  

Another impressive collaboration involves three business professors, SCOTT BALLANTYNE, BETH BERRET, and MARY ELLEN WELLS. Their book Planning in Reverse: A Viable Approach to Organizational Leadership combines the trios’ academic expertise with their experience as practitioners.

• Scott teaches finance and leadership courses and lends his expertise to departments such as education, healthcare science and nursing.

• Beth specializes in human resources.

• Mary Ellen teaches courses in law, negotiation, conflict resolution and accounting.    

Similar combinations of technical expertise and field experience are reflected in the work of DOLORES BERTOTI (Physical Therapy and Athletic Training) and CHRIS WISE (Physical Therapy).

• Chris specializes in both his clinical practice and research endeavors in the subject of his second textbook, Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy: From Art to Evidence.

• Dolores teaches courses for several departments in kinesiology, neuroscience, human biology and electrotherapy. Her co-authored textbook, Brunnstrom’s ClinicalKinesiology, is in its 6th edition. It and an earlier volume have been translated into multiple languages.  

Two more scholars, both former Neag Professors, SPENCE STOBER (Biology & Leadership Studies) and DONNA YARRI (Theology), have published prolifically, both separately and together.

• Donna, a specialist in Christian ethics, writes and teaches on the ethical treatment of animals, popular culture, and the intersection of religion and science. She has penned books on topics including The Ethics of Animal Experimentation, and Kafka's Creatures.

• Spence’s interests include environmental sustainability and nature-centered leadership. He has two recent volumes—Transitions to Sustainability: Theoretical Debates for a Changing Planet (co-edited) and Nature-centered Leadership: An Aspirational Narrative (co-authored with Alvernia doctoral students Tracey L. Brown and Sean J. Cullen.) He’s also published God, Science, and Designer Genes: An Exploration of Emerging Genetic Technologies, co-authored with Donna.

So the next time you are facing a daunting writing assignment, students, take heart: you are in good company. There are authors all around you! 

December

None of us believes we are mere products of our childhood environments.  Nor do we believe, even as college students, that our values and beliefs--what we hold sacred--are simply derived from our families. Yet personal experiences as we are growing up are major influences on how we come to see the world.

I grew up in a Boston neighborhood that was relatively homogeneous: certainly, racially (Boston was as segregated as most northern cities) and also economically--families of modest means, far from impoverished but far less comfortable than our suburban counterparts. Yet religious backgrounds were varied: two of my childhood friends were Jewish. I recall my surprise that Roger Sherman and Robert Lamasny attended church on Saturday not on Sunday and, in fact, didn’t attend church at all, but rather "temple."

When as a young graduate student I was "getting serious" with a woman from a very different background, it so happened our best friends were Jewish. We soon stood under the chuppah (pronounced "huppa") as the witnesses at their wedding, and they returned the favor as two of our witnesses when we were married by my uncle, a priest, in Helen's Lutheran church in faraway South Dakota.

Seders and bat mitzvahs were part of our early married life, alongside baptisms and Easter dinner. We sat Shiva when Larry's dad died, just as he and Lynda flew home from Mexico twenty years ago to attend my uncle's funeral at the Jesuit Center, a mere half hour away from a tiny college (unknown to me at the time!)called Alvernia.

Interfaith relations were initially simply personal for me. Yet I came to recognize that genuine interfaith efforts require far more than personal affection. They require our   appreciation equally for the different perspectives and shared values of those we barely know and passionate commitment to open, ongoing dialogue.  Mutual respect starts with the valuing of one's own religious tradition and spirituality; it flourishes when we honor and value the traditions of others.

For Alvernia, guided by the Franciscan ideal of "knowledge joined with love” and the core values of our Sisters, our identity as a Catholic university calls us to support and nurture the religious traditions and spiritual growth of all members of our community. As the Bernardine Franciscans put it so well, we are "Sisters and Brothers to All."

Our new Prayer and Reflection Room, incorporated into the Bonaventure Room of Franco Library, complements small chapels in Francis and Veronica Halls and our main chapel in the Motherhouse by providing a sacred space for both interfaith discussions and private contemplation welcoming to all, especially those from non-Christian traditions.

The creation of this room builds on the work begun at the large interfaith service at my inauguration a decade ago. It will support the work of our interfaith chaplaincy team and complement the annual Interfaith Lecture, the Fromm Interfaith Award, and our other related initiatives. It will also advance Alvernia’s partnership with “A Common Heart,” a wonderful interfaith community organization linking the Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim communities.  

Students played a central role in advocating for this project and emphasizing its importance.  Our chaplaincy team and religious representatives from the local community provided helpful suggestions for the room’s layout. The team of Kelly Caddy (Campus Ministry), Jay Worrall (Holleran Center), and Sr. Roberta McKelvie (Mission) led the planning effort, with wonderful support from Sharon Neal (Library).

And two families of trustees (Elsayed and Catherine Elmarzouky, Michael and Susan Fromm, and their children)--who have supported and helped shape previous interfaith initiatives--stepped up together to fund the effort. What a wonderful gesture for them to sponsor this project jointly. On behalf of the entire university community, and our interfaith partners beyond the campus, I again thank the Fromms and Elmarzoukys for their inspiration as well as their support.

So as we commemorate the opening this new special space, let our interfaith efforts provide opportunities for meaningful (and transformative) personal experience and also for deep reflection on the many bonds we share with those of different beliefs. Surely our world has never been more in need of women and men of faith, hope, and charity, rooted in the Franciscan ideals of inclusion and “knowledge joined with love.”

What better way to celebrate the cooperation which made this effort possible than to have many of those most involved in creating this special space share their reflections:

Kevin Shainline, Class of 2014 (FROMM SCHOLAR, 2014-2015) As an alumnus, I feel this room makes a powerful statement of inclusion for current and future members of the Alvernia community. It provides a safe environment for everyone to pray, reflect, or learn about different faith traditions. It shows that interfaith work is, and will be, a focus of the University, so that all members can explore their own spirituality.

Mackenzie Bartlett, Class of 2017 (FROMM SCHOLAR, 2015-2016) The Interfaith Room provides all students, staff, and faculty a place where self-reflection and prayer is promoted. As an active college student, I am constantly on the go.  To have a location on campus where I can put my stress and worries on the table and reflect and pray to God is a beautiful advantage that the University has given me.

Jay Worrall, Director, Holleran Center of Community Engagement (HCCE)Besides its use by students, this room will advance the Holleran Center’s relationship with "A Common Heart" (ACH), a group spearheaded by three local spiritual leaders--our own Sayed Elmarzouky (Islamic Center), Rabbi Brian Michelson (Temple Oheb Sholom), and Fr. Phil Rodgers (St. Benedict Church).  We look forward to using this space to facilitate campus and community learning about the value of Interfaith understanding, both as essential to our own spiritual journeys and to foster religious inclusion in our community.

Sr. Roberta McKelvie, Assistant to the President for Mission This space fosters the spiritual development of our students and provides space where they can delve into an understanding of who God is for them, and who God is for people of other faith traditions. The creation of this special space is a visible expression of our Mission because Alvernia’s Franciscan heritage is rooted in an intellectual tradition that recognizes and values the importance of diversity of thought, faiths, and cultures.

Fr. Ron Bowman, Catholic Chaplain Our new interfaith room provides a venue for an actual interpretation of the ideals expressed in the Second Vatican Council’s declaration Nostra Aetate (28 October 1965). This dedicated "Holy Ground" is a fitting expression of Alvernia’s interfaith cooperation.

Rev. Marsha Anderson, Ecumenical Chaplain The new Prayer and Reflection Room is a profound gesture to people of every faith, showing that there is a place for them at the heart of Alvernia University. It is significant that this place for all to pray, meditate, and reflect is located in Franco Library - the center of academic life. I believe that the positive impact of the personal reflection and communal conversation that will take place there will be felt in the University and in the community at large.

Rubina Tareen, Interfaith Chaplain This room is a physical manifestation of the Franciscan tradition of “knowledge joined with love” and also showcases a traditional Islamic concept of intertwining knowledge and faith, being that is in a library. The Prophet Mohammed said that the most learned of mankind is the one who gathers knowledge from others. That is exactly what this space will promote.

Kelly Caddy, Director of Campus Ministry For our students, the Prayer and Reflection Room is a calming, welcoming space for persons of all traditions and for those with no particular faith tradition. One student sees the room as a “common ground”--where she, a Christian Catholic, can sit with non-Christian and “spiritual but not religious” friends and have a deep conversation about who is God, why people believe in God, and how we even know there is a God--which naturally leads to the question of how do I know what God is calling me to do.  It is a reminder that all students are asking the same questions, not just those who actively seek guidance in their spiritual quest.  It is also an important connection to the “enduring questions” that are presented to students in their first year seminar courses, connecting a visible space to academic study. And finally, it simply provides a place where a soul can take a breath and rest, to let life settle in, breathe into it, and go forth refreshed.

Mike and Susan Fromm, Elsayed and Catherine Elmarzouky, and their FamiliesBoth of our families have experienced religious intolerance, and have responded by dedicating ourselves to building connections among people of all backgrounds. The establishment of an interfaith Prayer and Reflection Room is consistent with Alvernia’s aim to foster an atmosphere of tolerance and respect on its campus and within the larger community. Moreover, having worked closely with the Administration and Campus Ministry on this project, we know that locating the interfaith space in the Franco Library represents a thoughtful, intentional decision to centralize activities of coexistence - both physically and symbolically. We hope this room serves not only as a place of reflection for people of all faiths, but also as a reminder of how connected we all are to one another.

--------------------------

To all of the above, I add a simple, Amen.

Peace and all Good, Tom Flynn

2016

October

Dear Students,

As I enter my 12th year as Alvernia’s president and begin another edition of Flynn Files, let me again welcome new and returning students alike--undergraduate and graduate, doctoral candidates and Seniors College “life-long learners.”  

Each academic year brings out the best in our people. New students and faculty bring fresh energy. Cultural events stir reflection. Athletic events build spirit. Student clubs and organizations sponsor wide-ranging activities. First-Year seminars and other courses engage students in pondering “enduring questions.” From our Orientation Service Day to the Mass of the Holy Spirit to the commissioning of student leaders, our Franciscan mission is front and center!

This fall began with a spectacular announcement and the arrival of the impressive Class of 2020! Just consider:

PLEX IS COMING! On their first day on campus, the Class of 2020 helped celebrate the announcement of our largest-ever project: a Recreation, Wellness and Health Sciences Complex, called “The PLEX,” the centerpiece of a new East Campus. Highlights include:

• A multi-story academic wing housing leading-edge interprofessional teaching and learning spaces that will engage students from athletic training, counseling, occupational therapy, physical therapy, nursing and social work programs to enhance total patient care. 
• A massive field house, designed to provide indoor recreation space for all students and an indoor home for our track and field program. Included is a six-lane, NCAA competition-level indoor track and four, full-sized, multi-use sport courts.

NEW ARRIVAL! New and returning students were greeted with a new arrival court and Welcome Center at Francis Hall as well as a grand campus entrance on St. Bernardine Street. Rebuilding of St. Bernardine Street through Angelica Park is nearly complete, with replacement of an aging bridge and addition of new lighting planned for later this fall.

FRESH FACULTY! Sixteen new faculty members, with diverse backgrounds, have also arrived. They will offer courses in Biology, Business, Chinese, Criminal Justice, Education, Nursing, Occupational and Physical Therapy, and Spanish.

SERVANT LEADERS! More than 450 of us served at 17 of the 19 schools in the Reading School District during our Orientation Day of Service, one of four such days annually. Students reported 34,351 hours of community service during 2015-16, with 46 of them each providing 100 to over 500 hours. The St. Francis Day of Service took place on Oct. 1, with several hundred students “branching out” as volunteers at Angora Fruit.   Service is indeed deep within the Alvernia DNA!

GET REAL! Ten students have received inaugural Real World Experience Awards. Students were invited to apply for awards of up to $2,000 to defray the costs of enrichment experiences such as study away, non-domestic service learning or Alternative Breaks, credit-bearing internships away from Alvernia or home, and undergraduate research. A second call for applications will be made later this semester.

HOME SWEET HOME! This fall, 52 percent of freshman residents are housed in living/learning communities: Pulse (health professions), Crusader Scholars (honors), #DoWellDoGood (service), and Athlead (student athletes).  Forty-three percent of upper division students also live in themed communities.

MORE JUSTICE! The second year of Alvernia’s Justice Everywhere initiative is challenging students to engage in experiences that encourage growth and learning about social justice and diversity.  Featured already was a discussion with Ferguson, Missouri’s Michael Brown, Sr., and an interactive drama called Defamation. A Faculty Roundtable Series on human dignity and social justice is among the upcoming events.  

ON THE RIGHT TRACK! In partnership with Caron Treatment Centers, Alvernia’s work with college-age students in active addictions recovery continues to grow. Several students in Caron’s residential or transitional programs have enrolled in Alvernia online courses. Caron-run 12 Step meetings for college students began last spring at Alvernia, and a recovery housing community at Alvernia is being developed for fall 2017.

ARTS & CULTURE ALIVE! This fall’s arts events and lecture series has an exceptional line-up. Rep. Charlie Dent (R - PA) will discuss the importance of compromise and civil discourse at the annual O’Pake Lecture (Oct. 31). Col. Cole Kingseed (Nov. 15) biographer of Major Dick Winters (Band of Brothers) will highlight our commemoration of National Military Appreciation Month. A Far Cry (Nov. 17 ) will feature an 18-piece ensemble group with world-famous clarinet soloist David Krakauer. Jason Vieaux, classical guitar soloist, will perform a mix of multi-cultural music and American classics (Dec.1).

TOP COPS! Students in our Criminal Justice program will soon benefit from the expertise of some impressive leaders. An advisory committee of top professionals will review curriculum and recommend changes based on best practice in the field. Included are John Adams, Berks County District Attorney; Tim Daley, executive director, Berks Habitat for Humanity; Andres Dominquez, Reading chief of police; Steve Kristovensky, director of security, Hershey Lodge; Tom McDaniel, director of campus safety, Friends’ Central School; Janine Quigley, Berks County jail; Capt. Kristal Turner-Childs, commanding officer, PSP Troop L – Reading; Eric Weaknecht, Berks County sheriff; Robert Williams, chief, Berks County probation department and Nancy Xavious, PA Commission on Sentencing.  

Alumni All-Stars! Four projects focusing on K-12 education and nutritious food education and access are underway, with new PACC*VISTA leadership, including two Alvernia alums-- Madison Kaley '15 and Alex Roche '15 who are joined by Emily Butz and Lauren Lesser. The Pennsylvania Campus Compact and the Corporation for National and Community Service selected Alvernia as the only university in the state to host more than two VISTA members for the 16-17 academic year. One of our recent biology graduates, Briana Pearson ’16, as part of the Holleran Center’s Post-Graduate Year of Service, is working with education and science students to bring STEM education to local children from disadvantaged backgrounds. And Alvernia alum Anthony Recker, who played for the New York Mets last season and recently was signed by the Atlanta Braves, is on a roll: through 22 games, he is batting .293 with seven doubles, a homer, and eight RBIs.

Have a great year! Peace and All Good, President Flynn

December

I promise this will not be yet another post mortem on the recent presidential election. For one thing, I don't have the expertise to make grand interpretations (although the experts evidently have less expertise than we--and they--assumed.) For another, I am a life-long political Independent who seldom finds a welcoming home in either political party. And finally, this year's Thanksgiving holiday brought with it the gift of grateful deliverance from a relentlessly negative campaign that confirmed that politics and the media are seldom the best sources of values to inspire and guide us as members of a Franciscan university community.

Faculty and administrators who, like me, have spent their adult lives on college campuses cringe when pundits condescend to us as not living in the "real world." Well if this election campaign is the best the "real world" can offer, then spare us all!

So let me turn instead to some ways that college communities--and Alvernia in particular--can seek to model two of the high-minded challenges of our university's Mission Statement:  that our students and all of us be both "engaged citizens" and "ethical leaders with moral courage."

1.    Words Do Matter!  Contrary to what was claimed during the campaign, what we say actually does matter. Our words hold up a mirror to our integrity (or lack thereof).  We must say what we mean and mean what we say. Speaking honestly is one of the ways that we demonstrate respect for the people around us. And the fact that being dishonest is sometimes expedient, in politics or elsewhere, does not make it acceptable.

But HOW we speak matters too. Speaking respectfully to (and about) others is a precondition for living in an inclusive community. Do we show openness to the views of others even when we disagree profoundly?    Do we acknowledge, at least to ourselves, that we might sometimes be wrong or less than fully right? Do we assume that those with whom we disagree are fools or enemies? Or are they perhaps well-meaning folks with whom we have a legitimate difference of views or values?

Intentions matter too. When we speak carelessly or thoughtlessly and cause offense, do we intend to hurt or humiliate those with whom we disagree? Or are we simply wanting to express our opinions forcefully, and with conviction?  Are we seeking "common ground"--some shared beliefs--or do we assume there is little of value to learn from those different from us?

2.    "Knowledge Joined With Love":  Yes, that famous phrase of St. Bonaventure, the great Franciscan, also matters. It conveys a Franciscan philosophy of education. Knowledge should be conveyed with charity, in a supportive fashion. At two of my recent "Pizzas with the President," groups of first-year students expressed yet again their gratitude for our faculty's interest in them individually.

But this wonderful phrase also suggests how we should use the power that comes with our knowledge:  with compassion, even kindness.  Perhaps the learning that comes from a privileged education loses meaning if NOT linked to the heart as well as the head, to the emotions as well as the intellect. At a place like Alvernia, students and faculty alike cultivate habits of the heart and soul as well as habits of the mind.

3.    Alvernia's Core Value of Humility:  We trivialize this trait by equating it merely with a lack of arrogance or a refusal to gloat when we are triumphant. There are deeper lessons of humility when we fail or fall short or are proven wrong. And at a university filled with bright articulate people, we are called to exercise humility in our daily lives. As we express our views, positive we are right, are we really listening and being open to the views of others? Are we ready to engage with those different from us in background, experience, and points of view? Do we believe we can learn also from those beyond our campus, including those who are less formally educated?

4.  "One Nation under God with Liberty and Justice for All":   We all have been saying these words since first grade, right? Both concepts are essential:  Liberty and Justice. Individual liberty and freedom of expression are enshrined as the fortunate gifts of Americans. Pursuing what is best for each of us and our future is, of course, part of the point of college. But Individual responsibility matters too. Doing and saying what we want are not absolute rights to be practiced at the expense of others. Our "expression" must not unduly impinge on others by limiting their freedom or treating them unjustly. And as the late Dr. King prophetically proclaimed, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere!"

Our American "pledge" emphasizes "all" not just those with power or in the majority. It includes migrants and immigrants. The poor as well as the wealthy. Muslims and Jews as well as Christians. Franciscans believe community develops through relationships from a stance of "minoritas" ("being lesser,'" being a servant to all").

Inclusive community at Alvernia celebrates all of us with our diversity of backgrounds, faiths, and experiences. But we celebrate our unity too. Our shared commitment to come together in work and in play--in academic team projects and student club activities; in theater productions and athletic contests; in faculty-student research and student-led retreats--offers us countless opportunities to build and practice servant-leadership in our community. Our passion for service, whether on an Alternative Break in Appalachia or a tutoring assignment at Reading High—provides the opportunity for us to  reach beyond our comfort zone to put others first and express our deep caring for one another.

In a country so deeply divided, our campuses, like all communities, need what the Springsteen song celebrates as "the ties that bind."  With attention to what we say and how we speak; with the recognition that we have much to learn and gain by listening carefully (and lovingly) to others; and with a desire to build bridges that connect us instead of walls that divide us, may we seek to model "the real world" right here at Alvernia . . . as both “engaged citizens” and “ethical leaders with moral courage.” 

Peace and All Good, Tom Flynn

2017

March

January and February find me travelling a good deal on university business, often to the nation’s capital where it is easy to be consumed by the swirling conflicts and controversies. So it has been a relief to observe some of the wonderful developments back on campus. And it is even better to return home, wind through Angelic Park, and then turn up the hill to the Vern.

By the way, the construction in Angelica Park is winding down. The entry road, known as St. Bernardine Street, will re-open this spring, complete with new campus-style light poles running the entire length of the park. And the new headquarters of Berks Nature, will also be completed, offering opportunities for our students along with many others.

So here are just a few of the news items that should make us all proud!

HISTORY IN THE MAKING: Speaking of our nation’s capital, Alvernia students Ashley Beyer, Rebecca Dunst, ReJeana Goldsborough, Colton McLaughlin and Christopher Thomas took part in the 2017 Presidential Inauguration though our partnership with The Washington Center, coordinated by the O’Pake Institute. The program extended for two weeks leading up to the big event, with attention to a variety of national policy issues. More than 340 students from across the nation participated.

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!: The new year began with great excitement. An overflow crowd and several news outlets were on-hand in the Campus Commons on January 5 to meet Alvernia’s first Head Football Coach. Coach Ralph Clark stood out from a pool of more than 300 applicants, with 19 years of experience at the NCAA Division I-FCS, Division II, and Division III levels and a stint as a high school head coach. His coaching stops include Saint Francis, Northeastern and Georgetown Universities.

Coach Clark’s passion for Alvernia’s Franciscan mission and commitment to developing impressive student-athletes of character and accomplishment make him the right person to build our football program. With his home in Lancaster, Ralph already is familiar with high schools in Berks County as well as throughout the entire Mid-Atlantic region. We know he will be a superb representative of the university, both on and beyond the campus.

Many thanks to the fine search committee: Karen Cameron (faculty), Cam Coons (student), Karolina Dreher (university life), Laura Gingrich (athletics), Jenna Harper (student), Dan Hartzman (admissions), Polly Mathys (faculty), Tom Minick (advancement) and Tom Porrazzo (faculty). And congratulations to Athletic Director Bill Stiles and Vice President John McCloskey for their leadership throughout this process.

COMMUNITY CAMRADERIE: More than 300 Alvernia students, faculty and staff returned a day early for the spring semester, in order to turn a day off into a day on, as they worked at 28 different community partner sites, for the 2017 MLK Day of Service. Sites included recreation centers and several Olivet Boys & Girls clubs, Berks Encore, Mary’s Shelter, Habitat for Humanity and City Hall. Our four annual university-wide “Days of Service,” coordinated by the Holleran Center have become a popular tradition at Alvernia.

SERVICE AND CONTEMPLATION: More than 65 Alvernia students will be hard at work, regardless of the weather, at locations in inner city Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., as they volunteer through our popular Alternative Break program.

OFF TO THE REAL WORLD: Announced last summer, our Real World Experience Award program immediately caught fire. Nearly 50 students are using awards of up to $2,000 to explore experiential learning opportunities around the globe, including 18 who are heading to Dingle, Ireland this spring and summer, joined by nursing professor Tracy Scheirer. Other award winners will be participating in distance internship and service opportunities, as well as studying this summer in China, the Dominican Republic, Italy and Spain.  The expansion of our global study options, led by Dean Beth Roth, is exciting!  

DIFFICULT DIALOGUES . . . MADE EASIER: Two important sets of programs are unfolding this semester. A series of campus discussions, preliminarily titled, “E Pluribus Unum” (meaning ’out of many, one’ — the motto on the Great Seal of the U.S.A.), will be scheduled alongside selected campus, regional and national events to help students, faculty and staff exchange viewpoints on important topics, both to discuss disagreements constructively and to seek shared perspectives. The first program centered on the Presidential Inauguration, and upcoming discussions will focus on interfaith responses to suffering and the challenges associated with the prevention of sexual violence.

Alvernia has been awarded a “Bringing Theory to Practice” grant to support five campus dialogues that advance action items conceptualized in the university’s Inclusive Excellence Plan. The guiding question is: How do we provide opportunities for students, staff and faculty to practice and recognize inclusive engagement as essential to achieving higher education's greater purposes of preparing individuals for lives of meaning and purpose? Look for invitations to events in March, April and May.

DRAMATIC ENTRANCES: Alvernia Theatre is tackling a dramatic adaption of Sinclair Lewis’ 1930s book “It Can’t Happen Here” about the fictional rise of an American fascist state. Performances will be held April 20-22 and 26-28. And in partnership with the Berks Jazz Fest, returning to campus after a sold out performance last year is instrumentalist Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks will take the stage in Francis Hall Theater, March 15 (7:30 p.m.).

AUTHOR! AUTHOR!: Bongrae Seok, associate professor of philosophy, published a new book (his fourth!) in January, titled “Moral Psychology of Confucian Shame.” It is part of a series on critical inquiries in comparative philosophy published by Rowan & Littlefield International. One of our other many faculty authors, biology professor Diane Kraft, will discuss her co-authored book “The A-Z Guide to Food As Medicine” as this spring’s Literary Festival presentation in the Francis Hall Atrium, April 20 (4 p.m.).

MORE FACULTY EXCELLENCE: At a special executive session in late January, our Board of Trustees approved the following tenure and promotions for an impressive group of our faculty colleagues — by far the largest group of successful tenure cases in my time at Alvernia:

                       Dr. Travis Berger - Tenure
                       Dr. Samuel Bradley – Tenure and Promotion to Associate Faculty
                       Dr. Greg Chown – Tenure and Promotion to Associate Faculty
                       Dr. Corey Harris – Tenure and Promotion to Associate Faculty
                       Dr. Joseph Kremer – Promotion to Associate Faculty
                       Dr. Ryan Lange – Tenure and Promotion to Associate Faculty
                       Prof. Peter Rampson – Tenure and Promotion to Associate Faculty
                       Dr. Erin Way – Tenure and Promotion to Associate Faculty
           
The colleagues listed above all made compelling cases — as they must — for excellence in teaching. Each had a record of scholarly and creative achievement and of service (broadly defined) worthy of tenure. But as always the case, each candidate has distinguished her/himself with scholarly achievement and/or service well beyond the norm. And they made a compelling casefor their long-term value to Alvernia and their commitment to our mission and Franciscan core values.

TANTALIZING TOPICS: More than a dozen lectures are taking place this semester, exploring important topics like the Holocaust, human rights and the Catholic Church, eviction, challenges facing student-veterans and interfaith understanding. Be sure to join us on March 27 (7:30 p.m.) to hear from artist, author, and Holocaust survivor Nelly Toll. Her compelling artwork will be on display March 20-April 19. The spring Francis Factor/Hesburgh Lecture, “Human Rights and the Catholic Church, from Saint Francis to Pope Francis,” will be held April 6 (7 p.m.) featuring Notre Dame’s Paolo Carozza.

A MEMORABLE “SENIOR MOMENT”: I’m happy to report that, by popular request, MargaritaVern is moving to a Saturday this year (May 6) and being combined with a new Alvernia tradition. The weekend will kick off with an online Day of Giving event on May 5. So mark your calendars, seniors!

Peace and All Good,   Tom Flynn

May

A major snowstorm may have welcomed students back from Spring Break, and the temperature has been fluctuating wildly. But by the time this column appears, spring will be here!

Honors Convocation featured students profiled here and many others as well as offering the opportunity to honor some special faculty. And so the litany of year-end events is underway: Spring Fling, SGA Awards and Inductions, Senior Send-Off, Senior Athlete Dinner, Senior Leaders Dinner, to name but a few, and then Baccalaureate Mass and, finally, Commencement.

After 12 years at Alvernia, I now join other longtime faculty and staff who watch as students whom we have come to care about deeply walk across the stage as graduates. Roommates and best friends head home to Joisey (North, South, or Central!) or elsewhere; others sink down roots locally, fortunate to have landed good jobs that have come from internships or field placements or through referrals by faculty. Amidst the whirl of these weeks, students hopefully bump into (or seek out) teachers, coaches or other staff who took a special interest in them.
   
From MargaritaVern to Graduation day, celebration is THE dominant emotion. Our seniors become our newest proud alumni. Confident, too, that they are well prepared "To Do Well and To Do Good."
  
Here are profiles of just a few of these special seniors. They are scholars, leaders, difference-makers, one and all, who have excelled and made an impact in multiple ways.

Tyler Arnold and Erica Dunkelberger, both soccer players, have earned the Alvernia Scholar Athlete Awards. Tyler and Erica have both served the university as admissions tour guides, and Tyler has also been an RA.  He is an Athletic Training major, and Erica is an Occupational Therapy major with a minor in Psychology.

MacKenzie Bartlett, a leader in Holleran Center activities and a former winner of the Fromm Interfaith Award, is one of four graduates of the IGNITE Leadership Program and a loyal tour guide for Admissions. A theology major and honors program graduate, she received the Peace and Justice Award and will pursue graduate studies at Princeton Theological Seminary.

Jenna Harper, an OT dual degree graduate, has been a four-year lacrosse player, a two-time student government officer, and both a tour guide and ambassador. She also completed the IGNITE program and has been ever-present with her camera for the sports information team.

Marisa Lombardo, a marketing major and honors program graduate, has been a student government officer, a women’s golf team member, a Neighborhood Snow Patrol leader, and an indefatigable member of the sports information team.

Here’s a shout-out to the two other Honors Program graduates — ReJeana Goldsborough (winner of a national fiction award) and 2016 Senior Scholar Jerri von den Bosch (a leader of the emerging AU chapter of the National Association of University Women) — and the two other graduates of IGNITE — Nick Jaisingh (a veteran RA), and Autumn Raine-Martinez (Dance Club member and former winner of Alvernia’s Got Talent!).

Servant-leaders abound at Alvernia. Eleven have completed over 300 hours of service.

Emilia Miller, a nurse, won the Holleran Center Outstanding Service Award, with over 1,100 hours of service as an Alvernian! Amanda Milsoit, Alexa Vath, and Emily Reed earned the Community Engagement Award, each completing more than 500 hours.

Emily, a social work major and student campus minister, was recognized last year with both Alvernia’s Fromm Interfaith Award and the nationally selective Newman Civic Fellow Award.  She also served as President of Alpha Phi Omega and was a prominent leader for the Alternative Break program as well as for the South Reading Youth Initiative. She is the first student to graduate with a minor in community engagement.

Mackenzie Bartlett, Katie Jo Galezniak, Nick Jaisingh, Jamie Morris, Alexis Travers, Katelyn Weeber and Alexandra Woodard will earn the Graduation Award for Excellence in Service with over 300 hours each. Many serve in multiple roles!
  
Three groups of students exemplify service leadership on the campus: Resident Assistants, Tour Guides and Ambassadors.

The following RAs are graduating, with several also members of the National Residence Hall Honorary (Noted with *): Ashley Monzo*, Jeremiah Clinchoc, Tyler Arnold, Hannah Slawecki, Nick Jaisingh*, Shelby Hontz*, Zach Seaman, Matthew Amatruda*, Julianne Kuzma, Kyle Farell, and Nina Arant*.

And here’s a shout out to the whole wonderful gang of Tour Guides and Student Ambassadors!  TOUR GUIDES: Tyler Arnold, Mackenzie Bartlett, Veronica Cepparulo, Brittany Crowley, Erica Dunkelberger, Katie Jo Galezniak, Elizabeth Gonyea, Victoria Gowland, Jennifer Hall, Jenna Harper, Kaitlin Higgins, Julianne Kuzma, Ashley Monzo, Rachel Moran, Emily Reed, Tyra Roberts, Angela Scandone, Kailyn Sooy, Claire Sutliff, Taylor Thomas, Sara Truncali, Ofelia Villasenor, Annie Walker, Chelsea Wehrman. And AMBASSADORS: Lauren Bull, Abigail Cannon, Brittany Crowley, Elizabeth Gonyea, Madison Kleintop, Meredith McCarthy, Angela Scandone, Carolyn Stabile, Ann Walker, and OT graduates, Sebastian Collazo, Jenna Harper, and Katelyn Pfeiffer.
  
Chiara Marone and Ofelia Villasenor were recognized with the Alvernia University Choral Award. Chiara has been president of the Theater Club (and a memorable actress), a participant on our dance team, and a perennial (and successful) contestant in the Alvernia Got Talent! Contest. She won second place in the 2017 Berks County competition. Ofelia, an accounting major, and Caroline McCormick, a biology major and campus ministry music minister, have been popular choices to sing the National Anthem and Alma Mater. Caroline was co-winner of the Sr. Alodia Award (along with Katelyn Weeber) and along with Emily Reed, Alexis Travis, and Erica Luna had the privilege of being selected as Assisi Pilgrims.

As always, several student-athletes have won recognition for academic as well as athletic achievements. In addition to some mentioned above, Jeremiah Clinchoc, an OT major,  was the one Alvernian to be named a 2017 MAC Senior Scholar, as a star in the heptathlon. Margaret Wentzel, the new career points and assists leader in field hockey, has been a two-time MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Year, two-time Academic All-MAC, and three time All-American. Marquis Marshall, a d3hoops.com Preseason All-American was MAC Commonwealth Player of the Year and an all-region first team selection for NABC, ECAC, and d3hoops.com.

More undergraduate students than can be recognized here received awards at the annual Honors Convocation. Aijah Hickey (a double major in psychology and criminal justice) was named the new Senior Scholar. Two graduates from our Philadelphia Center received top recognition. Eric Grant, a Philadelphia police officer, received both the CJ academic excellence award and the Colonel Geiger Veteran Award with a 4.0 GPA. Ryan Paskel received the Outstanding Social Work Academic Award. And several graduate business students with singular contributions to campus life will be awarded a second Alvernia degree: Nina Arant, Peter Keefe, Amber Nikolaus, and Shaun Rostek.

When we honor some of the best among us, we honor the best in each and every one of us. So here’s to the Alvernia Class of 2017. Congratulations. We Are Proud of You. See you on stage!

Peace and All good, President Flynn

2019

February

From college days to the present, American literature and history have been my great loves. But as I anticipate my final months as Alvernia’s president, it is Shakespeare who provides appropriately immortal words of wisdom: “The Past is Prologue.” I am fortunate as a leader to have stood on the shoulders of my predecessor presidents, long-time current and retired faculty and staff, and of course the visionary Bernardine Franciscan Sisters who founded Alvernia College and continue to sponsor Alvernia University.

Shakespeare may be right about the importance of history and tradition, but our Franciscan Sisters are the first to say they could not have imagined, even a decade ago, the Alvernia of 2019. As a longtime college president, I have learned the essential lesson that thriving universities must continually evolve and be alert to unforeseen opportunities if they are to best prepare their students for life and the world of work.  So as we welcome John Loyack and Glynis Fitzgerald as our new president and provost, we do well to both celebrate our transformation from a tiny, commuter college into a comprehensive, regional university and recommit to dreams and plans for an even better future.

Alvernia has historically had a special commitment to educating women and men from our city and county, both older adults and working professionals as well as recent high school graduates. Today, we serve hundreds of graduate students from the area seeking advanced degrees, and our first-year class of almost 450 includes about 25% of its members from Berks County with almost 30 from Reading High. But we also now draw our entire student body from 22 states, with 30% of our freshmen from outside of Pennsylvania and with 1,000 living on campus.

Alvernia has historically been a special place of opportunity for first-generation students, working women, and others with limited access to higher education. Today Alvernia is also known for excellence as well as access. Our Reading Scholars Program graduated 100% of its initial cohort of talented students. Doctoral student Abby Wells recently won Alvernia’s first prestigious Fulbright Award. And alumnae (and alumni) of all ages are now leaders in their professions and in their local communities.

Alvernia has historically considered community service an essential part of our education. Beginning decades ago, long-serving faculty like newly named Professor Emerita Ellen Engler and the indefatigable Polly Mathys helped nurture our students’ selfless volunteerism and generosity of spirit. Today, our students contribute 40,000 hours of service annually. Faculty, staff, and alums contribute to a variety of non-profit organizations and social justice causes. Our Board of Trustees features numerous civic servant-leaders. And the university is revered locally for the contributions of the Holleran Center, the O’Pake Institute, the Seniors College, and our arts and lecture series.

Alvernia has historically championed a values-based education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences. Today, because we believe it is essential that a Catholic, Franciscan university promote open discussion of challenging issues while respecting widely varying and strongly held views, the university community has adopted a statement of “Commitment to Civil Dialogue and Freedom of Expression.” Our Search Program ensures all first-year students confront and ponder “Enduring Questions” in multiple courses, and all graduate as well as undergraduate programs require at least one course in ethics. Students are inspired by a dedicated faculty to become “ethical leaders with moral courage prepared to do well and do good.”

Alvernia has historically prepared future teachers, addiction counselors, police, nurses, accountants. Today, an array of masters and doctoral programs, especially in health care and the human services, and new majors in Computer Science and Digital Media offer students superb professional preparation. Pass rates for our occupational therapists and nurses range annually between 90-100%, and 97% of our recent seniors were employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation.

Alvernia has historically welcomed people of all backgrounds and faiths. As our iconic Sr. Pacelli once said memorably at a faculty seminar: “If the Sisters wanted only to educate Catholics, we would never have settled in Berks County!” Today, Alvernia is an interfaith leader in our community, working closely with leaders of the Jewish and Muslim communities. A prominent community leader recently described Alvernia as “the spiritual home” for many in our community.

What lies ahead for Alvernia?  We can no more predict the future than could have those iconic Sisters when they founded Alvernia 60 years ago!

But we can enthusiastically welcome President-Elect John Loyack and Provost-Elect Glynis Fitzgerald to an academic community devoted to our Franciscan values and the pursuit of “knowledge joined with love.” And we can and do anticipate with them a future for Alvernia full of promise and unimagined possibility. May our new executives--in partnership with faculty, trustees, and the entire Alvernia community--continue to embody the legacy of the religious women we revere as our pioneering foundresses.

Peace and All Good, Tom Flynn

April

Dear Alvernia Students . . . and Former Students too, now Proud Alumni,

 

This May, my year-end “Flynn Files” will as usual celebrate some of our many special graduating seniors. So let me use this column, written appropriately on St. Patrick’s Day, to share brief parting reflections with you, as I come to the end of my fourteen years as your president.

 

As I anticipate these final weeks and one last grand Graduation Day, I feel blessed by the opportunity to serve the Alvernia community. Chief among my happy memories, of course, has been my good fortune to get to know many of you personally during (or after) your years at the Vern. I look forward to seeing many familiar faces at the Senior Athletic Banquet, Senior Leaders Dinner, MargaritaVern, and other events. And it has been fun to see recent, already successful graduates as well as longtime, loyal alums at “farewell” events in Philadelphia, New York City, Washington, D.C, and other spots as well as here in Reading.

 

Transitions in our lives are times for reflection and gratitude. Know how grateful I am to all of you for being a continual source of inspiration and fun (and good ideas!) during my presidency. Student leaders stepped up to partner with administrators in shaping the design of the Campus Commons and the “pods” in Founder’s Village and provided generous funding from SGA for key campus initiatives. I admire our students (young and not-so-young) for your many accomplishments. From freshmen honors to doctoral students, Neumann to Fulbright scholars, student athletes to student government members, actors and artists to mentors and researchers, RAs to Tour Guides and Ambassadors, you develop your talents while contributing so much to Alvernia, the local community, and often the wider world. A special word of appreciation to those of you, undergraduate and Senior College students alike, whom I have been fortunate to teach in class!

 

Current students have seen the opening of our Golden Wolves Stadium and are eagerly watching the rise of the PLEX on our new East Campus. So we should not be surprised that alums from Alvernia’s early decades marvel at the progress of this once tiny local college. They regularly share their pride in the evolution of their beloved alma mater into a thriving comprehensive, regional university with centers in Philadelphia and Schuylkill Counties and hundreds of on-line degree-seeking students. Former athletes can’t imagine first-rate athletic facilities available for 28 varsity teams. Even students anticipating their 10thth Alumni reunion find it hard to recognize the campus they left in 2009, now that we have students from over 20 states, pursuing doctoral as well as undergraduate degrees, with almost 1,000 on a campus with a spectacular main entrance and, even more importantly, a national reputation as a model university for community service and civic engagement.

 

Today’s students benefit from what I like to call the Alvernia Advantage, ways we combine all the best features of the student-centered college with many of the advantages of a larger university. 100% of our undergraduates choose internships, clinical placements, service-learning, and leadership “real world learning” opportunities on and beyond the campus with 86% completing more than one! This helps explain why, over the last 5 years, 97% of Alvernia’s seniors on average have been employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation, with many of you modelling  servant-leadership and the passion for service rooted in our Franciscan values.

 

But current students and alumni of all ages and eras have far more in common than you might realize.

 

For throughout our history, Alvernia has offered valuable professional preparation while emphasizing the skills and perspectives rooted in liberal arts education. From our earliest years, inspired by our Bernardine Sisters, this has been a place of opportunity for students of all backgrounds (and ages), featuring talented, dedicated faculty and a caring campus community centered on the academic excellence characteristic of Catholic higher education and the inclusive values of our Franciscan heritage.

 

At a time when examples abound in our country and our world of unethical behavior and intolerant, even hateful, attitudes, we have adopted a “Commitment to Civil Dialogue and Freedom of Expression” and have been recognized nationally as a leader in interfaith initiatives. Our mission statement calls on Alvernia’s faculty and staff to help prepare today’s students to be “engaged citizens and ethical leaders with moral courage.”  This is indeed a lofty ideal, appropriately so given the legacy of our Sisters.  I am quite confident that students and alums alike are meeting the challenge I have given for the past 14 years to entering freshman and those sporting caps and gowns: “To Do Well and To Do Good.”

 

On June 30, I will step away from daily involvement in the work of the university, but I will not be leaving Alvernia behind. Reading has become a new home and the Alvernia University community and the Bernardine Franciscan congregation have become an extended family. And I will always root on the Golden Wolves and rejoice in the successes of our students and alums.

 

Peace and All Good, Tom Flynn