By Kristin Eck
Sometimes we need to pause and reflect, taking a moment to think about our mission.
Alvernia has long embraced mission moments, which are thoughts, stories, prayers, poems or inspired readings meant to connect students to the university’s Franciscan values. The tradition started in the 1990s during a first-year course with the help of the fittingly named treats, M&Ms.
The university’s core values are an essential vehicle for educating students about the university’s Catholic Franciscan identity and appreciation for its founding women.
“The Bernardine Franciscan Sisters never talked about the mission — they lived it,” recalled Sister Rosemary Stets, OSF ’71.
Living the mission was a clear vision for the Sisters, but what became apparent was connecting their values and stories into an experience that students would carry with them. Mission moments started with a little bag of M&M candy treats placed on the students’ desks. The M&M candy was a symbol inspired by Alvernia’s motto “to learn, to love, to serve,” Stets said.
The tradition blossomed, as the students enjoyed eating the treats while listening to contemplations about Franciscan values. Though the mission moments were initially faculty led, the students soon took over.
“Sometimes with all the activity, the soul can get lost,” Stets said. “The mission moment helps students reconnect with their inner selves, offering space to reset, reflect and slow down before diving into their academic responsibilities.”
As students and faculty embraced this new tradition, opening classes and meetings with the reflections, it became apparent that Alvernia needed a place to store them. The first edition of “Mission Moments: Reflections From the Alvernia Community” was printed in 2008 to celebrate Alvernia’s 50th anniversary. The book’s second edition, released in 2024 to commemorate the 65th anniversary, featured reflections from students, faculty, staff and alumni.
“Alvernia launched the Reframing the Institutional Saga project, which supported the second book from a multi-year grant from the Lilly Endowment through Network for Vocation and Undergraduate Education (NetVUE),” said President Glynis A. Fitzgerald, Ph.D. “It offered an opportunity to reflect on the past while elevating new voices.”
But books aren’t the only way Alvernia extends accessibility and engagement on campus. With the suggestion of retired Executive Assistant to the Provost Sharon Blair and Director of Creative Services Lynn Gano, Alvernia created an interactive kiosk display at its Hill Campus, aided by Instructional Technology Faculty Support Manager Jon King.
“Alvernia takes pride in honoring our past while continually finding innovative new ways to embrace the future,” said Fitzgerald. “The new interactive kiosks are a perfect example of the university updating these timeless reflections to appeal to newer generations.”
The kiosk display allows users to explore mission moments and view sidebars that provide links to biographies, interviews and videos.
“The kiosk will provide visitors an opportunity to take a self-guided tour through the history of Francis Hall and the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters and read through the updated version of the book,” King said. “Visitors who choose to follow the path into the book can navigate through the sections and read the individual submissions from faculty, staff, board members and university presidents — or, in many cases, tap a little play button
and hear the author read it for you.”
Utilizing technology to update these collections of reflections helps to carry the tradition beyond the university. A mission moment from Associate Professor of Education Mary B. Schreiner, Ph.D., best sums this up:
“From my experience, doing a mission moment in whatever form you are comfortable with will not only help you grow personally and spiritually but ... will also touch and make better the lives of the students entrusted to your care, using just a moment of your time.”
The Council of Independent Colleges is grateful to Lilly Endowment Inc. for its generous support of this program.
