Collegium & Salve Regina University Faculty Mini-Collegium
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CollegiumNewsFall 2005 Volume 1/Issue 18 Collegium & Salve Regina University Member Institutions Boston College Campion College, Univ. of Regina Faculty Mini-Collegium Catholic University of America Chaminade University College of Mount Saint Vincent A Personal Account College of New Rochelle College of Notre Dame of Maryland Dr. Myra Ellen Edelstein, Graduate Program Director & Assistant Professor, Business Studies College of Saint Benedict Salve Regina University, Newport RI College of the Holy Cross DePaul University I have enjoyed many in multidisciplinary teams decision. As a young, DeSales University conferences and seminars on topics foreign to my area Jewish girl of only 12 years Dominican University Duquesne University throughout my career but of professional knowledge old I made the same Fairfield University one stands above the rest: and expertise. The Col- deliberate decision to Fontbonne University Attending the June 2002 legium experience was a attend Bishop Fenwick Fordham University Georgetown University Collegium. Through the life-enhancing and spiritu- High School in Peabody, Iona College Collegium experience I ally fulfilling week. I knew I Massachusetts (with my John Carroll University developed a better under- wanted to bring this magic parents’ approval of Le Moyne College Lewis University standing of the meaning of back to my campus. course!). As an adult, I Loyola College in Maryland Catholic identity for chose a career path that Some personal back- Loyola Marymount University institutions of higher would bring me back to Manhattan College ground so you better education. Collegium the Catholic educational Marquette University understand my firm Merrimack College raised my awareness and forum. The decision for commitment to the Mount Saint Mary’s University sensitivity toward mem- me was obvious; I appreci- Niagara University Collegium purpose and bers of the community who ate, admire and respect the Notre Dame de Namur University mission and how I helped Regis University are Catholic, non-Catholic sense of community that a bring that purpose and Rockhurst University Christians, and others for small, private Catholic Rosemont College mission back to my home whom a feeling of inclu- institution perpetuates. I Sacred Heart University campus. For me, joining Saint John’s University, Minnesota sion may be a concern. admire the commitment to the faculty of a small, Saint Joseph College, Connecticut The experience enhanced Catholic Social Teaching Saint Joseph’s University private, Catholic univer- my appreciation of working and the strong sense of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College sity was a deliberate Saint Mary’s College of California (continued on next page) Saint Mary’s University ○○○○○○○○ Saint Michael’s College ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Saint Norbert College Saint Paul’s College, University of Manitoba Saint Peter’s College, University of Saskatchewan Saint Thomas More College Saint Xavier University Salve Regina University Santa Clara University Seton Hall University Stonehill College Trinity College, D.C. University of Dayton University of Detroit Mercy University of Notre Dame University of Portland University of Saint Thomas University of San Diego University of San Francisco University of the Incarnate Word Collegium 2005 participants at College of the Holy Cross 1 Mini-Collegium (continued from previous page) mission and values the university Upon my return to Salve Regina and discussed implications such as community promotes. Essentially, I University, I immediately contacted Sr. service, mission, religious calling, joined the faculty of Salve Regina Leona Misto, Vice President for spirituality, values and mercy. As we University because of its Catholic Mission Integration and Planning. I are a Sisters of Mercy institution we heritage and commitment. was eager to have us develop our own discussed the meaning of mercy and “mini-Collegium” so that our faculty the role of the Mercy traditions in our Attending Collegium where the would have opportunities to share in heritage and our future. primary topic of discussion focused similar discussion to the national on preserving the Catholic identity of Thus, our Salve Regina University Collegium. Working with Sr. Leona our institutions as we pursue intellec- mini-Collegium was born – on a and the Mission Committee, we tual advancement in a secular world bitter cold January 2004 – where the discussed the possibility of planning a seemed an essential component of my warmth and caring of our colleagues mini-Collegium; an overnight, 24 hour commitment to my university and its helped us better understand each retreat where faculty could discuss mission. After all, if we fail to protect other and our roles at Salve Regina issues focusing on Catholic Social the Catholic identity of the university, University. At our inaugural meeting Teaching, preserving the Catholic we fail to protect the very reason we our President, Sr. Therese Antone, identity of our institution, and of choose to be an affiliate of that joined us to launch the event. In her course our own university’s mission. institution. At Salve Regina Univer- opening remarks she applauded us for sity, the Catholic identity and mission We took a solid year to plan our mini- gathering as a group of faculty of the Sisters of Mercy allows me to Collegium. We modeled our mini- specifically for the purpose of talk about issues in my business Collegium after the national meeting. discussing what it means to teach at a classes that may be almost taboo at Our planning committee consisted of Catholic university. I was so proud to other universities. For example, I can faculty who had attended the national hear her say those words as I knew discuss mercy, harmony, justice, Collegium, including myself, also a that this meeting was the result of my values, morals and ethics in a way that member of the University Mission overwhelmingly positive experience our institutional mission promotes. I Committee and our V.P Mission at Collegium! can discuss making business decisions Integration and Planning. We I am pleased to report that since that that are good for the community and developed our goals and objectives first retreat we have held two addi- the greater (even global) community for the mini-Collegium, again based tional retreats. A total of six faculty and not just the “bottom line.” To me, upon the model of the national have attended the national Collegium. mission integration in the classroom meeting. Our purpose was to plan a An additional 37 faculty have at- is essential in helping preserve the retreat for faculty who would be tended our mini-Collegium (34% of Catholic identity of the campus. interested in discussing what it means our full-time faculty!). Faculty who While I am comfortable with mission to teach at a Catholic institution and have participated in our event have integration, it was apparent from the the importance of preserving the indicated that it was interesting, Collegium that it is not always easy. Catholic identity of our institution. helpful, useful, worthwhile and Collegium demonstrated to me that The retreat itself would include time informative. Several of us have gained multidisciplinary groups of faculty for faculty to get to know each other a new and better understanding of learn from each other especially better on a more personal level, each other as individuals on a more around the issue of mission under- discussion of readings borrowed from personal level. Several of us have had standing and integration. the national meeting, a film, and time a chance to better know colleagues Throughout the week at Collegium for spiritual reflection and meditation affiliated with a variety of depart- our discussions often included and discussion of mission integration. ments across campus. conversation on how to bring some of At the time of our first retreat we had All in all, the national Collegium our Collegium learning and experi- four faculty who had attended the experience is one that is wonderful, ence back to our own campuses. We national Collegium and we had 13 magical and tremendously important brainstormed and debated how our faculty attend our retreat. We held in giving faculty a chance to better learning could and would be shared the retreat at a Catholic conference understand our great fortune in with our colleagues. This seemed a center and spent 24 hours together teaching at these special institutions. critical component to me as I know sharing our thoughts on readings Bringing that word home and sharing that preserving the Catholic identity (selected from among those we read it with your campus makes it even of our institution is crucial to our at Collegium); we watched Babette’s more meaningful! heritage, our future and our mission. Feast and most recently In America 2 RIP, Monika K. Hellwig (1929-2005) Friends of Monika Hellwig, recently retired as Director of the Association of Collegium Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU), died suddenly on September Donations 2004-05 30. Minor among her achievements, Thomas Anderson but important for Collegium, are the Br. Robert Berger, F.S.C. facts that she served as the very first Edwin Block Collegium speaker in 1994, and that Jayne Byrne as ACCU President she helped guide Una Cadegan the merger of Collegium with the Chaminade University ACCU and served on our board. College of St. Benedict Br. James Devlin Monica taught theology at Mary Ann Donnelly Georgetown for thirty years, ending Some of her published books