SLU Trustees, Faculty, Staff, Students, Parents and Benefactors FROM: Lawrence Biondi, S.J., President

One Grand Boulevard St. Louis, MO 63103 Phone: 314-977-7777 Fax: 314-977-7105 www.slu.edu

Office of the President

February 27, 2013

TO: SLU Trustees, Faculty, Staff, Students, Parents and Benefactors FROM: Lawrence Biondi, S.J., President

Over the past weeks and months, I have spent a considerable amount of time reflecting on the issues that have divided us during this academic year. I have prayed for guidance and wisdom. I have talked to many people, and I have received advice from many corners.

I am acutely aware that the past several months have been difficult for all of us in the SLU community. I admit that some of the things that have been said have hurt me personally, but even more have hurt our wonderful University. I say this not to point fingers of blame, but to acknowledge reality. All of us, including me, must find new ways to move forward in more collaborative and conciliatory ways. As President, I should lead that effort, and I am.

To those of you who have been critical of my leadership, I have listened. While I do not agree with everything that has been said, my reflection leads me to see that it can’t be business as usual going forward. I am committed to being part of the solution; to working more closely with those around our campus who say that their voices are not being heard. I can’t promise that we’ll always agree, but I can promise a sincere desire to rebuild the bridges that have been damaged and to move our University forward. OUR University.

I have never viewed the progress SLU has made during the past 25 years as my own doing. Rather, SLU has progressed because of all of us, including our wonderful students who have graduated and gone on to do great things in our world. Our alumni make us proud, and they tell the world who we truly are at Saint Louis University.

I love SLU. I know that each of you loves SLU, too. I ask only that we find a way to use this love that binds us to take us to better days. With God’s help and a commitment from all of us, there are no limits to what we can achieve.

Now, I would like to share some University updates.

COMPENSATION In my Fiscal Year 2014 budget message I indicated that we had established a 4- percent ($9.8 million) compensation pool in the operating educational budget for faculty and staff salaries and benefits.

Today, I am pleased to report that the FY14 compensation pool is being increased by approximately $3.6 million, for a total compensation pool of 5.5 percent or $13.4 million.

This pool will be used to fund performance-based merit increases, minimum salary grade adjustments for staff, and faculty promotions. In addition, faculty salary compression issues will be addressed.

With the assistance of an external consultant, the Human Resources Division recently completed a market analysis of staff positions at the University. Findings from this study were presented to the President’s Coordinating Council and the deans. Effective immediately, we have adopted a new salary structure and salary guidelines for staff that are based on market data and input from the vice presidents and deans.

In addition, the Academic Affairs Division has completed a preliminary analysis of faculty compensation using discipline-specific data obtained from various sources, including the deans. The Faculty Senate Compensation and Benefits Committee is engaged with Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs Ellen Harshman and Vice President for Human Resources Ken Fleischmann to begin reviewing parameters for completing the study, which is expected to be finished in late April or early May.

Going forward, we plan to conduct salary reviews and market analyses on an annual basis, which will help inform our compensation planning in the future.

As I wrote previously, compensation was a top priority for the President’s Coordinating Council and the deans during our FY14 budget planning. Increasing our compensation pool to approximately $13.4 million reflects our commitment to attracting and retaining the very best faculty and staff to serve our students, our patients and our University.

Providing merit-based compensation increases and comparative market analysis of faculty and staff salaries are very important. Equally important are controlling costs and finding new creative, effective and efficient ways of using our annual operating budgets to better serve our students and care for our patients.

Although the economic climate in our country is slowly improving, we must all — without fear — think “outside of the box” to create new, academically viable programs, as well as inter- and intra-disciplinary programs. Reasonable controlled costs and high quality academic curricula and programs go hand in glove.

Keeping our eyes always focused on our Jesuit Mission and our Vision of becoming the finest Catholic, Jesuit University in the United States is paramount to all of our coordinated and communal efforts.

SEARCHES FOR ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS In the academic division of the University we have interim leadership positions that are in various stages of resolution. The search for the new dean for the School of Law is nearing its conclusion. Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs Ellen Harshman and I have met with the search committee and have received their report.

There are interim deans at the Doisy College of Health Sciences and the College of Education and Public Service, and we have an interim University Librarian. Dr. Harshman will move forward with broad-based stakeholder involvement to identify candidates for these units as quickly as is reasonably possible.

Regarding the College of Education and Public Service, you will recall that the School of Social Work joined the School of Public Health to form a new college — the College for Public Health and Social Justice — so Education faculty members are working on a reorganization and redefinition of their area.

In addition, a search committee will be formed soon for the vice president for academic affairs position. All of the search committees for these positions will be appointed before May 1, 2013, and will include representation from the Faculty Senate, Student Government Association and Staff Advisory Committee, as well as other representatives from around the University.

Finally, the search committee has been formed for the vice president and chief information officer position and will hold its first meeting this week.

SHARED GOVERNANCE INITIATIVES I wish to update you about the progress on the six initiatives that were agreed to by the Board of Trustees and the Faculty Senate. The initiatives are designed to 3

continue to increase and enhance collaboration among the faculty, students, staff, trustees and administration. The following are status reports on the six initiatives:

1. The president of the Faculty Senate will appear before the Board of Trustees annually to share the faculty’s perspectives, insights and concerns with the Board.

Update: During the Board of Trustees meeting on February 9, 2013, President-Elect of the Faculty Senate Jane Turner spoke to the Board to present the faculty’s concerns. There was spirited, but polite, discussion between trustees and Dr. Turner following her remarks. While the trustees do not agree with all of the Faculty Senate’s perspectives, as presented by Dr. Turner, there was agreement that ongoing collaboration on the six initiatives should continue.

Related to this initiative, the president of the Student Government Association will make a presentation on the students’ interests and concerns during the Board’s May 4, 2013, meeting. In addition, the chair of the Staff Advisory Committee will present staff members’ interests and concerns during the Board meeting in May.

2. Representatives of the Board and the administration will meet annually with the Faculty Senate to report on the state of the University.

Update: The chairman of the Board, Thomas Brouster, and I — along with the University’s senior leaders — will make a presentation during the April 2013 meeting of the Faculty Senate.

3. The Board will review the current roles of the faculty, student and staff representatives on Board Committees to assure effective participation.

Update: In an effort led by Trustee Kathy Osborn, who is a member of the task force of the Board’s Executive Committee, a review has been made of representation by faculty, staff and students on the committees of the Board of Trustees.

Below is Trustee Osborn’s report on that review in its entirety:

TO: Tom Brouster, Chairman of the St. Louis University Board of Trustees

FROM: Kathy Osborn, Trustee and member of the Executive Committee

DATE: February 19, 2013

The Charge: Chairman Brouster asked me to: “review the roles of faculty, student, and staff representatives on standing Board committees to establish and assure effective participation in future 4

meetings. The chairs of Board Committees will consult with Kathy Osborn, a member of the Executive Committee, in this matter. Guidelines for Board Committee meetings including the level of involvement of faculty, staff and student representatives will be defined and discussed with the chairs and with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee.”

Background: The Bylaws of Saint Louis University, after providing for an Executive Committee in Article II, Section 7, continues in Section 8: “The Board of Trustees shall create and establish such other committees, boards, and councils as the management of the affairs of the University as the Board shall, from time to time, determine.” It goes on to say that the Board can discontinue such committees as need determines. Further the board determines the duties and functions of those committees.

Currently there are the following Board Committees:

Academic Affairs Committee Audit Committee Buildings and Grounds Committee

Clinical Affairs Committee Development and Community Executive Committee Affairs Committee

Finance Committee Human Resources Committee Investment Committee

Legal and Legislative Affairs Marketing and Branding Mission and Ministry Committee Committee Committee

Nominating Committee Research Committee Student Development Committee

I asked Committee Chairs to give me feedback on the actual representation on their committees and the level of participation of the representatives. I also discussed with committee chairs the climate of the committee in terms of encouraging participation and then actually having participation. In addition I asked for their recommendations to improve the committees.

General Findings: Most committees have representation from the Faculty Senate, Staff and Student Associations. However, there was some confusion about who represents what group. Often the administrative liaison to the committee was thought to be the representative of one of the 3 groups. A few committees have more limited representation and a few committees currently have no representation: Audit, Nominating, Marketing and Branding, and Legal and Legislative Affairs. The Marketing and Branding Committee is a new committee, and the committee chair has already requested that the administrative liaison solicit representation from the three

University constituencies. The Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee has not had representation because the majority of the committee meeting focuses on matters that are confidential in the attorney-client relationship. The Research Committee has one administrative liaison – the Vice president for Research - and two faculty representatives and although the committee initially limited representation, it would now welcome staff and student association members; it currently does not have a trustee chair because of a relocation of the former committee chair.

Trustees who chair the committees with constituent representation reported that participants attend meetings and are actively engaged in the work of the committees. Many trustees reported a collegial relationship that has developed between the representatives and the trustee members of the committees. All committee chairs welcomed involvement and gave suggestions for how to work more collaboratively. It should be noted that only a few committees, on rare occasions, have called for executive sessions for trustees only. In those limited cases, it was to discuss confidential matters.

In most cases, trustees reported that the administrative liaison developed the agenda, but in some cases the committee chairs were consulted in advance as to the agenda. All committee chairs welcomed committee members bringing up items to consider, but in some cases had not routinely asked for such suggestions. Evidently some representatives felt they could not talk to the trustee chair directly and needed to go through the administrative liaison. Although that practice in most cases makes sense, trustee chairs welcomed dialogue directly with committee members. Further, committee chairs wanted their work to be open and transparent, except in confidential matters.

The current system has many positive components and seems to have allowed for faculty, staff and students input for Committee decisions. It appears though that there is an opportunity to use this structure to more thoughtfully enlist input and encourage dialogue on pressing issues. 1

Recommendations: 1. Continue to support the current practice of Faculty Senate, Staff and Student Association representation on committees.

2. Define for committee chairs the role of the Administrative liaison vs. faculty, staff or student representatives.

3. Identify representatives for the Marketing and Branding Committee.

4. Identify a staff representative for the Buildings and Grounds Committee.

1 A November 2012 survey of AJCU institutions for which 23 institutions responded indicates that SLU has among the most University constituent-inclusive trustee committee structure of all the respondents. 6

5. Identify staff and student representatives for the Research Committee. Identify a trustee chair for the committee.

6. Administrative liaisons to Board Committees should work collaboratively with trustee chairs on the meeting agendas.

7. All committees have an administrative liaison assigned to staff the committee. The administrative liaison is a member of the Administration. Their responsibilities in staffing the committees include management of the logistical details of the meetings, preparing the agenda and providing for the minutes of the meeting. Currently, faculty, staff or student representatives are encouraged to go through that liaison to talk to the trustee chairs outside of the meetings. Going forward for most of the work of the committee, this arrangement makes sense, but board committee chairs recommended that the faculty, staff and student representatives contact them directly if so desired.

8. Trustee chairs will continue to elicit committee members input on agendas and encourage members to be open in their comments, even on tough or controversial matters.

9. Faculty Senate, Staff Advisory Committee and Student Government Association representatives should annually give updates or reports from their associations on matters pertinent to the committee’s charge.

10. The staff, faculty and student representatives should be routinely reporting back to their groups on the matters that came to the committee that are not deemed to be confidential as determined by the chair. This is an ideal vehicle to more broadly communicate to the Staff Advisory Committee, the Faculty Senate and the Student Government Association the work of the Board of Trustees and the committees.

11. Trustee chairs are encouraged when issues in committees arise to report those issues to the Executive Committee for consideration.

12. Certain topics as determined in the discretion of the committee chair may be appropriate for an executive session of the committee with the session to include those persons designated by the chair at that time.

13. Trustees have a fiduciary responsibility for the governance of the University and value the input of non-trustee committee members; therefore when votes are called for in committee proceedings, non-trustees will be invited to provide input concerning the matter and that input will be recorded in the minutes of the meeting, but shall not vote.

14. The Nominating Committee should remain a trustee-only committee.

Summary: In summary, trustee chairs report a high level of rapport and openness on Board Committees and are open to further develop that easy exchange of ideas. In all instances where 7

representation was lacking, the committee chairs were open to more representation. With regard to legal, financial or other confidential matters, some further due diligence will be needed because of significant confidentiality challenges. The Board Committees are the primary vehicle for the Board to oversee and to engage in the life of the University. The chairs of the committees time and time again reported that their committees were working well and that they will strive to be even more open and transparent with committee participants.

Given this excellent report by Ms. Osborn, the following committees of the Board will welcome representatives of the faculty, staff and students:

• Buildings and Grounds Committee: One staff member to join the faculty and students already appointed to this committee. • Marketing and Branding Committee: One faculty, one staff member and one student to join this committee. • Research Committee: One staff member and one student to join the two faculty already appointed to this committee.

If you are interested in serving as a representative on these committees, please contact the following individuals: • Faculty Senate President Mark Knuepfer for faculty representatives • SAC Chair Sue Stevens for staff representatives • SGA President Blake Exline for student representatives

It should be noted that the trustees have welcomed faculty, staff and student representation on various standing committees of the Board for more than 15 years.

4. The Faculty Senate will support and participate in development of an annual assessment of the University community, conducted by an external and independent organization. The purpose of this process is to provide the Board with a holistic understanding of the interests and concerns of the faculty, staff and student communities within the University.

Update: This effort is being led by Trustee Patrick Sly. He is chairing a task force comprised of representatives of the Faculty Senate, SGA, SAC and the Administration: Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs Ellen Harshman, SGA President Blake Exline, Vice President for Human Resources Ken Fleischmann, General Counsel Bill Kauffman, Faculty Senate President Mark Knuepfer, Associate Professor of Nursing Gerlyn Meyer, SAC Chair Sue Stevens and Professor of Education Douglas Rush. The committee held its first meeting on February 25 to begin organizing the project. You may expect to hear more about this effort in the coming months.

5. The Board and the Faculty Senate will support the ongoing work of the Faculty Manual Revision Task Force.

Update: The task force members are current Faculty Senate leaders Mark Knuepfer and Jane Turner; past Senate leaders John Griesbach, Miriam Joseph, Joanne Langan and Ian Redmount; General Counsel Bill Kauffman; and Vice President for Human Resources Ken Fleischmann. This group has met four times since the December Board of Trustees meeting, and as of this week, is moving to weekly meetings. The focus of these collaborative discussions has been on shared governance and how to improve its effectiveness at the University. Various models from other universities have been reviewed, and efforts are under way to develop principles of shared governance to be used to guide future work.

6. The Faculty Senate and the Board will explore opportunities to develop a process to affirm support for effective shared governance and address long-term trends affecting the academic life of the University.

Update: Action on this point will be determined by the results of the climate survey.

It is important to note that our Board of Trustees has undertaken all six of these initiatives with the best interests of the University in mind. And it will continue to do so in the months ahead. As President, I look forward to this important work in collaboration with the vice presidents and deans, along with the leaders of the Faculty Senate, Student Government Association and the Staff Advisory Committee.

SHARED GOVERNANCE AT OTHER JESUIT INSTITUTIONS As we continue to work collaboratively and constructively to enhance shared governance at all levels across the University, it seems worthwhile to examine how students, faculty and staff are involved in the governance of our sister Jesuit colleges and universities.

As noted in Trustee Osborn’s report, in November 2012, Paul Stark, S.J., Vice President for Mission and Ministry, reached out to the 27 other Jesuit institutions in the United States and asked to share the level of student, faculty and staff participation in shared governance matters, including representation on their boards of trustees.

Father Stark learned that at none of our fellow Jesuit colleges or universities do students, faculty or staff members serve as trustees. Five of the Jesuit schools reported that the leadership of the faculty and students may attend full board meetings, but only as observers.

Among the respondents, 15 institutions indicated that faculty, staff and students sit on certain board committees or are allowed to attend committee meetings. None of these representatives are permitted to vote. In a couple of instances, only faculty are invited to participate.

While it is important that faculty, staff members and students serve on committees, it is just as critical that those representatives report to their constituencies on the discussions that take place during the meetings. Sharing this information to enhance the process of shared governance at all levels across the University is critically important to provide a clearer picture of our operations.

JOE AND LORETTA SCOTT LAW CENTER Renovations are well under way at the future home of our School of Law — the Joe and Loretta Scott Law Center — in downtown St. Louis at the corner of Tucker and Market boulevards.

When completed, the Scott Law Center will feature technology-centric classrooms, a two-level library, the John K. Pruellage Courtroom, the Anheuser-Busch Student Commons, enclosed parking, and a rooftop patio with views of the St. Louis Arch.

Clayco Inc. is currently working on interior finishes, including ductwork, sprinkler lines, electrical materials, drywall, doorframes, ceilings, painting and tile installation in the restrooms. Construction is about two weeks ahead of schedule.

We have also added a 12th floor — originally constructed in 1965, the building was built to accommodate additional structural levels. Crews have installed the exterior steel and have moved on to installing a curtain wall system, a non-load bearing element that features an aluminum-framed wall containing in-fills of glass and metal panels.

Situated in the heart of the city’s legal and civic community, this optimal location will offer our students many new opportunities to enhance their educational experience, especially working with the various judiciaries in the downtown area.

The new location also will help strengthen the services we provide to the community through our Legal Clinics. Every year, our Law faculty and students generously contribute 53,000 hours of legal services, worth an estimated $7.2 million. Many of the Clinics’ clients already travel downtown to access government services and other assistance programs, so this new location will be more convenient.

The move also continues to be lauded by local civic and business leaders. The St. Louis Business Journal recently ran a front-page story about our Law School project. 10

In the article, Professor of Law Michael Wolff, chairman of the Law School’s building committee, discussed the many positive aspects of the move. Moreover, a number of local developers expressed their excitement that more than 1,100 SLU Law students, faculty and staff are heading downtown. I would like to share just a few of their comments:

• “When the SLU announcement came, it was a glorious day,” said developer Pete Rothschild.

• “The law school just supercharged everything,” said Steve Smith, President and CEO of the Lawrence Group.

• “There’s a halo effect that’s occurring related to SLU,” said Scott Miller, a downtown building owner and President of Marketing Matters.

Although the primary reason for the move is to create a space that truly reflects the outstanding teaching and scholarship taking place in our Law School, it is heartening that we can once again inspire economic development in our metropolitan community through our progress. It is one of the reasons we have remained an urban university for nearly 200 years.

The $30 million Scott Law Center renovation project is expected to be completed by July 2013.

CENTER FOR GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP Renovations are also under way for our Center for Global Citizenship project. McCarthy Building Companies Inc. is renovating 70,000 square feet in our Bauman- Eberhardt Building — formerly the West Pine Gym.

When completed, the Center will feature a large student commons, a 1,000-seat, high-tech auditorium, state-of-the-art conference rooms that have worldwide teleconferencing abilities, a classroom dedicated to supporting international teaching, and a café-style restaurant that will feature international cuisine.

A high-tech bridge with a video screen comprised of 25 separate LCDs and a retracting curtain has been located at the former half court, dividing the space in two. Construction crews have completed the steel work for the bridge, and have poured the concrete for stairs and a ramp. New windows also have been installed, and painting has been completed.

I should note that our own Billiken Construction Crew is working on the support office suites located in the facility, including installing drywall, door frames and ceiling materials. 11

The $8 million Center for Global Citizenship renovation projected is scheduled to be completed by May 2013.

BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT PROGRAM On February 12, 2013, we signed a definitive agreement with SLU Hospital, which is the final step in our organizations’ new Bone Marrow Transplant Program.

The program was launched by the SLU Hospital-Tenet Healthcare in December, with SLUCare providing the professional and medical directorship services. The program is housed in the $3 million Center for Blood and Marrow Transplantation that is located within our SLU Cancer Center.

The agreement that we signed outlines the joint direction of the program and the financial relationship between our organizations. It also includes specific performance expectations relative to patient care, service levels and quality.

I would like to thank the many SLU physicians and administrators who have worked on this important effort.

SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY COUNCIL Our Sustainability Advisory Council has met twice since being formed last fall. The Council is co-chaired by Diana Carlin, Associate Vice President for Graduate Education and Interim Director of the Center for Sustainability; and Kathleen Brady, Vice President for Facilities Services and Civic Affairs.

Other members include:

• Elizabeth Alberty (SGA) • Kathy Barbeau (Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology) • Clayton Berry (Marketing and Communications) • Evelyn Shields-Benford (Student Development) • David Grabe (Financial Planning and Budget) • Keith Hacke (Information Technology Services) • David Heimburger (Business and Finance) • Stacey Harrington (Academic Affairs) • Jeff Hovey (Business Services) • Melena Abi Jaoude (Student, John Cook School of Business) • Ed Kidd (Event Services) • Kelley Krejnik (Graduate Student, Center for Sustainability) • Sheila Manion (University Development) • Yvonne McCool (School of Nursing) • Lynda Morrison (Molecular Microbiology and Immunology) 12

• Paul Stark, S.J. (Mission and Ministry) • Caeden Sweet (Graduate Student, Center for Sustainability) • Brandon Verhoff (Service Operations) • Josh Walehwa (Housing and Residence Life) • Peg Weathers (Community Relations) • Doug Williams (School of Law)

Modeled after a successful effort at the University of Kansas, SLU’s Sustainability Advisory Council is charged with helping increase sustainability awareness at the University. The group is also examining ways to improve our ratings from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). SLU currently has a Bronze rating through the association’s Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment and Rating System program, more commonly known as STARS.

Related to the Council, collaboration between Facilities Services and the Center for Sustainability continues to strengthen. SLU recently placed single-stream recycling receptacles by outdoor trash cans throughout the St. Louis campus.

As a reminder, single-stream recycling means that you can deposit all paper, metal, plastic and glass recyclables in the same receptacle. This includes all items containing no more than 5 percent of food debris and all plastics numbered 1 thru 7.

To learn more about SLU’s efforts to enhance recycling and reduce waste, visit http://www.slu.edu/facilities-services-home/slustainability/recycling-and-waste- reduction.

And don’t forget SLU is currently competing in “Recyclemania 2013.” Now through the end of March, we are striving to collect more single-stream and e-waste recycling than any other college or university in the nation. To learn more, visit http://www.slu.edu/facilities-services-home/slustainability/recycling-and-waste- reduction/recyclemania/recyclemania-2013.

NATIONAL HONORS FOR CAMPUS TREE PROGRAM SLU has been recognized as a 2012 Tree Campus by the Arbor Day Foundation. Launched in 2008, the national program honors colleges and universities and their leaders for promoting healthy trees and engaging students and staff in the spirit of conservation.

To obtain this distinction, we met the five core standards for sustainable campus forestry required by Tree Campus USA, including establishing a tree advisory committee and sponsoring student service-learning projects. As part of this effort, 111 new trees were planted on the St. Louis campus in 2012.

Members of our SLU Tree Advisory Team are:

• Jim Anthony (Grounds Services) • Mildred Mattfeldt-Berman (Nutrition and Dietetics) • Jeff Macko (Grounds Services) • Darion Mayhorn (SGA) • Keith McCune (Facilities Management) • Allison Miller (Biology) • Shawn Nordell (Biology) • Charlotte Royeen (Doisy College) • Clint Tucker (Grounds Services) • Tyler Yess (SGA)

I would like to thank these individuals for providing valuable input on the care and improvement of our campus landscape, particularly the health of our tree population. I would also like to acknowledge Jim Morrison, an urban forester with the City of St. Louis Forestry Division, for his assistance in this endeavor.

SUMMER AT SLU We have launched a new initiative designed to build community awareness of the many activities occurring on the St. Louis campus between May and August.

“Summer At SLU” will highlight our numerous camps and academic opportunities for K-12 students; encourage high school and college students to take advantage of summer course offerings; and promote SLU as a destination for national and local conferences and events.

The goal of the effort is to increase the number of visitors to our St. Louis campus, the amount of revenue generated through summer activities and the level of community engagement with our University. We also hope many future Billikens will have an opportunity to experience our beautiful Midtown campus, including our classrooms, labs, libraries, museums, athletic facilities and meeting spaces.

In addition to all of the planned summer camps, academies, conferences, courses, events, programs and workshops, new offerings are being added to appeal to a wider audience.

Troy P. Turnipseed (Director of Summer At SLU) and William Perkins (Program Director for Pre-College and Access Programs) are working together to bring all of our summer activities in St. Louis under one umbrella. If you or your department have an idea for a summer program and/or are interested in developing one, contact Troy at 314-977-7779 or [email protected].

A comprehensive, 30-page “Summer At SLU” program guide is being mailed to 22,000 families across Metro St. Louis. In addition, 2,500 copies are being provided to area elementary, middle and high schools.

For more information about this new initiative, visit http://www.slu.edu/summer.

ADMITTED STUDENT AND ALUMNI MASS AND RECEPTION PROGRAM As I mentioned in my FY14 Budget Message, student recruitment is a responsibility we all share. There may be no greater selling point for our prospective students than to meet our successful alumni.

For several years, our Office of Alumni Relations has partnered with our Division of Enrollment and Retention Management to assist in student recruitment. One of our most recent successes is our Admitted Student and Alumni Mass and Reception program.

Hosted in cities across the country, these events provide an opportunity for former and future students to come together in prayer and fellowship. Graduates are able to reconnect with friends and former classmates, while admitted students and their families see firsthand the supportive SLU community that awaits them. Attendance has been very strong. Our Chicago program drew more than 300 attendees, while events in Houston and Denver drew 110 and 75 attendees respectively.

Our next Admitted Student and Alumni Mass and Reception event will be on March 16, 2013, at Creighton Preparatory School in in Omaha, Nebraska.

CHAIFETZ ARENA Chaifetz Arena was second-busiest university-owned arena in the world during the 2012 calendar year, according to the concert industry publication Pollstar Magazine. Our arena was No. 87 overall.

Patrons purchased 137,996 tickets during 2012. Only the 14,883-seat Save Mart Center on the campus of Fresno State University sold more tickets during the past year. It should be noted that tickets sold to Billiken basketball games and other sporting events were not included in Pollstar’s rankings.

Chaifetz Arena attracted a wide range of successful events during 2012. The year was highlighted by several major music concerts, including Blake Shelton, the Black Keys and Phish. The Arena also hosted popular family events, such as “Disney on Ice Presents Treasure Trove,” “Cirque du Soleil: Quidam,” and “Batman Live.”

Although it has been open for less than five years, Chaifetz Arena has become one of the premier university facilities in the world. It is gratifying that the arena has been embraced by our St. Louis Metropolitan community in such a significant way.

HOTEL IGNACIO According to year-end numbers, the occupancy levels at Hotel Ignacio have doubled from 2011 to 2012, while the Average Daily Rate remained steady. (ADR is calculated by dividing room revenue by the number of rooms sold.) Both are important indicators of success.

Named one of 2012’s “Best New Romantic Hotels” by About.com, Hotel Ignacio also has tripled its wedding business during the first quarter of 2013 compared to the same period two years ago.

In addition, we recently renovated a meeting room on the ground floor — complete with state-of-the-art technology and flexible furnishings — that has already attracted additional local and national corporate business.

DID YOU KNOW? It goes without saying that strong presence on the web is absolutely essential to promoting the University across the globe. With that in mind, here are some impressive figures about SLU’s digital footprint.

• There are more than 50,000 pages on the SLU website. • There were 21,912,202 page views of slu.edu in 2012. • There were 2,325,407 unique visitors to slu.edu in 2012. • There are more than 250 official University social media accounts. • SLU’s official Facebook account (www.facebook.com/SaintLouisU) has more than 13,800 “likes” which is a nearly 75-percent increase over the same period last year. • There were 2,961 visits to BeABilliken.com from January 1 to 7, 2013, eclipsing the previous record (1,990) set during our NCAA Tournament appearances in 2012. • There are 283 users affiliated with the University’s Content Management System (CMS).

MISSION AND MINISTRY I would like to take a few moments to reflect on the outstanding efforts of our Division of Mission and Ministry to strengthen our Catholic, Jesuit identity and our University Mission.

Mission and Ministry participates in the monthly new employee orientations, SLU 101 programming for new students and their families, and presentations in the fall and spring for new faculty. The division publishes a weekly “Mission Matters” column in the SLU Newslink email, reflecting on a wide variety of topics. There is also a Mission and Ministry presence on many University-wide committees and panels.

Through daily dedicated care at the Saint Louis University Hospital, Pastoral Care chaplains not only work directly with patients and their families, but also with physicians and other health care professionals — at the hospital and in our School of Medicine — to provide comprehensive care that reflects our Mission, our identity and our care for the whole person.

Pastoral Care also trains and educates chaplains, seminarians and lay theology students to serve in other medical facilities in, and beyond, St. Louis. Pastoral Care serves as a training base for medical students, and deacon-aspirants in the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

In addition, the division oversees the Clinical Pastoral Education program, which develops skills for pastoral care for people in parish work, chaplaincy, lay ecclesial ministry, teaching, counseling and other forms of ministry.

Through direct student contact, presentations and programs, the Department of Campus Ministry serves and supports a broad variety of SLU students — Catholic, Christian and other faith traditions.

Ongoing Campus Ministry activities include the weekly student Mass in St. Francis Xavier College Church, Mass in the residence halls, the Mass of the Holy Spirit and the Baccalaureate Mass.

The department also oversees the Christian Life Communities with more than 200 student participants, Bible study groups, spring break immersion trips and Greeks Rooted in Prayer. In addition, Campus Ministry hosts numerous retreats, including the Urban Plunge program, which provides hands-on experience related to the realities affecting the poor and marginalized in St. Louis. Campus Ministry also provides a year-long internship program for four students, designed to prepare them for ministry in a church/faith community.

Reaching beyond traditional programming, Campus Ministry sponsors a well- subscribed Social Justice and Advocacy Training Series, developing students to become real agents for change in the Jesuit tradition, regardless of their faith traditions. The Eckelkamp Center for Campus Ministry in Wuller Hall is also home to Interfaith Alliance as well as many affiliate ministers representing faith traditions in the St. Louis metropolitan area. 17

To reach even more students and to respond to their needs, Campus Ministry has taken to using social media, including Facebook and Twitter, to provide additional resources and information about its programming.

In a concerted effort to pursue truth for the greater glory of God and for the service of humanity — the University’s mission — and to promote the service of faith and the promotion of justice — arguably the Jesuit mission — the Division of Mission and Ministry works to touch the lives of students, faculty, staff, patients and alumni, on and off campus.

And while the Division of Mission and Ministry takes a leading role in this vital effort, it does not do it alone. Our Catholic, Jesuit identity is clearly the foundation of who we are as a university. All of us share the responsibility to understand, to practice and to participate in making that foundation even stronger.

JESUIT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION In 1987, when I arrived at Saint Louis University, I noted that we needed to strengthen the Jesuit presence on campus to better promote the University’s Mission, especially in the area of social justice.

Two years later, in 1989, we launched the Jesuit Affirmative Action program. Since then, we have attracted more than 83 Jesuits from around the United States and the world. These men have come to Saint Louis University to use their God-given talents to enhance our Mission and to preserve our Jesuit character and identity.

Over the years, these Jesuits have also mentored and motivated our lay faculty and staff so they, too, can embrace our Jesuit tradition and carry on the educational legacy of St. Ignatius and his vision of serving God by helping others.

BILLIKEN BASKETBALL It is certainly an exciting time to be a men’s basketball fan. The energy inside Chaifetz Arena has been electric, with capacity crowds. I have been particularly pleased to see our special student section so full. (And so vocal!)

And speaking of our student fans, the SLUnatics received a message from a Butler fan following last Friday’s game in Indiana. I thought I would share it with you.

“I attended the Butler/St Louis game on Friday night and was sitting just behind your student body. … When I saw the volume of students at the game I was worried that it would turn into another ugly scene. … Not only was your student body polite and respectful, they actually made the game more enjoyable with their chants and cheers. Being in the rafters at Hinkle, listening to both student bodies yell and scream for their team was a 18

wonderful experience. You should be proud of the students and staff that made the trip over. So many times we hear about how bad students can get at these games. Last Friday was not one of those times. Good luck the rest of the year.”

I, like so many Billiken fans, could not agree more. As of this writing, the team has gone on a thrilling nine-game winning streak, and is No. 1 in the Atlantic 10 Conference and No. 18 in the nation. But any great sports story is about much more than victories and rankings; it’s about overcoming adversity.

On December 1, 2012, the team lost Head Coach Rick Majerus, who had been on leave while battling major health issues. The players’ grief was clearly evident during the moving memorial service we held for Rick on December 8, 2012, in Chaifetz Pavilion.

But rather than succumbing to their grief, our players rallied around each other and their Interim Head Coach Jim Crews. And the Billiken nation — here in St. Louis and around the world — rallied around them too.

As we continue to cheer on the Billikens and hope to see them in post-season play, let us be inspired by their ability to face adversity and to triumph.

Some of the team’s resolve is surely attributable to the guidance and support of Team Chaplain Eugene Grollmes, S.J. For 23 years, Father Grollmes has helped mentor hundreds of our student-athletes by offering counseling, assisting in their academic development and providing a Jesuit presence in the Department of Athletics. Father Grollmes was honored during halftime of the February 16, 2013, game against Charlotte. I know I join countless Billiken fans in thanking him for his dedication.

IN CLOSING Now that we have entered the holy season of Lent, I know that many of you have given something up. Sacrifice is important because it connects us with the very reason for Lent — preparing for Christ’s resurrection.

But rather than only giving something up, I also encourage you to join the growing number of Christians who “take on” and “give back” something that challenges them or improves their spirits. This is a great way to honor Lent’s call for self- examination and renewal.

In addition, I hope you are reading the spiritual reflections from our University community that are being shared each day in the SLU Newslink “Daily Update.” You

can read all of the Lenten Reflections and access other Lenten resources by visiting http://www.slu.edu/blogs/lent/.

Whatever you do during these holy days, I hope you will spend this Lent preparing your heart for the joy of Easter.

May God continue bless you and your loved ones.