UNIVE R SITY SacredHeartSPRING 2009 :: INCLUDING 2008 ANNUAL REPORT Piece by Piece Throughout the ages, the faithful have been inspired to pray and reflect in holy houses adorned with mosaic murals depicting inspirational stories. Few people, however, are as privileged as those at Sacred Heart who witnessed the ancient tradition of artfully arranging stones, glass and tiles to create these murals. :: FROM THE PRESIDENT IN HIS WORDS :: Dear Friends, our largest, most talented freshman class in history, while continuing to award financial During a year of extraordinary challenges, aid to over 90 percent of our undergraduates. we are grateful to be able to bring you good We also introduced the Discovery Scholars news—and hope for a better future. Program this year to provide tuition-free In our annual report for 2007-2008, you education for low-income students from will find inspiration in the success stories Fairfield County. These accomplishments are of Sacred Heart University’s community: true indicators that Sacred Heart continues professors who put their hearts into teaching its commitment to provide a quality, afford- while expanding the boundaries of serious able education. scholarship, students whose ambitions and As always, I am proud to be a member hard work lead to national recognition, and of this great University community, where staff who do all in their power to make this we are all passionately dedicated to making University one of the Northeast’s premier Sacred Heart a leading institution of higher institutions of higher learning. learning in the Catholic intellectual tradi- One of the year’s most exciting stories tion. This is truly a place where past, present highlights the installation of mosaics in our and future generations continue to create One of the year’s most new Chapel by one of the most revered art- fresh opportunities for learning, leadership ists of our time, Father Marko Rupnik. With and service. exciting stories highlights a team of 15 international artists, Father Thank you for your ongoing confidence and the installation of mosaics Rupnik came to SHU this past August to support. We owe our success—and our hopes create art that truly opens our eyes to God’s for even brighter days ahead—to all of you. in our new Chapel by word and our hearts to the power of faith. one of the most revered As it nears completion, the Chapel promises With every best wish, I am artists of our time, to be not only the spiritual heart of our cam- pus, but a unique work of art that is sure to Sincerely, Father Marko Rupnik. draw visitors for generations to come. In this annual report, you’ll also read about Sacred Heart’s ongoing physical and financial growth. We were able to welcome Anthony J. Cernera, Ph.D. MAGAZINE STAFF POSTMASTER Sacred Heart University’s Annual Report is published by the Department of Institutional Executive Editor: Michael L. Iannazzi Send address changes to: Advancement. Every effort has been made Institutional Advancement Editor: Tracy Deer-Mirek to assure its accuracy and completeness. Sacred Heart University Magazine Design: Keating Associates, Inc./Taylor Design Sacred Heart University Opinions expressed in this publication may Sacred Heart University Magazine Contributing Photographers: 5151 Park Avenue not necessarily reflect those of Sacred Heart Sacred Heart University David Bravo, Donna Callighan, Tracy Deer-Mirek, Fairfield, CT 06825-1000 University, its faculty or administration. 5151 Park Avenue Thomas Dzimian, Mark Edwards, Nick Giaquinto, Fairfield, CT 06825-1000 Stan Godlewski, David O. Gunn, Don Hamerman, [email protected] Chris Nicholson, Alexandra Prim, J. Gregory ON THE COVER Raymond, Christian Steiner, Robert J. Trenske, Kim Father Marko Rupnik, right, instructs artist Renata Trifkovic during the installation of Visit us online at www.sacredheart.edu Tyler of KTPhoto.net. the mosaics into Sacred Heart University’s new Chapel. Photo by Tracy Deer-Mirek. ISSN 1547-6219 Contributing Writers: Copyright ©2009 Sacred Heart University Meg Barone, Daniel T. Drew, Chris Nicholson, Holly Robinson, Christopher J. Sheehan UNIVE R SITY SacredHeart :: IN THIS ISSUE :: Achieving New The Spring 2009 issue of Sacred Heart University, the magazine for our alumni and other friends, brings you Heights at SHU up to date on an extraordinary academic year. There are reports on proud student accomplishments in the classroom and on the field and the latest news on SHU faculty and graduates. In addition, we are pleased to present the Annual Report for 2007-2008 exploring the highlights and hopes of the entire year. We are happy to report on the strong state of the University, and thank you for your continued confidence and support. 02 The Year in Review Sacred Heart reached new heights in enrollment, funding and international recognition last year. Here, we highlight and celebrate our award-winning students, stellar faculty and staff achievements, and innovative academic programs. As student Joseph Lugo ‘11 points out in his profile, Sacred Heart truly offers “an atmosphere where everyone feels like they’re working together for a greater common goal.” 06 Piece by Piece Our new chapel will serve as the spiritual heart of Sacred Heart’s campus. Now, with the installation of mosaics by world-famous artist Fr. Marko Rupnik, the chapel also houses unique works of art. Find out how the mosaics were put together piece- by-piece—and what the process of creating them represents for Fr. Rupnik, his team of international artists, and our community. 40 Financial Review Despite the troubled economy, Sacred Heart once again successfully operated with a balanced budget during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008. In fact, thanks to the generous support of alumni and friends, the University generated income of $111.5 million this year—$3 million over our target goal—allowing us to offer financial aid to more than 90% of full-time undergraduates. 2008 YEAR IN REVIEW Achieving New Heights his year, Sacred Heart University achieved new highs in enrollment and funding as we attracted the most talented freshman class in University history and earned international accolades. Our Year in Review offers highlights from a variety of campus departments, from innovative curricular offerings and faculty achievements to campus improvements and overwhelming student success stories. ENROLLMENT PLANNING AND STUDENT AFFAIRS Yearlong recruitment efforts paid off, with Sacred as Program of the Year, drawing hundreds of guests to Heart planning to enroll its largest, most talented campus. The University’s Wellness Center garnered a ATHLETICS freshman class in history. The average SAT was 1075, state grant of $10,000 to combat underage drinking. the strongest ever. There were, as well, 160 transfer And Career Development held its largest Internship The Pioneer athletics program had its most successful students entering the University, and graduate ad- and Career Fair ever, with 115 employers present—50 year ever and won its first Northeast Commissioner’s missions to the Physical Therapy and Occupational percent larger than the year before. More than 1,300 Cup for the Best Performing Program in the confer- Therapy program were the highest in our history. students had appointments with Career Development ence. In addition, the women’s program won its third The University staff, a 32 percent increase in just one year. Women’s Commissioner’s Cup in five years. Among moved up five spots to SHU in Ireland drew more than 100 students the many highlights: NEC championships for men’s #33—17 spots in just to Dingle, County Kerry, last year, with nearly 300 indoor track; men’s and women’s outdoor track and four years—in the studying there in the past four years. These included field; women’s lacrosse; and men’s golf – the latter Best Master’s Universi- 42 external students from 19 colleges and universi- team appearing in the NCAA regional tournament ties rankings compiled ties across the country. in Ohio for the first time. Women’s bowling won the by U.S.News & World ECAC championship and the Northeast Women’s Report. In addition, it Bowling Conference. Men’s and women’s fencing each earned inclusion in the THE AVERAGE GPA FOR STUDENT sent seven athletes to the NCAA championships, and Princeton Review’s Best 368 Colleges, and the John ATHLETES AT SHU, SPRING 2008 men’s and women’s basketball and women’s soccer F. Welch College of Business was included in the played in NEC championship games. Women’s swim- Review’s list of Best Business Schools. ming set 22 school records, and both Ed Swanson and First-year retention rates have climbed by six Christian Morrison won NEC Coach of the Year honors. percent, to 82 percent, for the Class of 2011. The In Spring 2008, the GPA for the more than 700 Student Affairs lecture series won national recognition 3.12 SHU student-athletes was 3.12, the highest ever. In addition, women’s bowling had a 3.56 GPA, the highest team average, and women’s tennis, a 3.403, the highest in the Northeast Conference; the team was named an All-Academic Team by the Intercol- legiate Tennis Association. Prominent among the many contributions made to the community by student-athletes was the $12,342 raised by the men’s hockey team for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to fight childhood cancer. 2 Year in Review ENROLLMENT IN THE JOHN F. WELCH COLLEGE OF BUSINESS COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES This year saw the successful inauguration of the 1,000 University’s long-awaited Core Curriculum with the launching of the first two courses, for all freshmen JOHN F. WELCH COLLEGE OF BUSINESS and transfer students, and the subsequent debut of the remaining courses. In addition, an ambitious Enrollment in the John F.