Fall 2007 A Special Report “God wanted to crown his creation, so on the last day he created the Croatian Adriatic from his tears,the stars and sea breeze.” Croatia — George Bernard Shaw aint Mary’s College enjoys a reputation for outstanding Sstudy abroad programs. Graduates describe them as once in a lifetime experiences. Create your own once (or twice!) in a lifetime experience by joining the Alumnae Travel Program and see the world as a classroom. Ancient cities, architectural marvels, and sites of cultural, natural, and historical signifi cance are yours to experience April 30–May 9, 2008 in Croatia, destination of the Spring 2008 Alumnae Cost per person: $2,950 double occupancy* Association tour. A $300 per person deposit is due by The Tour Includes: JJanuaryanuary 77,, 22008008, subject to availability. ■ Round-trip airfare (one stop) from Chicago to Croatia Final payment due by FFebruaryebruary 225,5, 22008008. ■ All hotel accommodations in Croatia ■ Breakfast daily For a detailed brochure, please contact the ■ Five dinners Alumnae Relations Offi ce at (574) 284-4578 ■ Group airport transfers and ground travel via or [email protected]. deluxe motorcoach ■ Service of an English speaking guide throughout the tour Inquiries may also be directed ■ Porterage of one suitcase to Michelle Poeppe Egan ’93, assistant director of ■ Admission to the Rector’s Palace and the Dominican and Alumnae Relations at (574) 284-4578. Franciscan Monastery in Dubrovnik, the Cathedral in Split, Plitvice Lakes National Park, Postojna Caves, and Bled Castle *Airport security and departure taxes additional A deluxe tour for alumnae and friends for tour A deluxe tableof contents Volume 82, Number 3 Fall 2007 Courier (USPS 135-340) is published four times a year by Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN 46556-5001. Periodicals postage paid at the Post Office at Notre Dame, IN 46556 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Alumnae Relations, Saint Mary’s College, 110 Le Mans Hall, Notre 4BJOU.BSZT$PMMFHFt/PUSF%BNF *OEJBOB Dame, IN 46556-5001. Copyright 2007 Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without written permission. The opinions expressed are those of the authors or their subjects and are Saint Mary’s. not necessarily shared by the College She’s or the editor. Page 3 Page 12 Shari Rodriguez Vice President for College Relations [email protected] Courier Staff: Scot Erin Briggs Editor [email protected] Joya Helmuth features Graphic Designer Photos by 3 Standing Out 12 The Path to Leadership Matt Cashore The College takes a new approach President Mooney discusses her Letters: to reach the Saint Mary’s students Strategic Plan for Saint Mary’s Send letters to the editor to: Courier Editor of tomorrow. with Courier. Saint Mary’s College 303 Haggar College Center Notre Dame, IN 46556 6 The Path to 36 Reunion 2007 or e-mail [email protected] Beatification: Class News: Send alumnae class news to: Blessed Basil Alumnae News Editor 110 Le Mans Hall Anthony Moreau Saint Mary’s College Notre Dame, IN 46556-5001 This year Saint Mary’s College departments or e-mail [email protected] celebrates the beatification of Alumnae Association Staff: Blessed Basil Anthony Moreau, 2 Inside Saint Mary’s Michelle Poeppe Egan ’93 founder of the Congregations of Assistant Director of Alumnae Relations Holy Cross, including the Sisters 14 For the record [email protected] of the Holy Cross who, in turn, The Mission 16 Club news Saint Mary’s College is a Catholic, founded and sponsor our College. residential, women’s college in the 20 Class news liberal arts tradition. A pioneer in the education of women, the College is an 11 Rankings 21 Excelsior academic community where women develop their talents and prepare to Saint Mary’s ranks among the top 100 make a difference in the world. liberal arts colleges in the nation. Founded by the Sisters of the Holy Cross in 1844, Saint Mary’s promotes a life of intellectual vigor, aesthetic appreciation, religious sensibility, and social responsibility. All members of the College remain faithful to this mission and continually assess their response to the complex needs and challenges of the contemporary world. insidesaint mary’s Milestones “Life is a journey, not a destination,” Ralph Waldo Emerson told us. It is a metaphor that resonates at Saint Mary’s, where the Avenue marks a milestone in an alumna’s journey. The life of a college is also marked by its own turning points and watersheds. This year, in particular, has been a year of milestone events and accomplishments at Saint Mary’s. This fall we celebrated the beatifi cation of Blessed Basil Anthony Moreau, the founder of the Congregations of Holy Cross. We also approved a new strategic plan, launched a new marketing campaign, and achieved a new national ranking. This Special Report is dedicated to informing alumnae about these landmark achievements. Much of what we are reporting in this Special Report of Courier is possible because of our alumnae. A year and a half ago, when the College began to develop a new marketing position, we sent Web surveys to alumnae, hoping that they would candidly share information about their perceptions of the College. And share they did; within 12 hours of launching the survey we had over 20 percent of the alumnae responding. As President Mooney was developing the College’s Strategic Plan, she asked alumnae serving on the Board of Trustees, Madeleva Society Steering Committee, and Alumnae Association Board to share their feedback. These comments helped to mold the fi nal plan. Our alumnae not only helped us plan for the future, they joined the entire college community as we celebrated the beatifi cation of Moreau on campus, in LeMans, and in our communities. This time has given us all an opportunity to refl ect on what is unique to a Holy Cross education. And alumnae played an important role in how Saint Mary’s is ranked among its peer colleges. With this issue we note our progress along many paths—the spiritual journey, the path to leadership, and the road to distinction. Yet, we do so with an eye to what lies ahead. Shari Rodriguez Vice President for College Relations 2 COURIER | Fall 2007 standingout You’re seventeen. In front of you are brochures from half a dozen colleges, each making you promises. You visit their Web sites and fi nd even more information, lots of information. You face one of the most important and infl uential decisions of your life. But how will you recognize the place where you belong amidst the chaos? What will make the college that’s right for you stand out from the others? Standing out is no easy task, even for a unique school. Our namesake, Saint Mary, has been the inspiration for so many endeavors over the years that her name has been attached to institutional monikers everywhere. An internet search for “Saint Mary’s” will return between half a million to two million results. It is in this cacophonous atmosphere that Saint Mary’s College must distinguish itself. Add to that a Catholic heritage and a community that esteems humility as a virtue, and the challenge becomes even greater. It was with this challenge in mind that Saint Mary’s B O B J embarked on the Identity E O * F Initiative. The fi rst task was N B % F to understand the existing S U P / perceptions of Saint Mary’s. t F H F M This was done by surveying M P $ T over 3000 alumnae, faculty, Z S B . U staff, administration, O J B 4 current students, and prospective students and their parents. Based on survey feedback about the core values of our community, the brand promise—what Saint Mary’s stands for— was developed: “Saint Mary’s is an academically excellent Catholic college Cover of admission booklet for high school for women who seek to seniors featuring (left to right) Kristy King ’08, challenge themselves Kim Hodges ’08, and Julia Malone ’07 and their world.” That’s not new. In fact, that’s been true since 1844. But what became apparent was that the characteristics most important to prospective students and their parents corresponded with the College’s strengths. Three strengths stood out, Saint Mary’s best-kept secrets, if you will: The Strength of our Majors: Saint Mary’s academic programs have always been distinctive in their comprehensive approach. The woman who graduates from Saint Mary’s, whether she enters a profession or goes on to graduate school, never doubts her preparation. Outstanding Faculty: Classes at Saint Mary’s are taught by experts in their fi elds of study. That expertise COURIER | Fall 2007 3 Developing Leaders. The strength of mentoring at Saint Mary’s Collegeextends from organized toindividual efforts, with faculty, administrators, and alumnaesetting the standards for students. This one-to-one guidancehelps students develop lasting relationships with faculty, alumnae, and fellow students. a Angeline Johnson,one of the studentswho co-foundedthe Diverse Students’ Leadership Conference,hadn’t pursuedleadership rolesinhigh school. Butasafirst-year student at SaintMary’s, she was assigneda“Big Sister”inher residence hall, a whoalsohappenedtobe the president of La Fuerza, the Latina studentorganizationon campus. “She b came tomy room, tookme toallher meetings,” Angelinesays.“Isaw howshe was pursuing different leadership activities andhow wellshe was doing in school. She’s my role model.” b Kim Hodges receivedsimilar attention from KarenJohnson, vice presidentof Student Affairs. “I was literally outside her office window whenshe calledme inside andtoldme I neededtobe involvedon campus,” Kim says. “She really pushed me tobe everythingIcouldbe andmade sure I utilizedallthe resources the campus had.” Kim valuesopportunities toreachoutto other students.