-Dean of the School of Science, Engineering and Technology Winston Erevelles, Ph.D.
In the aftermath of the French Revolution, Blessed William Joseph Chaminade believed that the rebuilding of the Church in France would be best accomplished by small communities of faith, dedicated to prayer, education, and acts of service to the larger community. These values are reflected in the guiding characteristics of a Marianist education that include education for formation in faith; the provision of an integral, quality education; education in family spirit; education for service, justice, and peace; and education for adaptation and change. St. Mary's University joyfully embraces Chaminade's vision in an environment where faith and reason are not alien to each other or co-exist in disconnected fashion. Rather, they are thoughtfully integrated as we seek to impart a superior education to the young women and men who choose to make our University their home.
A visit to our web site brings this assertion to life. As a prospective member of our community in the spring of 2009, I was introduced to a powerful video titled "The Integration of Faith and Knowledge." Featuring distinguished colleagues drawn from diverse disciplines across the University, this short video showcases the shared passion and dedication of the St. Mary's faculty to the transformative education of the whole person. Regardless of discipline, what is noteworthy in each of the perspectives is what happens within the context of each academic course or educational experience – a heightened awareness of self, a deeper appreciation of the needs of those around us, and the call to apply our God-given talent, knowledge, and motivation to serve our fellow man.
In the engineering profession many of us have been following what the National Academy of Engineering has identified as the "Grand Challenges" of the future. These challenges involve a range of disciplines beyond engineering or even STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) for that matter, and focus on the needs of mankind and society in the present day. The themes of Catholic Social Teaching are readily evident in the challenges that face society in the coming century. Challenges such as making solar energy economical, providing energy from fusion, developing carbon sequestration methods, or managing the nitrogen cycle address the stewardship of creation. The provision of access to clean water or efforts to restore and improve our urban infrastructure is a reminder of our rights and responsibilities. Work done in advancing health informatics or creating more effective medicines contribute to the common good of the community and provide hope to the most vulnerable among us. Moving the lens from the issues of the future to those that we encounter in our daily lives today demonstrates the same measure of connectivity. The dignity of work and the protection of the rights of workers may be seen in the ergonomic design of a checkout counter at your neighborhood grocery store or the design of an automated trumpet for those with impaired pulmonary function. These are a few examples illustrating that the creation of knowledge exists within the realm of a greater purpose. This sense of purpose applies to academic disciplines across our University, and has most recently been energized by the new core curriculum.
St. Mary's has educated students in the Catholic, Marianist tradition for over 150 years. This year our campus community bears witness to the launch of an innovative, new, core curriculum that embodies the values of the Catholic liberal arts tradition while being responsive to the educational needs of today's students and society. Some institutions approach the core with themes in mind, others allow students to select from pre-determined groups of courses, and yet others allow students to customize their general education selections based on personal motivation. In contrast, the new St. Mary's core is an integrated, eight-semester experience that challenges students to explore questions of self-identity; their relationship to others; their relationship to wider social structures; their relationships with the natural world; and their relationships with God. This process of exploration will be accomplished through a sequence of courses that will introduce students to the foundations of civilization, reflection, and practice. It is exciting to see our new core take flight, especially because it causes us to reflect and recommit ourselves to our University's mission of educating the whole person while developing the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the individual disciplines.
As we celebrate Blessed Chaminade's vision this year (and in the years that follow), an excerpt from a quote by Matthew Kelly - speaker and author, comes to mind. "The only people I have ever met who were truly happy were people who were making a difference in other people's lives. Our lives become a passionate adventure when we stop asking, ‘What's in it for me?' and begin to look for ways to serve the people of our own place and time with our unique talents and abilities. What contribution will you make?"
What contribution will each of us make today?