Listening to our own voices

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end, noted the Roman philosopher Seneca centuries ago. On June 1, our name changed to St. Catherine University in honor of our reputation for academic excellence, our multiple degree offerings, from associate to clinical doctorate, and our nationally recognized programs that have placed us among the top tiers of Catholic and master's universities nationwide.

Voices of alumnae/i, faculty, staff and students originally published in the June 2009 issue of SCAN offer personal viewpoints on the change — as well as the hope it engenders and the pride in our enduring heritage and future promise. As nostalgia for the College sweeps across our community, so does a well-considered embrace of the possibilities and challenges the new University brings, and a determination to turn them to our best advantage.

Listening to our own voices is both informative and encouraging as we stride with even greater determination over unknown and uneven terrain.

Becoming St. Catherine University

RUTH BROMBACH '60, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION

Becoming" carries a hint of the unknown, a whiff of mystery, a question mark. What are we becoming? St. Catherine in 2009 is strong and vibrant. It is responsive to the needs of students and to current educational developments. St. Catherine is deeply respected as a leader among women's colleges.

As a university we have a great new opportunity. The entire community of students, faculty, staff, administrators and alumnae together has a chance to showcase the best of what makes St. Catherine work: women-powered and womencentered styles, problem-solving skills and special characteristics.

Unlike the common concept of university, we will remain intimate and caring. We will not be everything to everybody; we can remain committed to liberal arts and our Catholic identity because these two arms of our mission offer the most humanizing kind of education.

Doing what needs to be done is characteristic of women. St. Catherine graduates, as they always have, will take the education offered and the principles of leadership and social justice and will find always-new ways to accomplish what needs to be done.

Retaining the capacity to develop leaders committed to the good of all, educated with professional skills and a Catholic and liberal arts foundation, and buoyed by a caring, women-centered atmosphere within and without, St. Catherine University will carve its own place among the finest universities. Within our distinct atmosphere we will continue to be a very special place, a place of which we will all be proud.

A natural step

BRENDA GRANDSTRAND WOODSON '80

The change to university is a natural step in the maturity and sophistication of the College. It doesn't affect the heart of the College, but shows the depth and breadth of what the College truly offers.

Reflecting who we are

ELEANOR LINCOLN, CSJ, SP'46, MAT'90; PROFESSOR EMERITA OF ENGLISH

I have been promoting the idea of a university for St. Catherine for at least 25 years.

I was on a sabbatical leave at Oxford University when I first realized that college denoted an undergraduate institution or the undergraduate part of a university. So when we first established graduate programs at St. Catherine, I began to advocate university status.

When Sister Andrea Lee became president, I remember urging her to think about this change in status. She probably does not remember — but I do. The process of changing the name was meticulously done, and I am one of its most enthusiastic advocates.

A clear path for nontraditional students

CHRISTINE BROUGHTEN '10, WEEKEND AND WOMEN'S COLLEGE

My experience at St. Kate's is much better reflected in the name University. Most liberal arts colleges I considered did not have a clear path for nontraditional student admission. St. Kate's allowed me to start in Weekend College and finish my bachelor's degree in the Day program in the women's college. Now I'm considering two of St.Kate's graduate programs.

Mother Antonia's vision

MARY ANN BRENDEN, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF SOCIAL WORK; PROGRAM DIRECTOR, BACHELOR OF SOCIAL WORK; CSJ CONSOCIATE

As the first president and dean of the College, Mother Antonia McHugh (1863–1944) had an expansive vision for St. Catherine — one that transcended both the mores of the times and realistic expectations for the future. Amidst a culture that dismissed the need to educate women and at a time when our neophyte college enrolled fewer than 400 students, she boldly built a magnificent chapel reflecting both the sweeping grandeur and the rich detail of a medieval French cathedral. Our Lady of Victory continues to be a compelling metaphor for Mother Antonia's unbridled vision of St. Catherine as we move forward into our university stature.

What if Mother Antonia was in Sister Andrea's shoes today? I know she'd have a lot of confidence in Sister Andrea being at the helm, leading us forth. And I believe she wouldn't be thwarted by the complexities of our transition and the concurrent challenges of our times. She would stride forward already envisioning the big picture and the future — St. Catherine University of 2050. At the same time, she would be attentive to the details, knowing their potent capacity to articulate mission and identity and inspire others down through the ages.

She would be very proud of our continued mission to women, our dedication to the liberal arts and the manner in which we are true to our Catholic identity. She would be pleased as punch that we so energetically welcome and graduate diverse students at the associate, bachelor's, masters and doctoral levels and imbue them with social justice values, leadership skills and a global perspective. What would she think about men at St. Catherine? Patience not being one of her many virtues, Mother Antonia would exhort, "The more people who understand the St. Catherine mission and carry it forward, the better!"

With her strong will, driving passion and undaunted confidence, Mother Antonia would know that St. Catherine University is on the brink of yet greater possibilities and new ventures. She'd expect and direct us to go forward envisioning the future with broad parameters, certain that the St. Catherine tradition and vision of excellence will cascade into the future with yet a new flourish.

We still have a mission

AZIEB W. KIDANU '09, ASPIRING PHYSICIAN

The name change is a big step for the College in gaining visibility, not only domestically but also internationally. It acknowledges the fact that we are not just an undergraduate institution. We already look and operate like a university, so essentially it is a natural step. Regardless of the name change, we are still St. Kate's.

We still have the mission.