SEBA's First Catholic and Lasallian Mission Fellow Returns

In October, SEBA established a Catholic and Lasallian Mission Fellowship to further the understanding of SEBA faculty and staff about Catholic and Lasallian traditions and integrate these traditions into business and economic education and students' learning experiences at SEBA. The Mission Fellowship has the goal of supporting one SEBA faculty or staff member each year to participate in a premier regional or national conference/seminar on Catholic and Lasallian traditions in the context of higher education. Carole Swain, Vice President of the Office of Mission states, "The annual SEBA Catholic and Lasallian Mission Fellowship promotes mission understanding that will deepen faculty and staff engagement at SMC. This opportunity is a great investment in sustaining and growing our Mission."

Holly Dalton, director of recruitment and admissions, was the first recipient of this fellowship. She recently returned from this conference in Boston titled “Institute for Administrators in Catholic Higher Education." Throughout the conference, various seminars were given to serve administrative leaders from Lasallian and Catholic institutions. The opening address, entitled "Catholic Higher Education: A Conversation with Presidents," was led by William Leahy, SJ, president of Boston College; Rev. Dennis Holtschneider, CM, president of DePaul University; and Dr. Mary Pat Seurkamp, president of Notre Dame of Maryland University. This was followed by a short question and answer.

Other events included a presentation by Dr. Patrick McCormick’s, chair and Professor of Religious Studies at Gonzaga University, on "Teaching Catholic Social Justice," as well as Cabrini College representative Dr. Marie Angelella George’s discussion on "Increasing Faculty Knowledge and Understanding of Mission and Ministry." Small group discussions were also held in order to give those attending the conference time to reflect and talk about the information presented to them.

Holly Dalton says of her experience, “I found the event to be both personally and professionally rewarding. It has helped me better understand how my daily activities positively support the mission of Saint Mary’s College.”