A Year of Moving Forward

by Linda Lenhoff | September 19, 2018

Provost Margaret KasimatisThe College made great strides in a number of measures in 2017-18, including the hiring of new Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Margaret Kasimatis.

“This past year, Saint Mary’s has continued its mission of pursuing academic excellence in a student-focused community, valuing diversity among our students and faculty, achieving impressive national rankings, and promoting a learning-driven environment that fosters both a Lasallian and Catholic spirit,” said Kasimatis. “We continue to be recognized for remarkable faculty-student endeavors, highly valued scholarship, and success in nurturing students personally and professionally. We have strengthened our standings and continue to be delighted by the accomplishments of our outstanding alumni.”

Kasimatis, who joined the College in February from Loyola Marymount University, where she served as vice provost for strategic planning and educational effectiveness, noted that these achievements reflect a devoted faculty and staff, which she has joined whole-heartedly. “Whatever I take on,” Kasimatis said, “I give my all. So, in taking on the provost role, I will do my utmost to do the best job I can to help move the College forward.”

And forward certainly describes the College’s momentum. Saint Mary’s can boast a number of notable accomplishments over this past year. Let’s take a look at the year in review.

HIGHLIGHTS

2017–18: The Year in Review

While the start of classes was just over a month away, an omen of good things to come for Saint Mary’s occurred at the end of July. At the third annual California Teachers Summit, Jill Biden, the former second lady, longtime educator, and keynote speaker, addressed thousands of teachers around the state via a live stream from McKeon Pavilion. “The people who inspired me most, the people who gave me hope, were people like you—teachers and education leaders around the world.” It was a message that also echoed the student-centered academic mission of SMC. The statewide teachers summit hosted by the Kalmanovitz School of Education marked an auspicious beginning for the year.

There were additional promising signs as the College welcomed students back to campus. In early September, the first year of Saint Mary’s institutional branding campaign was recognized as a success, boosting SMC’s first year enrollment to one of the largest: 650 first year and 161 transfer students. In addition, the campaign helped to focus more eyes on the College; the number of people visiting the SMC website increased by 20 percent since 2016. The total number of ad impressions (how many times people have seen SMC ads anywhere, from the Bay Bridge to social media) was 72.6 million, roughly the combined population of Washington, California, and New York. And by the year's end, the College's new 30-second commercial, which was part of the branding campaign, would garner national attention, by winning the prestigious 2018 Circle of Excellence gold award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

Fall is also the time for new college rankings, and for the third year in a row, Saint Mary’s was ranked as one of the Top 10 best regional universities in the 2018 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings. The College was also ranked 19th for Best Value for Western regional universities, fifth in California for Best Online MBA Programs, and fourth in the state for Best Online Master’s in Business Programs.

In keeping with our Lasallian principle of inclusive community, throughout the year, campus events acknowledged the diversity of SMC’s student body, including “Expressions of Blackness,” the Latinx celebration Bajo la Misma Luna (Under the Same Moon), and the BASH and Lu’au Cultural Nights. In addition, fall marked the official opening of the Institute for Latino and Latin American Studies—conceived a decade ago by Professors Alvaro Ramirez, Myrna Santiago, and Maria Luisa Ruiz.

October brought more good news about the College’s academic caliber. Saint Mary’s was ranked in the Top 20 percent of U.S. colleges and universities in The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education 2018 College Rankings guide. The guide again highlighted SMC for its diverse academic environment and student-engagement success. Additionally, the Association of American Colleges and Universities recognized SMC’s Justice, Community, and Leadership program as one of 22 innovative civic learning and democratic engagement academic programs in the nation. The AAC&U also selected JCL as one of eight academic programs to be featured in “Civic Learning in the Major by Design,” the January 2018 issue of Peer Review, AAC&U’s quarterly publication on emerging trends and key debates in undergraduate education.  

Saint Mary’s transformative educational impact on the lives of its students also received attention in November. The Chronicle of Higher Education highlighted SMC as among 40, four-year nonprofit private universities and colleges in the nation that feature distinctive upward mobility rates for low-income students. The College was acknowledged for fostering success by propelling students whose families came from the bottom 20 percent income bracket into the top 20 percent. SMC was the only Catholic university from California and one of three institutions of higher education from the Golden State on the list.

In keeping with the season of giving thanks, a record number of alumni, parents, students, friends, faculty, and staff—over 500—came together to celebrate #GivingTuesday, an international day of philanthropy, by raising $125,849 in 24 hours. The month included other endorsements of the College’s academic distinctiveness. The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing awarded the Mount Diablo Unified School District a $400,000 grant for teachers to earn their special education credentials through the Kalmanovitz School of Education. And Saint Mary’s History Department received a $50,000 National Endowment for the Humanities grant to support Partners in Public History: Training Students and Engaging Communities. The new SMC initiative promotes teaching, academic research, and presentations on public history, and fosters educational partnerships with diverse organizations and schools across the Bay Area.

SMC brought in the New Year with Jan Term classes traveling to Mount Kilimanjaro, India, South Africa, and Ecuador. The College also kicked off the new inclusive excellence initiative 44 Days Honoring Black History, with programs focusing on the theme “Collective Courage,” student workshops, films, engagement opportunities, and an appearance by Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo movement. And World Languages and Cultures Professor Helga Lénárt-Cheng was awarded a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award, allowing her to spend six months at the University of Bordeaux researching the European refugee crisis.

Sadly, the month also marked the passing of Brother Dominic Berardelli FSC, a beloved member of the College who passed away at the age of 79. An ambassador of goodwill and administrative leader, Brother "Dom,” as he was known, had a gregarious personality and ever-present smile. In his “Bromobile” golf cart, he offered tours to parents and prospective students. A first welcoming moment for many students was Brother Dom’s helping them unload belongings during Weekend of Welcome and telling parents their children were in good hands. Hundreds gathered in the Chapel to mourn his loss.

Spring term at the College was signaled by the return of flowers on campus along with academic accolades. In addition to Provost Margaret Kasimatis beginning her tenure at SMC, in February, Phi Theta Kappa named Saint Mary’s to its 2018 Transfer Honor Roll, which identifies the top four-year colleges and universities creating dynamic pathways to support transfer students. SMC is one of only 112 institutions in the country that was recognized.

Importantly, Saint Mary’s took on a new role as a recruiting college for Google. As a result of the new partnership, which is still evolving, students at SMC may be eligible to attend coding boot camps, participate in internships, and benefit from a more targeted outreach for jobs at Google. The School of Liberal Arts (SOLA) also launched a unique graduate program, the Master of Arts Program in Intercultural Communication (MAIC), which prepares students for a range of careers requiring strong communication skills in today’s multicultural world. “Whether in business or nonprofits or government or service, graduates of this program have the opportunity to become intercultural leaders and really make a difference,” said SOLA Dean Sheila Hassell Hughes.

In March, five SMC faculty members were honored for their performance as outstanding educators. The honorees included Politics Professor Hisham Ahmed, Outstanding Scholar Award; Management Professor Rebecca Carroll, Teaching Excellence Award; Communication Professor Ed Tywoniak, Faculty Service Award; and Psychology Associate Professor Caitlin Powell, Early Career Award. Collegiate Seminar Adjunct Professor John Knight received the inaugural Dr. John Dennis Distinguished Teaching Award, which recognizes a stellar adjunct faculty member.

SMC also celebrated Women’s History Month with a series of events hosted by the Women’s Resource Center (now the Center for Women & Gender Equity), including “Celebrating Our Herstories,” a talk on postgrad transitions and careers.

March also noted the end of another record-breaking season for the men’s basketball team. While the Gaels hit the 29-win mark over the past two years, the team reached another level: On their way to 30 wins, the Gaels won 19 games in one stretch—the longest win streak in school history. The women’s basketball team also saw another exciting season with a second-place West Coast Conference finish and its ninth straight postseason appearance. Along the way, the Gaels became just the second in school history to have three active 1,000-point scorers.

Throughout the year, the College celebrated its Lasallian heritage and Catholic mission with Masses, symposiums, lectures, and events underscoring its unwavering commitment to its faith traditions. Catholic author, theologian, and evangelist Bishop Robert Barron brought his Word on Fire ministry to more than 300 people in the Chapel in late March. The next month, the College recognized Chancellor Emeritus Carmelita Quebengco, PhD, AFSC, of De La Salle University in Manila, as Saint Mary’s first woman convocation honoree at SMC’s 2018 De La Salle Week Convocation. In addition to the convocation honoring Quebengco, De La Salle Week (April 21–29) included an academic symposium that explored important new research about young people and the Catholic faith, a cultural celebration for Latinx students, and a women’s leadership retreat.

April also marked a major milestone for the College. Saint Mary’s announced the public phase of the College’s comprehensive fundraising campaign, Defining the Future: The Campaign for Saint Mary's. With a goal of $125 million, the initiative is the College’s most ambitious fundraising effort. The Campaign invites all members of the Saint Mary’s community to make gifts that advance the strategic plan’s goals by supporting student scholarships, investing in academic excellence, strengthening our Lasallian Catholic mission, and funding College operations. “Now is the time to come together in the spirit of Saint Mary’s and make our bold vision possible,” said Vice President for Advancement Lisa Moore. “I hope every member of our campus community sees themselves as partners in this exciting effort and joins me as donors.”  The Campaign’s launch underscored a successful year of college fundraising. In fiscal year 2017–18, Saint Mary’s secured more than $14.3 million in charitable gifts and intentions.

Students, staff, and faculty also gathered in April to honor Denise Witzig, a professor of women’s and gender studies, as Saint Mary’s 2018 Professor of the Year. The event centered around Witzig’s lecture, “She Works Hard for the Money: Women, Labor, and the Liberal Arts.” In her introduction of Witzig, who began her career at SMC in 1989, Provost Margaret Kasimatis referenced the nominations from her colleagues, which called Witzig “a transformational leader, mentor, scholar, colleague, and teacher on the Saint Mary’s campus,” and noted that “she has passionately served the college community in and beyond her department.”

May brought many occasions to celebrate as the close of the academic term approached. An appreciative crowd of faculty, staff, and students gathered in front of St. Albert Hall on May 1 to mark the library’s 50th anniversary, which included a birthday cake adorned with a frosting facade of the library, and observations from English Professor Brenda Hillman on the library’s inspiration for some of her poetry. The month also saw the kickoff of the initial phase of construction on the Student Athlete Performance Complex, which included important renovations to the McKeon Pavilion such as safety improvements and fan experience upgrades as well as.

Additionally, an enthusiastic crowd of 600 students, faculty, staff, and friends of the College turned out for the special event “Ryan Coogler, Artist, Athlete, Activist, in Conversation With Professor Rosemary Graham.” The former Saint Mary’s student and acclaimed director of Black Panther, Creed, and Fruitvale Station sat down for a conversation with his former English professor in the Soda Center. Said President James Donahue, “Every superhero has their own origin story, and we couldn’t be prouder to have a piece of Ryan Coogler’s story right here at SMC.”

The spring term resolved on a jubilant note with SMC’s 2018 Commencement ceremonies, where more than 600 undergraduate and 550 graduate and professional studies students celebrated achieving their higher education dreams. Two accomplished individuals offered inspiring messages about the value of service and promoting justice in our personal and professional lives: Renowned photographer Michael Collopy ’82, who is recognized for documenting the work of Mother Teresa, addressed SMC’s undergraduates; and the Honorable Kandis A. Westmore, a crusader for justice in Bay Area courts, addressed the College’s graduate students.

In reflecting back, the past year clearly demonstrates the academic distinctiveness of Saint Mary’s, and the College’s unwavering commitment to its liberal arts traditions and the Lasallian Catholic faith mission of educating young people for success in both their professional and personal lives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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