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2010 Message Archive


President's Christmas Message

 

 

November 10, 2010


Dear Our Lady of Holy Cross College Community,


We have a great story to tell others about Our Lady of Holy Cross College. We have made many advances in our advertising campaign, Pursue Your Dreams, which seeks to get students interested in the College. We are beginning to see the results of this campaign. For example, we have a significant number of students who have made application for this spring semester. Indeed, we have over 100 more applications when compared to this time last year. The task for each one of us is to assist in the conversion of these applications into enrolled students. In order to retain enrolled students, we will implement the recommendations of the recent Task Force on Retention. Each student that enrolls and remains means that our ability to finance the many areas in the College becomes much easier. We do this by telling our story in a personal manner.


It is equally important for us to "tell our story" with regard to our excellent teaching and programs, our one-to-one relationship with students, our financial efficiency and affordability, and our service to the community. One of the success stories is the development of the Center for Teaching and Learning and, specifically, the Preparing Students for Success Program. The early data indicates that because of this program student quality and retention and graduation rates will be enhanced significantly. In terms of long-term financial stability, the College has increased its restricted endowment to 21 million dollars, even in the face of the early losses in the market. The budget is always a challenge (now more than ever with the state cuts to capitation), but we have been able to support the needs of the College over the past five years, while developing programs and services.


We are now in the process of developing an annual report (and other publications) that will highlight some of the many excellent programs we offer, the new advances for the future, our economic status, and stories about the people who make it all happen. In professional terminology, this is good public relations. To broaden our reach, four years ago we developed a Board of Ambassadors that now has over 45 members, each serving a two-year term. The only responsibility of this group of professional men and women, who represent a variety of fields and disciplines, is to tell others about the programs and services of the College. In sum, we ask them to be College public ambassadors. We meet twice a year to tell them the latest news about the College.


Of course, we have so many established groups who love and cherish the College who are not only ambassadors, but are part of the very vitality of the College. Among them are the Board of Regents, the Alumni Board, the Marianite Corporation, the Friends of the Library, and Student Government, to mention just a few. In the end, each of us who are part of the Our Lady of Holy Cross Community is positive ambassadors for the College.


The College hosts many public events throughout the year that, in part, tell the story of Our Lady of Holy Cross. The Thanksgiving Prayer Breakfast has become a signature event. On Thursday, November 18th, we will have another in our series of Prayer Breakfast events that, we believe, will be one that not only will tell the story of the College, but also will highlight an important group of people who serve our country - the military. The topic will be the military and spirituality. The College has been named as one of the top 15% of all colleges and universities that has been designated as a Military Friendly School for 2011 by G.I. Jobs magazine.


Another important way to "tell our story" is through the intellectual life and our mission at the College. The essay on the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, born of our faculty and staff, is now in a booklet form. In addition to our own community, educational leaders and others who are interested in our work will be sent a copy. We join many other Catholic colleges and universities who have developed statements on the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. We hope that we will have many more short essays that will tell our story and its many aspects and parts. For after all, we are an educational community with a great story.


We are proud of our contributions to education in the New Orleans area. These contributions are made possible by the work of our faculty and staff. We have a great story, and it must be told to all who will listen.



In Our Lady of Holy Cross College,

 

 

(Rev.) Anthony J. De Conciliis, C.S.C., Ph.D.
President

We are servant leaders who inspire our students to acknowledge their dreams.

Come Holy Spirit, inspire your people to renew the face of the earth.

 

 

September 29, 2010


Dear Our Lady of Holy Cross Community:


Recently, in the last edition of the Congregation of Holy Cross Eastern Province Bulletin, an article (read article) on Our Lady of Holy Cross College was published.  The readership of this Bulletin extends beyond the Eastern Province to all Holy Cross religious in the world, wherever Holy Cross minister to the people of God.


We should be proud of the tremendous presence that our College has in the Holy Cross tradition, serving the needs of the people of Louisiana. 

Respectfully yours,

 

(Rev.) Anthony J. De Conciliis, C.S.C., Ph.D.

President

 

 

September 14, 2010

Dear OLHCC College Community:


Today we celebrate the Exultation of the Holy Cross, an important feast day in the church and in the Congregation of Holy Cross.  To celebrate this feast day, we will have an opening of school mass at 12:00 noon.  At the mass, each one of the faculty, staff and Board members will be named and remembered in prayer. We will also remember the entire student population of the College, both alumni and current students.  While many people will not be able to attend in person, we hope that you will pray with us for the health and welfare of all of the Holy Cross community. 

Tomorrow, September 15th, is the Feast of the Patroness of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Like the Blessed Virgin Mary at the foot of the cross, we are in solidarity with the sufferings of many in our world.    

In Holy Cross,

 

(Rev.) Anthony J. De Conciliis, C.S.C., Ph.D.
President

 

We are servant leaders who inspire our students to acknowledge their dreams.

Come, Holy Spirit, inspire Your people to renew the face of the earth.

 

August 13, 2010

Dear Our Lady of Holy Cross Community:

This summer has been very productive. It has given us the opportunity to reflect on what we have done the previous semesters and to think of new ways to offer students the best education that "money can buy" in the New Orleans area. No one else offers such quality at an affordable tuition. We do it now, we have done it, and we will continue to do it long into the future. You have only to ask our graduates; they will tell you that we have centers of excellence in terms of faculty, staff, and programs.

This extraordinary quality and service does not come to our students and the community without a considerable amount of personal contribution from each person at the College. As educators, we are known to be servant leaders, even if those exact words are not used. However, we know who we are and what we do.

As educators in the Holy Cross tradition, we are always looking for new ways of offering programs and services for the cultivation of our students. So this summer we worked hard to prepare for the fall 2010 semester and the spring 2011 semester.

In this Message, the first one of the new academic year, I would like to cover three broad areas:

  1. Reflections on the nature of education as a cultivation of the mind and heart
  2. Highlights on some of the "comings and goings" at the College since the end of the spring semester; and,
  3. Reflections on the new year of opportunity and challenge

The Cultivation of Students

The main outcome of education, no matter the educational level, is the cultivation of the minds and hearts of students. Because of our education, we help our students to renew the face of the earth, or, at least, their part of the earth. In its broadest sense, education is not primarily about handing on knowledge, but preparing the student to enter a world with the tools that are grown from wisdom. Knowledge, in its basic sense, is likened to a seed that is ready for planting. The ground on which it is planted differs from person to person. Thus, to help the seed grow, the ground must be carefully cultivated with the wisdom and attention of its teachers and mentors.

 

This wisdom, passed on from one generation to another, is expressed in word and deed. It is the cultivation process. We use wisdom sayings and stories such as those found in the Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament, the parables of the New Testament, or the stories passed on in the family tradition. In higher education, we use the various bodies of knowledge that make up the liberal arts and sciences to liberate the mind, to review the historical record, and to find the tools to discover. With these tools, the ground of mind is cultivated, a discipline is mastered, and ultimately the heart is enriched.

 

Educators must remember that education is about the development of wisdom, a way of living, and the basis for a full and happy life. The ultimate goal is not only to offer the tools for a career as a professional, but also to help students fulfill their dream of renewing the face of the earth. Our education helps to light the way for them to be future leaders.

 

The goal of wisdom, as expressed in the Proverbs, is to develop a fear of God. This fear is not defined as apprehension, but the acknowledgement that we are made in the image of God and that we are intimately related to God. All the knowledge and material success that the world can offer fades in the face of our relationship to God. All things pass away, but our relationship to God and one another is eternal. It is for this reason that Our Lady of Holy Cross developed the statement on Catholic Intellectual Tradition which is the cultivation of the mind and the heart in the Holy Cross tradition.

 

We use the term, servant leadership, to express our desire to teach in the Holy Cross tradition. The term has its roots in biblical and secular literature. It is a concept that points to the union of wisdom and knowledge leading to understanding and action. To be such a leader is really the responsibility of all who assist others in their journey through life. It is the cultivation process. Our goal is to assist them to become servant leaders, integrating hearts and minds, and to help them through their careers to renew the face of the earth.

 

"Comings and Goings" at the College

Where do I start? The campus has been very active with excitement and challenges all through the summer months. Our summer school seems to have run rather well. We had a good number of students and offered a variety of courses. We, like all universities and colleges, received terrible news from the state. Over $750,000 of state related grants will not be forthcoming. As you can imagine, this amount of money will have a significant impact on our budget. While this is difficult, we must remember that the public institutions were subject to much deeper cuts. Many public schools had to trim their faculty and staff membership. Thank the Lord, we have not had to take any drastic steps. Putting that negative news aside, there are many positive things to report.

Perhaps a good place to summarize the work this summer would be to report on the work of the Center Teams. All of the Center Teams met throughout the summer months. I will attempt to give a report on the recommendations submitted to the Cabinet. I thank each of the chairpersons and the Team members for keeping the work of the College alive during the summer months.

  • The Center Team for the Mission Integration of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition (CIT) approved the final draft of the CIT statement. It is now at the printer. The members of the Team are also working on new suggestions for the implementation of the CIT in every course. I thank Jim Curry, as chair for the Team, for his ability to coordinate, in a collaborative manner, the approval of this document
  • The Center Team for Admissions and Strategic Initiatives under the co-chairs, Ms. Katharine Gonzales and Dr. Ray Gitz, submitted many recommendations. The major one was the renewal of the admissions policy that reflects the quality and growth of the College. The Cabinet approved the amendments to this policy after a process of consultation. This year we received over 1100 applications, retained a large proportion of returning students, and raised the standards of acceptance. The new facility for admissions and financial aid is working out very well. Go and visit with them. I thank Ms. Gonzales, Dr. Gitz and the team for their dedication.
  • The Center Team for Philanthropy and Stewardship, chaired by Ms. Julie Nice, submitted many recommendations. Among them is a plan for the renewal of the Spes Unica dinner, an extensive plan for marketing, and a philanthropy plan for alumni. If you have not seen the wonderful advertisements throughout the city, and the many brochures, please ask to see them. They are now working on the View Book for admissions. It is wonderful. They also presented a plan for the various events for the students and staff throughout the year. I thank Julie Nice and the Team for all of their creative work.
  • The Center Team for Facilities, Operations and Sustainability has recommended many changes, most of which were implemented. You will see simple and complex changes, such as color on the walls, new flooring throughout the building, new classroom spaces, new conference areas, expansion to the finance and academic offices, new technology services, some new faculty offices (a plan for expansion of some offices that will be implemented in the fall), and many more. I thank Sr. Marjorie Hebert and the Center Team members for all their work
  • The Center Team for Institutional Effectiveness, co-chaired by Dr. Roddrick Jones and Dr. Victoria Dahmes, continues to develop our institutional effectiveness efforts. The major effort is to align the strategic and one-year plans and the IE efforts of the College. I thank you Dr. Jones, Dr. Dahmes and the entire Team.
  • The Center Team for Academic and Curriculum Council will meet next Friday. They have an extensive agenda for the development of the academic life of the College.
  • The Center Team for the Mission, Planning, and Budget worked on aspects of the current budget and the planning process. This team, chaired by Sr. Marjorie Hebert, is currently working on a multi-year budgeting process.

Opportunities and Challenges

As I begin my sixth year at Our Lady of Holy Cross College, I am very proud of our efforts. Together, we have:  renewed the academic structure, brought the College to a greater recognition in the community; stabilized our admissions process; initiated new programs and services; enhanced the facilities of the campus; added new members to the faculty, staff and board; enhanced our participation with our brother and sister schools; sustained our centers of excellence; "passed the muster" for our accrediting agencies; and, created some semblance of financial stability.

Our opportunities and challenges are endless. It all depends on our willingness to live our mission and vision with vigor, to make what we have in programs and services better, take away that which cannot get better after intervention, and be willing to make the most of opportunities as they present themselves. We should use our resources maximally and seek new sources of revenue. Finally, we should be willing to put our cultivation efforts for the good of students first and all else second. Challenges will always be with us. Sometimes we create our own challenges and work through to their resolution. In the end, challenges are not to be shunned, but to be embraced as new opportunities.

We look forward to our introductory days with faculty and staff and to welcoming our students back to the life of the College.

Sincerely,

 

(Rev.) Anthony J. De Conciliis, C.S.C., Ph.D.
President

We are servant leaders who inspire our students to acknowledge their dreams.

Come Holy Spirit, inspire your people to renew the face of the earth.

 

 

January 20, 2010

Dear OLHCC College Community:

It is with pleasure that I inform you of great news. We have received the accreditation report letters from both the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

In the SACS letter, the President stated that "The Commission of Colleges reaffirmed (Our Lady of Holy Cross College’s) accreditation. No additional report was requested." Our next reaffirmation will take place in 2017.

In the CACREP letter, the President stated that "Based on the Board’s review of the report and supporting documentation, a decision was made to extend the accredited status of these programs through October 31, 2014."

These are two great accomplishments. We thank everyone who worked so diligently during the preparation process which resulted in such great success.

This is just another indication that our College community continues to grow in quality and dignity and that our students are assisted in the fulfillment of their dreams.

 

Respectfully,

Rev. Anthony J. De Conciliis, C.S.C., Ph.D.
President

We are servant leaders who inspire our students to acknowledge their dreams.

Come Holy Spirit, inspire your people to renew the face of the earth.