From the President:

Becoming Our Authentic Selves

Heartfelt greetings from Siena Heights University!

The theme chosen for this academic year was authenticity. The freshmen read for the summer was “My Orange Duffel Bag: A Journey to Radical Change,” by Sam Bracken and Echo Garrett.

The theme of authenticity was quite prevalent throughout the book. Basically, a young man from challenging beginnings decides to be and become his true self through his own reflections, persistence and the aid of others. The students loved the book and could relate to it well. We also had some great presentations on authenticity at our Common Dialogue Day in late September. Students, faculty and staff all participated as presenters and/or participants.

When I think about authenticity, I tend to go to a spirituality of authenticity.
I ask myself many questions:

Is becoming authentic a process?
Who did God create me to be?
Am I striving to become who God created me to be?
Can I live in this world that calls all of us to be so many things and remain authentic?
How does prayer assist me in being authentic, and how does my membership in a community (in this case, the Siena Heights community) assist me in being authentic?

From the President:

**What Is God Calling You To Do?**

Warm greetings to all of you! The beginning of this traditional academic year held many blessings for us as a Catholic, Dominican University.

First of all, our chosen theme for this year is “Justice,” which comes forth from our Catholic, Dominican traditions. And how timely this theme is in relation to the visit of Pope Francis! Surrounded by all the excitement of his visit, he remains a simple, holy man. I was touched by his kindness, warm human gestures, his prayerfulness and his call for all of us to live our lives in a just way.

Justice calls us to take a look at our own lives and to see how we are positively or negatively affecting the common good of all God’s people. How does what I do affect how other people live? Am I concerned about the poor and the marginalized and the systems that keep people in those boxes, or do I move out of my own comfort zone to make a difference? This is a question all of us have to answer individually.

As president of this fine University, we also have a responsibility to educate and instill in our students a sense of social justice. We can do that through Catholic Social Teaching and our Dominican values.

From the President:

Reflecting on the Dominican Tradition

Recently, I attended the biennial Sponsorship Conference for all the institutions sponsored by the Adrian Dominican Sisters. While attending, I had the opportunity to reflect on leadership and what it means to be a university founded in the Dominican tradition.

The following are some of my thoughts:

Because we are part of a Dominican establishment, we are all family, we are all related. Each of us are leaders in our own way. How do we lead? Is anyone following? When St. Dominic formed the Order in 1214, he believed that the Prior of the Order or the Master General should realize that he was the first among equals. That’s also how I think leaders should see themselves today. When we lead, we must be servant-leaders, putting the needs of the institution/organization/community and the people we serve first.

How do we live the mission of Siena Heights University? Many of us have multiple interactions each day. What is the quality of those interactions? Do we speak with respect and listen with interest, or do we dismiss people as well as what they have to offer? Right relationships must be the foundation on which our mission is built. It can’t be assumed. It is an intentional act. If relationships are off-kilter, then it is difficult to sincerely live our mission. Mission is not something to be written on a piece of paper and tucked away. It is something that must live and breathe, grow and deepen each day.