New Women’s Lacrosse Program Focuses on Fundamentals and Team-Building

Cindy Hill knew it wasn‘t going to be easy. When Siena Heights University hired the former Tecumseh High School coach to start its women’s lacrosse program in the fall 2011, Hill recognized her first priority.

“The big thing was recruiting,” she said. “Getting a team ready in eight months was a huge challenge.”

Hill fused her first recruiting class with some current SHU students on campus to form her first team. Although the results on the field have been predictable for a first-year program, Hill said the Saints’ first team is one to remember.

“I just told them to go out and do their best,” Hill said. “They’ve just really impressed me with their stamina, work ethic and their character. They knew they were doing their best and they were true sportsmen.” Read more . . .

SHU Biology Researchers Butler and Lemanski Participate in Prestigious Program

By Austin Harper – Student Writer

Last summer, Siena Heights University biology students Maria Butler and Joe Lemanski were part of a select few to participate in research programs sponsored by Research Experiences for Undergraduates.

REU is a competitive program that supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. Nearly 600 students apply for these programs but only 10 are chosen for each study; having two students from the same institution in one year is extraordinary, according to those familiar with the program. Read more . . .

A New Approach to Liberal Arts Learning

Siena Heights University is taking an un-common approach to a common focus for small, private college and universities: liberal arts education.

For many years, Siena Heights has taken a “cafeteria-style” approach to the liberal arts, which is a common path for many institutions. However, according to Dr. Joseph Raab, the new director of the Liberal Arts program, SHU is venturing in a new direction that will tap into its Catholic and Dominican heritage.

“We had an approach to liberal arts learning that was very common in higher education,” Raab said. “We call it a distribution model approach, which means students have to take a cafeteria-style assemblage of various courses and disciplines. And if they complete those, they are done. And that works pretty well in terms of exposing students to different questions and a number of different disciplines. But it’s a little bit lacking when it comes to helping the students put it all together in a meaningful way.” Read more . . .