SHU Welcomes Largest Freshman Class in History

This fall Siena Heights welcomed the largest freshman class in the institution’s history (photo above). A total of 311
full-time freshmen began classes Aug. 26 on the Adrian campus, according to SHU Vice President of Enrollment Management George Wolf. “The largest freshman class in the University’s history is further evidence that Siena Heights continues to develop itself as a highly valued college choice,” Wolf said. “This large class continues the planned growth and development of Siena Heights University to offer an affordable and flexible high-quality education.” The University also experienced record enrollment this fall in its degree completion centers, which include locations in Battle Creek, Benton Harbor, Jackson, Lansing, Monroe, Southfield and online.

Dr. Sue Idczak Honored with IU Alumni Award

Siena Heights Director of Nursing Dr. Sue Idczak was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Indiana University School of Nursing. The award honored her national recognition for “significant professional and academic contributions to the field of nursing.” She also was recently published in “Reflections on Nursing Leadership,” a peer reviewed international online nursing journal. The article was titled “Fall Into Presence.”

Siena Heights Names New Graduate College Dean

Siena Heights University named Dr. Linda Sandel Pettit, Ed.D., as its new dean of the Graduate College on July 8. Pettit most recently served as assistant professor of Counselor Education and the program director for the graduate Counseling program at SHU. In her new role as dean, Pettit is responsible for leading Master of Arts programs in leadership, teacher education and counseling and for exploring opportunities to expand the University’s graduate offerings. Pettit, a licensed psychologist, has a doctorate in counseling psychology from West Virginia University, a master’s degree in counselor education from Siena Heights and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Michigan State University. Before joining SHU in 2011, her career spanned psychological counseling, life coaching, international speaking and training, consulting, teaching in higher education and public relations management. She has worked in hospital, community agency, private practice, business and academic settings.

Trudy Mohre Hired as New Director of Admissions

SHU hired Trudy Mohre to be its next director of Admissions. She began her duties at SHU July 15. Mohre’s experience in the field of student recruitment and enrollment management spans more than 30 years and ranges from practitioner to leader. She most recently served as a private counselor, providing undergraduate and graduate college search guidance to students preparing for the next levels of education. Her other experiences included being the admissions dean at McMurry University, admissions director at Howard Payne University and senior associate director at Southwestern University, all in Texas.

Nairobi Chamber Chorus Visits Siena Heights

SHU’s International Studies and Visual and Performing Arts offices hosted the national touring Nairobi Chamber Chorus on Aug. 7. The voluntary group of young performers are drawn from universities and institutions around Nairobi and various tribes of Kenya. The Chorus has performed together with world-renowned musical companies, including the Guildhall Orchestra, London Adventist Chorale, Cape Town Opera and UK-based Opera House. The group recently represented Kenya in the celebrations to mark the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in London.

Longtime Employees Honored by Siena Heights

SHU recently recognized several employees for their longtime service to the University. Here are the people who were honored at the University Workshop Aug. 19:

10 Year Award—Renee Bracey, Pam Howard, John Kolasinski, Jeff Masse, Khalilah Outlaw, Liliana Toader and Michael Winstrom.

20 Year Award—Patricia Lemanowicz and Dean Ward.

25 Year Award—Doris Hubbard, Rita Moreno and Jeffrey Reinke.

SHU Named A Most Affordable Catholic College

Siena Heights University was ranked 24th among the top 36 “Most Affordable Roman Catholic Colleges with High Starting Salaries for Graduates” listing recently released by AffordableColleges-Online.org. Siena Heights was one of only two institutions in Michigan to make the national rankings. To compile its list, ACO analyzed and leveraged authoritative data sets from the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES), the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Carnegie Classification and Payscale.com. According to ACO, other key factors used to construct the list included institutions having a net price of less than $20,000 per year and graduates having a starting salary of more than $30,000 per year. According to the report, Siena Heights graduates earn an average starting salary of $39,600, with its net price being $15,026. The Affordable Colleges Online organization provides students with information about affordable higher education options.

SHU Again Named a “Great College to Work For”

For the second consecutive year, Siena Heights is one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to a new survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education. The results, released in The Chronicle’s sixth annual report on The Academic Workplace, are based on a survey of more than 44,000 employees at 300 colleges and universities. In all, only 97 of those institutions achieved “Great College to Work For” recognition for specific best practices and policies. Siena Heights won honors in three categories this year: Respect and appreciation, Supervisor or department chair relationship, and Work/life balance.

The survey results are based on a two-part assessment process: an institutional audit that captured demographics and workplace policies from each institution, and a survey administered to faculty, administrators and professional support staff. The primary factor in deciding whether an institution received recognition was the employee feedback.

Tsuji Publishes Cell Research Findings

SHU Professor of Biology Dr. Jun Tsuji recently published his experimental research findings in the peer-reviewed journal “BIOS.” The paper, titled “The glabra1 mutation affects the stomatal patterning of Arabidopsis thaliana rosette leaves,” describes original research data that support the hypothesis that epidermal cells share genetic components that determine cell fate and identity. This paper was co-authored with Lauren Coe ‘12, who is currently a second-year medical student at the Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine.

Philosophy Professor Has Articles Published

SHU Assistant Professor of Philosophy Dr. Jeffrey Engelhardt recently has had manuscript accepted for publication in an upcoming edition of “Pacific Philosophical Quarterly.” The title of his manuscript is “What Is the Exclusion Problem?” Also, he had two articles recently published in the following publications: “Married Causes” will appear in the journal “Acta Analytica” and “Inattention and the Speckled Hen” will appear in “Teorema.”

Fick Selected by HRSA

SHU Associate Professor of Leadership Dr. John W. Fick, FACHE, was selected by the Health Resources and Services Administration to serve as a HRSA grant reviewer effective Aug. 7.

Nowinski Has Article Published in ‘Fresh History’

SHU faculty member Sheila Nowinski had an article published in the current issue of the journal “French History” published by Oxford University Press. The article is titled “French Catholic activism in Algeria between colonization and development, 1930-65” (pages 371-393). It examines the history of France’s Rural Catholic Action organization in Algeria, which over the decades re-made itself from a Catholic association for European farmers to an external aid organization supporting a secular, Algerian youth group. This history exposes the continuities of French and Catholic civilizing missions across “decolonization.” It also sheds light on the importance of French Catholics to the elaboration of post-colonial development programs.

DiPietro Involved at Croswell Opera House

SHU Professor of Theater Mark DiPietro recently directed the production of “All Shook Up” at the Croswell Opera House in Adrian. The musical featured the hits of Elvis Presley. DiPietro also recently rejoined the Croswell’s board of directors and will be featured in an upcoming issue of Lenawee Magazine.

Barst Has History Article Published in Journal

SHU Assistant Professor of English Julie M. Barst recently published an article in “BRANCH: Britain, Representation, and Nineteenth-Century History,” a peer-reviewed extension of the online journal “RaVoN: Romanticism and Victorianism on the Net.” The title of her essay is “The Molesworth Report and the Dissolution of Convict Transportation to Australia, August 1838.”

Mesaros-Winckles Receives Dissertation Award

Siena Heights English faculty member Dr. Christy Mesaros-Winckles received the Dissertation of the Year Award from the Religious Communication Association. Her dissertation was entitled “Only God Knows the Opposition We Face: The Rhetoric of Nineteenth Century Free Methodist Women’s Quest for Ordination.” She was honored at an awards banquet Nov. 22

Gordon Retires from SHU After 37 Years

Dr. Robert Gordon retired from SHU on Jan. 3, 2014, the 37th anniversary of his start date with the Siena Heights community. During those years, he has served the community as director of Advising, chairperson of the General Studies Division, assistant dean, associate dean, dean of the College and Provost, dean of Graduate and Life-Long Learning, dean of the Graduate College and director of the Library. His service in those roles and on numerous committees has been marked by a commitment to the integrity of the liberal arts, the quality of our academic programs and the personal and professional growth of our students.

SHU Represented at Michigan Conference

SHU Biology professors Dr. Jun Tsuji and Dr. Thomas Wassmer and student Kara Bell-Brey ’13 participated in the 2013 Michigan Academy of Science Arts and Letters annual conference March 22 at Hope College. There were a total of 450 participants who presented in 33 academic sections on many topics.

Wolf Begins as SHU’s New VP of Enrollment

Siena Heights University hired George Wolf to be its next vice president of Enrollment Management. He began June 3. “George was the top choice for the position by the search committee, and the Executive Committee of the Administration supported the committee’s recommendation,” said SHU President Sister Peg Albert, OP, PhD. “I firmly believe we have found the right person for the job. He believes in the mission and vision of the University, and has an impressive background in higher education enrollment.” Wolf most recently served as the vice president and dean for Enrollment Services at Westminster College in Missouri and has more than 26 years of enrollment management experience with colleges and universities. Wolf has developed and implemented innovative models for enrollment management, financial aid leveraging, marketing and market segmentation, as well as developed reporting structures and predictive modeling for enrollment, yield, net revenue and price elasticity for institutional improvement and strategic success. Wolf, 50, completed his bachelor’s degree in mass commu-nications/public relations from Kentucky Wesleyan College in 1986 and his master’s degree in human resource development from Siena Heights University in 2000.

SHU Again Earns ‘Military Friendly School’ Status

Siena Heights University was named a “Military Friendly School” by Victory Media for the fifth consecutive year. The 2014 list honors the top 20 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace America’s veterans as students. Schools on the list range from state universities and private colleges to community colleges and trade schools. The 1,868 colleges, universities and trade schools on this year’s list exhibit leading practices in the recruitment and retention of students with military experience. These schools have world-class programs and policies for student support on campus, academic accreditation, credit policies, flexibility and other services to those who served.

“Inclusion on the 2014 list of Military Friendly Schools shows Siena Heights University’s commitment to providing a supportive environment for military students,” said Sean Collins, vice president at Victory Media. The 2014 list was compiled through extensive research and a data-driven survey of more than 10,000 VA-approved schools nationwide. The survey results that comprise the list were independently tested by Ernst & Young LLP based upon the weightings and methodology established by Victory Media. Each year schools taking the survey are held to a higher standard than the previous year via improved methodology, criteria and weightings developed with the assistance of an Academic Advisory Board (AAB) consisting of educators from schools across the country.

Award-Winning Author Speaks at SHU

Siena Heights hosted award-winning author and poet Chitra Divakaruni Sept. 18 in Francoeur Theater (below). Divakaruni is the author of “One Amazing Thing,” a novel published in 2010 detailing how a group of people attempted to survive in a dark, debris-filled office after an immense earthquake hit. The book was the 2013 Summer Reader for freshmen students at SHU. Her themes include women, immigration, the South Asian experience, history, myth, magical realism and diversity.