The Siena Heights Mission: Alive and Well

The Mission of Siena Heights University leads us all “to be more competent, purposeful and ethical through a teaching and learning environment that respects the dignity of all.” No time in my recent past have these words spoken to me more clearly than a recent week in April.

I was privileged to attend the Siena Heights University Honors Convocation held on April 25. That ceremony reminded me of all that is great about this school. The students, faculty and staff honored were but a small percentage of the incredible people who constitute this university. Their achievements and accomplishments are all outstanding. Later that same day I attended a reception for the graduates of our Metro Detroit campus. There I met non-traditional students who, along with all of their other personal and professional responsibilities, had achieved excellence in the classroom while striving to create better lives for themselves and their families. As a former traditional student 40 years ago, I could not imagine how difficult their journey must have been. As I told them that evening, I am in awe of each of them.

During that same time period, as Alumni Board president I have been faced with difficult issues with friends that are torn apart by differing views and opinions. My heart breaks to see the pain this has caused some of them. I searched my soul for ways to teach them all tolerance for each other and their varying opinions—then realized it is not about tolerance. I don’t want each of them to tolerate the other’s opinions or beliefs. One of the greatest lessons I brought with me from my education at Siena Heights was the conviction of respect and dignity for all. I want to help promote dialogue, not so that one side can convince the other he is right or the other person is in error. I want each of them to understand the other’s feelings and respect that those feeling are valid for that person. I would want to help them achieve some type of common ground.

As I struggled with all of this, I gained further insight from a lunch shared with several wonderful and strong women in my family. They had no idea of the issues I was facing but our conversation soon turned to this exact same subject: respecting those with differing views and understanding where each person is coming from in his own life experiences. I happen to have very different political opinions from many of my family members. However, that day served to remind me that such differences did not diminish my intense love and respect for each of them. We could share our opinions and, at the end of the day, our love and respect for each other was just as strong – and not one of us had even tried to change the views or opinions of another. Who could know that those few hours of breaking bread, laughing and shopping could serve as my “a-ha” moment in helping me face my other struggles.

I am now convinced that my role is to promote dialogue, to encourage open, honest exchanges of ideas, and to ensure that each person is respected in his/her views. Maybe through dialogue, some opinions will change but that is not the purpose. The ultimate goal is to demonstrate that it is possible to have varied beliefs and lifestyles, while still respecting the dignity of all. Thank you, Siena Heights University, for this true education

Mary Small Poore ’76
President—Alumni Association Board of Directors