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The Online Magazine for Alumni and Friends of Siena Heights University
My old college baseball coach used to say, “You get better or you get worse; you don’t stay the same.” That phrase has stuck with me through my professional career, including my time at Siena Heights University.
After nearly eight years and 15 issues of being the editor of Reflections Magazine, it was time to take a fresh look at what we do with the magazine. It was not an easy decision. The reader feedback we have received on the magazine has been overwhelmingly positive. In fact, there has been no clear evidence that we need to do anything different with the magazine.
So, why did we change? We recognize the University has changed quite a bit over the past few years, and we want to be able to change with it. Our readership continues to change (and grow), and today’s readers have different preferences and patterns. For instance, last year we added an on-line version of the magazine to allow our more tech-savvy readers to access content in a more mobile and convenient way.
Mary Small Poore, President—Alumni Association Board of Directors
Falling in Love All Over Again
I am very excited to be the newest President of the SHU Alumni Association. After graduation, I stayed connected to Siena for nearly a decade before drifting away…life just seemed to get in the way. But in 2006, I attended Sister Peg Albert’s presidential inauguration—and I have been drawn back ever since. You might say I fell in love with Siena all over again. The more time I spent on campus, the more I remembered what drew me here in the first place: the people and sense of community.
If you attended Homecoming 2013, you know about the excitement on campus and the incredible happenings that continue here. I consider myself blessed to be a part of this growing university. As I reflect on Homecoming, I can’t help but think it is the culmination of many small, meaningful connections that made the weekend so spectacular. And these connections, in turn, are what make this a spectacular university. Let me share a few observations:
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
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
Dr. Linda Sandel Pettit
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.
