February 29, 2008 - Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
February 29, 2008 - Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
February 29, 2008 - Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
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10 <strong>February</strong> <strong>29</strong>, <strong>2008</strong> Feature: Lasallian Service www.smumn.edu/cardinal<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor defines a Catholic Lasallian university<br />
BY DANIELLE LARSON<br />
Cardinal Staff<br />
Catholic, Lasallian universities have<br />
become more mainstream due to the<br />
pulling forces <strong>of</strong> American higher education<br />
to appear like every other university,<br />
explains the “Lasallian<br />
Assessment: Charism and the<br />
<strong>University</strong>” report, written by <strong>Saint</strong><br />
Mary’s <strong>University</strong> history pr<strong>of</strong>essor Dr.<br />
Richard Tristano.<br />
According to Tristano, the shift<br />
toward mainstream is what is causing<br />
Lasallian universities to lose their identity<br />
and why many faculty, staff and<br />
students cannot explain what it means<br />
to be Lasallian. With that in mind,<br />
Tristano devised the idea <strong>of</strong> writing the<br />
report. The report was written with the<br />
help <strong>of</strong> three other pr<strong>of</strong>essors: Dr.<br />
Mary Catherine Fox, pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> interdisciplinary<br />
studies; Melissa Luedtke,<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> education; and Sister Judy<br />
Schaefer, pr<strong>of</strong>essor and chair <strong>of</strong> theology.<br />
Because <strong>Saint</strong> Mary’s faces this<br />
same threat, the assessment states that<br />
the pr<strong>of</strong>essors felt it was their duty as<br />
Lasallian educators to put together a<br />
document with the goal <strong>of</strong> creating a<br />
truly Lasallian university.<br />
“Lasallian Assessment is a means <strong>of</strong><br />
integrating the Lasallian charism with<br />
the purpose <strong>of</strong> an American Catholic<br />
university through the evaluation <strong>of</strong><br />
Lasallian goals and objectives,” the<br />
document states.<br />
Tristano said the purpose <strong>of</strong> this<br />
assessment was to define a Lasallian<br />
university in a concrete and specific<br />
way.<br />
To do this, they compiled broad<br />
goals <strong>of</strong> what a Lasallian university<br />
should be. Each goal was then broken<br />
down into more specific objectives that<br />
define the goal. Tristano and the other<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essors came up with examples<br />
from prior experiences to express how<br />
a Lasallian university could reach each<br />
objective and obtain its goals.<br />
SMU is one <strong>of</strong> seven Lasallian universities<br />
in the United States. The<br />
Lasallian Assessment was sent out to<br />
the other six universities after it was<br />
completed to help them develop their<br />
Lasallian identities as well.<br />
If SMU wants to be a truly<br />
Lasallian university, said Tristano, “[it]<br />
needs to have the will to gain the<br />
knowledge on how to become more<br />
Lasallian.”<br />
The pr<strong>of</strong>essors believe that by<br />
enhancing the Lasallian identity, the<br />
institution will become more appealing<br />
to students and parents because its education<br />
is based on these Lasallian values.<br />
The Assessment took approximately<br />
11 months to complete, from January<br />
to November 2007.<br />
A Lasallian university:<br />
*Reflects its Catholic and university<br />
identities.<br />
*Reflects the charism <strong>of</strong> John Baptist<br />
de La Salle and the Brothers <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Christian Schools.<br />
*Provides a holistic, values-based<br />
education that integrates Catholic<br />
thought and tradition with various<br />
other traditions and cultures.<br />
*Fosters relationships in community,<br />
together and by association, with<br />
particular attention to the relationship<br />
between teacher and student.<br />
*Develops an identity in students<br />
rooted in faith and zeal.<br />
*Responds to specific and changing<br />
educational needs especially<br />
focused on individual students.<br />
*Measures its effectiveness by how it<br />
addresses the religious, social, political,<br />
and economic needs <strong>of</strong> those<br />
less fortunate, especially the young.<br />
Students go south to<br />
make a difference<br />
BY KARINA RAJTAR<br />
Cardinal Staff<br />
Spring break is coming up, and<br />
while many <strong>Saint</strong> Mary’s <strong>University</strong><br />
students are planning exotic vacations<br />
or anticipating a quiet week at home,<br />
thirteen students are preparing to help<br />
others.<br />
Members <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Saint</strong> Mary’s<br />
<strong>University</strong> campus chapter <strong>of</strong> Habitat<br />
for Humanity will travel to Abilene,<br />
Texas, to participate in a weeklong<br />
Collegiate Challenge, a program sponsored<br />
by Habitat for Humanity<br />
International that allows high school<br />
and college students to travel to other<br />
parts <strong>of</strong> the country during school<br />
breaks to help build houses. The program<br />
aims at getting youth involved in<br />
eliminating substandard housing while<br />
allowing them to experience a new<br />
community with new people.<br />
The thirteen students and one staff<br />
advisor will likely work on a number<br />
<strong>of</strong> different tasks, which may include<br />
tiling, painting, putting in appliances,<br />
putting up siding and installing insulation.<br />
They will also have a chance to<br />
learn more about problems with poverty<br />
and affordable housing while also<br />
getting to know people they might not<br />
otherwise get a chance to talk to.<br />
Junior Bethany Kaufmann went on<br />
last year’s trip to Greensboro, Ala., and<br />
said she would do it again “in a heartbeat”<br />
if she had the time to. She still<br />
spends time with some <strong>of</strong> the people<br />
she first got to know on the trip and is<br />
glad she had the opportunity to go. “I<br />
don’t think there’s anyone on the trip<br />
that could say they had a bad time,”<br />
Kaufmann said.<br />
The group will drive about 20 hours<br />
and spend a day sightseeing before<br />
beginning work, and they will be back<br />
in time for Easter weekend.