Our Lady of Victory - Immaculata University

CAMPUSNEWS
CAMPUSNEWS
President’s Term Extended
On Monday, April 23, 2007, the board of trustees voted to appoint
Sister R. Patricia Fadden, IHM, to a second five-year term as
president of Immaculata University. Sister began her tenure as
president in July 2002.
During Sister’s first presidential term, many dramatic changes took
place at Immaculata, including implementation of university status,
formation of the Women’s College Viability Task Force, welcoming the
first traditional-age coeducational class in 2005, and the creation of a
ten-year Campus Master Plan that included the building of Draper
Walsh Stadium.
Highlights of academic accomplishments during her
tenure include establishment of a Master of
Science in Nursing degree; a Bachelor of Science
in Marketing Management; and three new
Associate of Science degrees in biology,
mathematics/computer science, and
information technology. In 2006,
Immaculata ushered in its first
undergraduate accelerated online
program in organization dynamics.
Available in 2007 are three additional
online offerings in financial
management, health care management,
and human performance management.
Graduation
Over 619 students graduated at commencement ceremonies
held at the Valley Forge Convention Center on May 20.
Dr. John Haas, president of the National Catholic Bioethics Center
and president of the International Institute for Culture in Philadelphia,
received the honorary doctorate degree as Doctor of Laws.
Sister Mary Scullion, Director of Project H.O.M.E. in Philadelphia,
received the Immaculata Medal and served as the commencement
speaker.Awarded for the first time in 1976, the Immaculata Medal
has been bestowed over the years on men and women who have
publicly exercised creative leadership or given evidence of sound
scholarship in the arts, letters, sciences, or professions, or served the
university in an extraordinary manner.These are individuals whose
lives are consistent with the highest values and aspirations of
Catholic education.
In her address to the graduates, Sister Mary Scullion said,“Your
degree will buy you power and influence.” She urged them “to
promote the common good and the dignity and worth of each
person.” n
Author of 1776 to speak at IU
Pulitzer Prize winning author David McCullough will visit
Immaculata on Friday, October 26, at 7 p.m. in Alumnae Hall for a
book signing and lecture about his book 1776. Immaculata will
host the event sponsored by the Chester County Library System,
The Chester County Book Company, Immaculata University, and
the Paoli Battlefield Preservation Fund. Books will be available for
purchase before and after the lecture. Reservations are required for
admittance. For further information about the event, contact Diane
Gring at 610-280-2615. n
IU Online Now Includes
Four ACCEL Majors
Immaculata’s College of LifeLong Learning (CLL) now offers four
accelerated degree completion programs completely online.
Students may enroll from all over the world in Bachelor of Arts
degrees in financial, health care, and human performance
management, and in the BA in organization dynamics.As Elke
Franke, Dean of CLL, explains,“Each of the programs is carefully
structured, but students have the freedom to take some courses out
of sequence.They also may enroll in elective courses concurrently
with their major. After an extensive online orientation, even
students with little online experience are ready to engage in this
very interactive learning experience, anytime and from anyplace.” n
e2campus
In the aftermath of occurrences at Virginia Tech in April 2007,
Immaculata has established a new campus notification system,
e2campus.
e2campus is a system that is capable of sending notifications instantly
and simultaneously to all in our Immaculata University community
who choose to participate. Notifications can be sent out to two
wireless devices (cellular telephone, Blackberry, wireless PDA, pager)
and/or 2 email addresses.
This system will be the fastest way to receive notifications on
weather related emergencies in which the university is closing or
for critical notifications regarding safety and well being.
Registration for the new system is voluntary. n
A Fond Farewell
After 42 years of teaching at
Immaculata, Sister Virginia
Assumpta McNabb, associate
professor of accounting and
former chair of the business
department, has retired.
Move-in Day
The campus came alive this August when over 300 freshmen began
their experience at Immaculata. For the third year since the university
became coed in 2005, over 300 freshmen have entered each year.
A Chronicle of Faith
In celebration of the 200 year legacy of the Archdiocese of
Philadelphia, 1808-2008, Immaculata will host a scholarly conference
on April 4, 2008. Keynote speaker for the event will be Christopher
Kauffman, PhD, professor at Catholic University of America and
editor of the “U.S. Catholic Historian.” Immaculata welcomes the
submission of conference papers with topics related to the Church
in Philadelphia. Conference registration and information may be
found at www.immaculata.edu/chronicleoffaith. n
Immaculata –Thomas Jefferson
University Partnership
Immaculata University recently signed an articulation agreement with
Jefferson College of Health Professionals of Thomas Jefferson
University.This agreement allows students from Immaculata to
receive a quality education at Immaculata in addition to a strong
clinically focused health education at Jefferson.The programs selected
for the articulation agreement include Physical Therapy, Occupational
Therapy, Bioscience Technologies, and Radiologic Sciences.
Students in this program will follow a specific three-year curricular
track at Immaculata that will include the prerequisite coursework
needed to transfer into the programs at Thomas Jefferson University.
Credits earned during the first year at Jefferson will be counted
toward the completion of Immaculata’s B.S. degree in Exercise
Science or Allied Health. Students who have completed the
articulated Immaculata curriculum, must have a GPA of at least 3.0,
and have earned at least a C in all prerequisite coursework which will
transfer into the appropriate program at Thomas Jefferson University.
“This exciting partnership demonstrates the leadership of two
educational institutions in responding to the need for well prepared
health care professionals and further affords students the opportunity
to participate in well planned, strong, and structured academic
programs,” commented Sister Carroll M. Isselmann, IHM, vice
president of Academic Affairs. n
Theresa Shank Grentz Returns to Immaculata
Theresa Shank Grentz ‘74, a member of
all three national championship
basketball teams at Immaculata has
returned to work at her alma mater in
the position of assistant to the vice
president for student affairs. After 12
seasons as head coach of women’s
basketball at the University of Illinois,
she decided to step down. She began
her coaching career at St. Joseph’s
University and then went on to become head coach at Rutgers
University, where she won a national championship. In 1992, she
coached the U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team—a total of 33
years in coaching. Theresa was inducted into the Women’s Basketball
Hall of Fame in 2001.
Sister Patricia Fadden commented on Theresa’s return, “We are
thrilled that she has returned to Immaculata, bringing her wealth of
knowledge and experience.”
Dr. William Watson Receives Lindback Award
Presented at commencement ceremonies
on May 20, the 2006-2007 Lindback
Distinguished Teaching Award was
received by William E. Watson, PhD,
associate professor of history. Each year
the award is granted to a faculty member
who has demonstrated excellence in
teaching.
Dr. Watson obtained a BA in history from
Eastern College and an MA and PhD from
the University of Pennsylvania and wrote
his dissertation on The Hammer and the Crescent: Contacts
between Andalusi Muslims, Franks, and their Successors in
Three Waves of Muslim Expansion into Francia. A member of the
Immaculata faculty since 1988, Dr. Watson developed and taught a
minor in Middle Eastern Studies.
He has published numerous articles and books, including The
Collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union; Tricolor and
Crescent: France and the Islamic World; and most recently The
Ghosts of Duffy’s Cut: The Irish Who Died Building America’s
Most Dangerous Stretch of Railroad, which was written with J.
Francis Watson, John Ahtes, and Earl Schandelmeier.
A frequent consultant and commentator for television, radio and print,
Dr. Watson has worked with BBC-Ulster, RTE Ireland, Spin-103, CBS-
KYW 3, ABC-WPVI 6, FOX 29, and CN-8. He is a regular contributor to
History: Reviews of New Books and Salem Press history
encyclopedias.
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