December 7, 2006

Christmas decorations grace the mall, the smell of warm cider wafts from various offices and rooms, the anticipation of Christmas vacation is palpable across campus. Even in the absence of snow flurries we know the fall semester is coming to an end. Hence this is the last update for 2006.

UNIVERSITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
On December 4 the University Board of Directors met and elected four new directors: Mr. W. Gary Gates, President and Chief Executive Officer of Omaha Public Power District; Ms. Jane Miller, Chief Operating Officer of Gallup Riverfront Campus; Ms. Deborah Macdonald, BA’72, JD’80, Vice President of Kinder Morgan, Inc., Houston; and Mr. Michael McCarthy, Chairman of McCarthy Group, Inc.  The Directors also approved the lease of land to a joint venture formed to establish a stereotactic radiosurgery center on campus at 30th and California Streets.  

WINTER GRADUATION:
Mid-year graduation is scheduled for December 16th.  As of today, we will be honoring three of Omaha’s venerable institutions with the Presidential Medallion.  The Joslyn Art Museum is celebrating its 75th anniversary, and we are honoring the museum for its contribution to the quality of life in our community.  At the same time, Mount Michael Benedictine Abbey and School are commemorating 50 years of Benedictine presence in the Omaha area.  We will also recognize St. Cecilia Cathedral Elementary School for 100 years of commitment to Catholic grade school education.  Abbot Emeritus Raphael Walsh, OSB, President of Mount Michael High School, will give the sermon at the baccalaureate Mass scheduled for 9 a.m. in John’s Church.  Also, the Alumni Achievement Citation will be presented to Sharon Culhane Harper, BA’69, of Phoenix, AZ, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Plaza Companies.

HIGHER LEARNING COMMISSION:
As you know, in March, the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools will visit Creighton for the purpose of reaccrediting the University.  Prof. Christine Wiseman and her team have done a masterful job in responding to the five standards of the HLC and in updating progress to date from the last visit ten years ago.  The five standards are available at http://www2.creighton.edu/accreditation/.  Where appropriate, the input from the various “town hall meetings” held in mid-November has been incorporated into the body of the self-study. Again, I publicly thank Prof. Christine Wiseman and her team for preparing a highly informative report presented in a polished and professional manner. The report is an excellent look into the essence of Creighton University as a mission driven institution of higher learning. The completed report will be sent to the Higher Learning Commission in January.  The HLC committee includes:  Ms. Patricia Callone, Dr. Scott Chadwick, Dr. Gail Jensen, Dr. Mary Kunes-Connell, Mr. Fred Salzinger, Dr. Ashton Welch, and Prof. Christine Wiseman.  Kudos all around!

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES DEAN SEARCH:
The search for the Dean of the Creighton College of Arts and Sciences is well under way. Pat Borchers, Dean of the Law School and chairman of the search committee, reports that a solid pool of candidates has been winnowed down to seven. Telephone interviews are presently under way. He hopes to invite select candidates for on-campus interviews in the early months of the next semester.

ST. JOHN’S CHURCH:
The stone work is complete on the south side of St. John’s Church and the new heating system is up and running (thankfully!). Over the Christmas break various construction projects across campus will be completed. I will update you on them in January.

ADMISSION AND ENROLLMENT FRONT:
In keeping with my last update, the applications for the undergraduate fall class of 2007 are looking very positive. The numbers are well ahead of 2005.  Mary Chase and her team are keeping busy. Both campus visits and open house attendance are running ahead of last year. While it is far too early to determine trends, the numbers suggest we are heading for a very promising fall class in 2007. The application pools for all of the graduate and professional programs are healthy and ahead of projections. Stay tuned!

“WILLING TO LEAD” CAMPAIGN:
Finally, THE CAMPAIGN FOR CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY is making steady progress. The 2006 year has been a good one for the University. With exactly two years to go, I am confident we will hit our $350 million target. Of immediate interest is the establishment of the Waite Endowed Chair for Jesuit Education. Anna and Don Waite have generously gifted the University $1.7 million for this chair that will assist in bringing Jesuit teachers and scholars to Creighton’s classrooms well into the future. I am most grateful to Anna and Don for this generous gift.

Best wishes to all students and faculty for a successful final exam week. Travel safely. I will send a Christmas greeting closer to the last days of the semester.

With all best wishes and good thoughts.

John P. Schlegel, S.J.
President