Dear Members of the Seattle University Community:
I write at this time to share some information about an important process that the university will be undertaking this year – that of a Mission Examen. (“Examen” is a Latin word in the Jesuit tradition meaning an in-depth, personal review in order to improve.) The Mission Examen review was initiated by the General of the Jesuits in collaboration with the 28 Jesuit universities of the United States and the leadership of the Jesuits in the country. The Mission Examen is an opportunity to reflect on the university’s Catholic, Jesuit mission – where we are strong, and where we have room to grow – and to set some goals for the future. All 28 Jesuit schools will complete this process over the next five years. It is opportune that we engage in this review of our mission in this 125th anniversary of our founding.
The university community will have a number of opportunities to meet with the Mission Examen Campus Committee to contribute to this process of reflection, and I urge you to take part. A self-study report will be drafted, and a small committee from peer Jesuit institutions will visit the university on February 16–17. Eventually, our self-study and the peer committee’s report will be submitted to Fr. Scott Santarosa, S.J., Provincial of Jesuits in the Northwest, and it will be reviewed by the Jesuit Provincials at their meeting in Rome in May 2017 and by the Superior General of the Jesuits, Fr. Arturo Sosa, S.J.
I’m especially pleased that we have this opportunity as a community, as we celebrate our 125th anniversary, to engage in this process of deep dialogue, consideration and reflection about what animates Seattle U as a community and how we live our Catholic, Jesuit mission.
I wish to express my thanks to Fr. Peter Ely, S.J., for chairing this process and to Allison Golden for helping to coordinate and staff it. I am also grateful to the members of the Mission Examen Campus Committee for their leadership in this process. They are:
Mission Examen Campus Committee
- Peter Ely, S.J., Associate Professor, Department of Theology (Chair)
- Allison Golden, Senior Aide to the President (staff support)
- Terri Clark, VP, Academic Assembly and Associate Professor, College of Nursing
- Marc Cohen, Assistant Professor, Albers School of Business
- Rick Fehrenbacher, Dean, School of New and Continuing Studies
- David Leigh, S.J., Professor of English
- Tammy Liddell, Director of Campus Ministry
- Claire Lucas, Undergraduate Student Representative
- Natasha Martin, Assoc. VP & Chief Diversity Officer; Assoc. Professor of Law
- Joe Orlando, Director, Center for Jesuit Education
- Catherine Punsalan, Assoc. Prof and Director, Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture
- Jen Tilghman-Havens, Associate Director, Center for Jesuit Education
- Janet Shandley, Director of Graduate Admissions
- Dion Wade, Director of University Recreation
Sincerely,
Stephen V. Sundborg, S.J.
President