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The Year in Review
Dear Colleague:
This spring we dedicated a new statue on campus. It is a bronze sculpture of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus. Although I like all of the art displayed at Saint Louis University, this piece has quickly become my favorite.
It shows Ignatius as a pilgrim, setting out on his journey to serve the greater glory of God by working for the greater good of others. I have found both inspiration and motivation in this sculpture. It is a vivid reminder of why I and all of my colleagues have set out on our journey to educate women and men for others in the Jesuit tradition.
For years, you've read about my vision for Saint Louis University -- to become the finest Catholic university in the United States. As I mark my 13th anniversary as president of Saint Louis University, I want to update you on the progress we've made toward that goal during the last year alone.
The 1999-2000 academic year was a remarkable one. It began with the introduction of Project SLU2000, an innovative, five-year, $100 million investment in the University's future designed to move Saint Louis University to a new level of excellence in the areas of academics, information technology and facilities. In just a year, Project SLU2000 already has begun making a difference at SLU. Among its early successes are:
The establishment of eight new faculty positions awarded to five academic departments.
An increase in the number of full-scholarship Presidential Scholars to 30 from 10.
The awarding of 12 leaves through the Faculty Research Initiative, which supplements the University's sabbatical system.
The introduction of the Achievement Scholarship Program, which recognizes full-time undergraduate students who have demonstrated outstanding academic and co-curricular achievement and financial need since their enrollment but were not awarded a University merit-based scholarship upon admission to SLU.
The sponsorship of four faculty research projects through the Designated Research Fund, which provides start-up funds for new faculty, bridge funds for successful researchers and seed money for new projects.
In addition, Project SLU2000 has supported badly needed renovations in several residence halls and academic buildings and has been instrumental in upgrading the University's information technology resources toward state-of-the-art levels.
Also during the past year:
The faculty physicians in the School of Medicine received national recognition. U.S. News & World Report's 2000 edition of "America's Best Hospitals" places Saint Louis University Hospital among the top 50 medical centers in 12 specialties, up from nine specialties that made the list last year.
The Danforth Foundation awarded a grant of $5 million to the University to help upgrade and enhance computer and information technology networks on campus.
A national publication recognized SLU for fostering character development. The Templeton Guide: Colleges That Encourage Character Development, a guidebook released nationally, cited a number of programs at Saint Louis University for leadership in the field of character development.
The University received a four-year, $760,000 grant to help 100 first-generation and minority students prepare to earn doctoral degrees. The Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program will prepare 25 undergraduate students each year for post-graduate success and eventual teaching careers in higher education.
Saint Louis University was recognized as a national leader in graduate education in U.S. News & World Report's 2001 edition of "America's Best Graduate Schools." The health law program at the School of Law is the very best in the United States, according to the report, ranking No. 1 among the select group of law schools with distinguished health law programs.
More than 6,500 members of the Saint Louis University community gave 322,000 hours of volunteer service during the last year. On average, a University member completed 50 hours of community service during the year. In addition, University student groups, departments and community outreach programs generated $424,974 in philanthropy dollars raised for local not-for-profit agencies.
The spring was a "Season for Justice" at Saint Louis University. Several events in April and May focused on justice in education and action as part of the University's ongoing commitment to the Jesuit mission.
The University hosted the Organization of American Historians (OAH) 2000 annual meeting, which was held March 30 to April 2. An estimated 1,800 of the nation's leading historians traveled to SLU for the conference and participated in more than 120 sessions, which took place in a number of locations across the campus.
In addition, University researchers have:
Established the Center for Research and Education on Bio-Terrorism and Emerging Infections with the Centers for Disease Control with a $1 million grant from the Department of Health and Human Services.
Received an $8.45 million award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to participate in the HIV Vaccine Trials Network.
Received the largest grant ever awarded by the National Institutes of Aging. The $5.613 million grant will be used to study aging among African-Americans.
But we're not resting on our laurels. This fall, we welcomed another record freshman class, are putting the finishing touches on the addition to our School of Business and Administration, and are moving forward on even more Project SLU2000 initiatives.
Clearly there is still much work to be done to reach our goal of becoming the finest Catholic university in the United States. But it is always nice to take a moment to enjoy our successes.
As always, thanks for your support in making these achievements possible.
Lawrence Biondi, SJ
University President
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