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University of Dayton: Educating the Whole Self
Marianist Tradition has guided institution for nearly 160 years
By Tim Puet
Catholic Times
The president of the University of Dayton says its students are transforming the world and themselves every day.
“You can’t help but be impressed by what they do on a regular basis,” Dr. Daniel Curran said. “To give you one example, six civil engineering students in our ETHOS service learning program spent much of the last year raising funds and designing a pipeline and filtration system for people in a village in Cameroon. They turned on the taps in July, and clean water is flowing there for the first time.
“In eastern Kentucky, another group of our students was instrumental in getting a family back together by repairing their house.
“Here in Dayton, we’ve just graduated our third class of at-risk high school students from the Dayton Early College Academy, the university’s charter partnership with the Dayton public schools. Everyone in those three classes has been admitted to college, and some already have an associate degree from Sinclair Community College.
“We’re founded on the Marianist tradition of educating the whole person, and we feel we’re remaining faithful to the mission the Marianist Fathers (the Society of Mary) had when they began that work here nearly 160 years ago,” said Curran, who became UD president in 2002 and is the first layman in that post.
Dayton has about 7,500 students, including more than 1,700 freshmen, who began classes on Aug. 26. It’s Ohio’s largest Catholic university, but has a substantial enrollment from across the nation. About 45 percent of this year’s freshmen are from outside Ohio, representing a 6 percent increase in out-of-state enrollment in the last two years.
The class is one of the most diverse in the university’s history, with increased enrollment from Hispanic, Asian and international students. More than 10 percent of the class comes from an ethnically diverse background.
“It’s our strongest academic class ever,” with an increase in college entrance test scores, high school GPAs, and high school rankings, Curran said. “We’re feeling very good about this, especially in this difficult economy.” Curran said more than 12,000 students, the largest number ever, applied to the university during the 2008-09 academic year.
UD ranks among the 10 best Catholic universities in the U.S. News and World Report overall rankings. It is tied for 110th among 262 universities nationally offering a wide range of undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees. Among national Catholic universities, it tied for seventh, up one spot from last year. Among national private universities, it tied for 56th place.
Curriculum changes at the university this year includes new foreign language requirements for students in the Global Management Systems Engineering Technology program, designed to prepare them for work in international settings. Those students must have a study abroad experience, an international service learning experience, or an internship or co-op with an international company or division of a company.
“We need to make sure our students are exposed to the world,” Curran said. “”When I see what the future needs of businesses and of students will be, I realize that it will truly be a global world, and that it will make a tremendous impact on students for as many of them as possible to be able to have international experience. We can’t stand still in a global economy. We need to show students what the world can bring to them and they can bring to the world.”
The university has partnerships with nearly 30 universities and colleges worldwide, in nations including China, France, Lebanon, Morocco, South Korea, Spain, and Thailand. Students from those nations who come to Dayton say they’re pleased with their experience at the university – so pleased that UD for the third year in a row ranks first in international student satisfaction in an International Student Barometer survey, the largest study of international students in the world.
In the midst of its global outreach, the university also is thinking about initiatives closer to home. Since 2006, its Rivers Institute has played a key role in bringing partners in Dayton and surrounding communities together in efforts to protect and preserve water resources along the Great Miami River.
Just before classes started, a group of students known as river stewards spent two days kayaking, camping and studying the environment along a part of the river. They studied the diversity of its fish species through fish shocking, or electrofishing, which involves passing an electric current through the water to stun fish and bring them to the surface for counting and studying. The method does not harm the fish, which return to their original state within minutes.
Senior river stewards took a 65-mile trip along the river, meeting city officials in Sidney, Piqua, and Troy, and documenting the trip using video, photos and audio recordings to examine the biology and health of the river and assess development opportunities.
“The rivers program is a great collaborative among students, faculty, community groups, businesses and individuals interested in the river,” Curran said. “It gives the students a chance to do community service with an academic counterpart and provides a way to unite many partners who have a common goal.”
He said a new sustainability program featuring plant-based packaging and diligent waste sorting will position the university to be a national leader in food composting. The dining services department has begun using compostable varieties of packaging made of corn and sugar cane in residence hall dining rooms. A plant in South Charleston will process the compost.
Students who choose to eat from disposable containers will pay an extra 25 cents for the packaging, while those who dine in will use china and dishwasher-safe plastic. Facilities without dish rooms will continue to offer carry-out packaging only and won’t charge the extra fee for packaging.
The dining services department says it hopes to compost or recycle 90 percent of its waste in the coming academic year. The university says it’s the largest institutional food-scraps recycling effort in Ohio and one of the largest university food composting efforts in the nation.
“I have to applaud the students, because all of this was their idea,” Curran said. “They said we were moving too slowly in our efforts toward creating a more sustainable environment, and this encouraged us to work harder in response.”
He said the university has enhanced its identity as a Catholic facility by hiring three distinguished scholars – David O’Brien, Vincent Miller, and Matthew Levering – for its religious studies department.
O’Brien was professor emeritus of history at Holy Cross College. He specializes in Catholic social and political thought, the history of American Catholicism, and religion and politics. Miller taught at Georgetown University and was a visiting professor at UD in 2008. He is working on a book about how globalization is affecting religious belief and communities. Levering taught for nine years at Ave Maria University, is chairman of the Academy of Catholic Theology, and has special expertise in the theology of Thomas Aquinas.
“We’ve been remarkably fortunate to add all three of these distinguished professors,” he said. “This greatly strengthens our position as a major center for research of how Catholicism and American culture have influenced each other.”
“We’re also proud of our Institute on Pastoral Initiatives, which does faith formation work with dozens of dioceses, some of them well beyond Ohio and the United States, many of whom couldn’t otherwise afford the programs it offers,” he said. “Next year, it will celebrate 40 years of responding to the emerging needs of the Church as part of the Marianist vision.”
Curran said the university attracted more than $96.5 million in sponsored research during the last fiscal year, an estimated 13.3 percent jump from the previous year. “This puts us third behind only Notre Dame and Georgetown among Catholic universities,” he said.
“Our strongest areas of growth have been in nanomaterials research, sensors technology, and fuels and energy research for the Air Force, NASA, and other federal agencies. This kind of work both fulfills our research mission and results in jobs. For instance, in the last two years, our sensors technology institute has created more than 220 jobs.”
Students returning to campus found $15.2 million worth of renovations had been performed during the summer on two residence halls. The improvements are part of a university-wide five-year, $42.5 million renovation that’s part of a master plan which also includes the purchase of about 50 acres next to campus.
“We’ve been able to make these improvements on schedule, in spite of the economy, because of strong. prudent financial management,” Curran said. “They’ve helped make the university a very beautiful place – very comfortable, very open. Students feel positive about being here, and I’m excited, too. Our Catholic, Marianist brand of transformative education is making a difference.”
UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON SCHOOLS OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, LAW INCLUDED IN BEST SCHOOLS LISTINGS FOR 2009
The University of Dayton School of Business Administration and the School of Law have again been ranked among the top in the nation again.
The School of Business Administration is listed in the 2009 edition of Best 296 Business Schools, published by Random House and The Princeton Review. This is the third consecutive year the school made the list, which is based on student surveys.
For the second consecutive year, UD's School of Law is listed in The Princeton Review book, "Best 174 Law Schools," which is also based on student surveys.
Business students said they particularly valued the opportunity for "guaranteed real-world consulting project experience" in the MBA program and the diversity of the faculty, which includes career teachers, professionals and retired business leaders.
Students also noted the "marvelous Marianist-centered campus life," and "exceptional integrated core curriculum," as well as a "strong alumni base and described it as "one of the best kept secrets in the world of MBA programs."
"One of the strengths of the MBA program is the flexibility of the curriculum and our emphasis on real-world experience," said Matthew Shank, dean of the School of Business Administration. "The capstone project widens their experience by pairing students with companies in the region, and allows them to apply and use what they've learned in the classroom in a context different from their own businesses."
For example, MBA students last year applied the principles of the Toyota management system to ISUS Inc., making recommendations to enhance efficiency and improve factory and homebuilding operations for the innovative charter school.
MBA students also said the program "allows for a great amount of flexibility, so you can complete it at your own pace." The MBA program enrolls 460 students, many of who are full-time professionals in the Dayton region.
Many courses in the MBA program are team-taught, often combining a practitioner with a professor. The faculty includes six executives-in-residence who help teach courses including a mandatory two-semester capstone course that matches students with consulting projects.
Students may earn an MBA on top of other degrees. Accounting students can earn an undergraduate accounting degree and an MBA in five years. Law students can earn a law degree and MBA at the same time. The School of Business Administration recently launched an "MBA Ready" program that allows engineering and other non-business students to achieve their bachelor's degree and an MBA in five years.
The University of Dayton's MBA program "has an integrated curriculum with an emphasis on strategic analysis and a dual focus on theory and practice," said Janice Glynn, MBA program director. "And we have recently strengthened our emphasis on business ethics and corporate responsibility, which places us in the forefront of business education."
The School of Business Administration is accredited by the AACSB International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), the premier accrediting body for business schools globally.
This is the second major national ranking for the School of Business Administration this fall. In September, Entrepreneur magazine and The Princeton Review ranked UD's entrepreneurship program fourth in the country.
The UD School of Law's "notable program in intellectual property law" and "smaller class sizes" that provide students with lots of “one-on-one interaction” with “engaging, passionate” professors helped place it on The Princeton Review list.
It also helps that "there is no more state-of-the-art law school than the University of Dayton School of Law,” according to one student.
UD's "notable program in intellectual property law" expanded its offerings a little more than a year ago to include Master of Law (LL.M.) and Master in the Study of Law (M.S.L.) programs for intellectual property. Officials believe UD is the 19th U.S. law school, and one of two in Ohio, to offer an LL.M. degree in intellectual property. An LL.M. is an advanced law degree for anyone who already has received a law degree anywhere in the world. An M.S.L. degree is designed for anyone who possesses an undergraduate degree in an area other than law but wishes to acquire advanced knowledge of the law within a particular area.
The School of Law has received much attention from national media this year. U.S. News & World Report, The New York Times and The Chronicle of Higher Education have made positive mentions of UD's program. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching chose the University of Dayton School of Law to participate in its next examination of how American law schools educate their students.
FOR SOME GROUPS OF UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON STUDENTS FALL SATURDAYS WILL BE MORE THAN FOR FOOTBALL
While area football fans start to sit down to watch their favorite college teams on Saturdays this fall, some University of Dayton students will head into Dayton neighborhoods for community service projects.
SERVICE Saturdays will begin Sept. 12 and run through Nov. 21. The service activities will include re-habbing houses with low-income families, neighborhood beautification projects and working with a church and homeless shelter.
The SERVICE Saturdays program expands the Into the Streets program that was held only on one weekend.
"Into the Streets attempted to give students a taste of meaningful, reflective service without having to commit to volunteering long-term. We did it all on one weekend, which challenged our community partners and sometimes left out students who had a prior commitment that particular weekend," said Nick Cardilino, director of the University of Dayton Center for Social Concern. "SERVICE Saturdays will stretch those service opportunities to allow more students to be involved and to help more community partners."
The Center for Social Concern will continue to sponsor an intensive one-weekend service program during the University's fall break, Oct. 8-11.
"REAL Dayton will be a three-and-a-half day program during which participants will serve in several different projects and experience some of the positive aspects of Dayton," Cardilino. "They will take a lot of time to reflect, discuss and pray about how they can increase their civic and religious responsibilities here." Cardilino said.
While some students will stay in town during fall break for service projects, others will head to Chicago, New Orleans and Camden, N.J., for fall breakout trips.
In Chicago, participants will examine the causes and solutions of urban poverty while staying on the west side of Chicago. Discussion topics will include racial profiling, ghetto policing, neighborhood regentrification and building a framework for understanding poverty.
In Camden, students will work in schools, at a drop-in center for persons affected by HIV and AIDS, and at the South Jersey Food Bank, among others.
The New Orleans trip will involve hands-on service in the rebuilding process in city neighborhoods after Hurricane Katrina.
While most of the Center for Social Concern's projects involve working in cities, one group will head to the country. The Rural Plunge, Sept. 25-27, is an immersion into the challenges facing farm communities. Students will live the farm life with families in the Miami Valley's northern counties.
The mission of the University of Dayton Campus Ministry's Center for Social Concern is to seek to unite faith and action for justice through education, promoting the moral principles of Catholic social teaching and opportunities for leadership in reflective service.
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