President Judith A. Dwyer, Ph.D., recounts Saint Xavier's many accomplishments during 2007

An article by Saint Xavier University President Judith A. Dwyer, Ph.D., about the University's many accomplishments over the past year appeared in the Jan. 3 edition of the Orland Park Prairie.

Saint Xavier University awarded, grows
by Judith A. Dwyer, Ph.D., President Saint Xavier University

January 03, 2008

Saint Xavier University experienced another remarkable year. Once again, the university ranked in the top 25 percent in U.S. News & World Report's 2008 ranking of Best Colleges in the Midwest offering undergraduate and master's degrees. We also ranked 37th among 146 institutions in the Midwest and fifth among all master's comprehensive universities in Illinois.

The National League for Nursing awarded Saint Xavier University's School of Nursing the prestigious designation of Center of Excellence in Nursing Education in September 2007. This distinction places our School of Nursing among only 11 schools in the nation to receive this honor during the past four years.

Saint Xavier University and Joliet Junior College recently signed an agreement at our Orland Park Campus that allows education majors from Joliet Junior College to more easily transfer to Saint Xavier to earn an undergraduate degree and teacher certification.We also signed a dual admission agreement earlier this year with Prairie State College that will allow PSC students to create a four-year plan for completing the Bachelor of Science degree at our Orland Park campus.

Saint Xavier University either met or exceeded national benchmarks in nearly every category of the National Survey of Student Engagement this year. We are one of three Chicago institutions of higher education to have made findings public. We are one of 32 institutions nationally to have participated in this survey since it began in 2000.

The first two lectures of the SXU Voices and Visions Speaker Series were very successful. Former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright in April and General Colin L. Powell (Ret.) in September addressed capacity audiences in the Shannon Center on our Chicago campus.

Saint Xavier opened its Loop location in the Chicago Bar Association in January and began offering graduate classes in the Financial Fraud Examination and Management program.

At the Orland Park Campus, the University's School for Continuing and Professional Studies began a non-credit Irish Studies program in which students explored Ireland's heritage through an interdisciplinary program of history, the Gaelic language, literature, art, film and music.

More than 700 guests of Saint Xavier University attended the 22nd annual President's Scholarship Ball in Chicago's Field Museum in April. Total proceeds exceeded a record $350,000. Net proceeds from the Scholarship Ball benefit the Presidential Scholars Program at Saint Xavier University. Chicago Alderman Edward M. Burke was honored with the Shield of Saint Xavier for his service and generosity to the city's Catholic institutions.

Four leading architectural firms competed this spring in the second phase of an architectural design contest to select a firm to design a new library. The Richard H. Driehaus 2004 Charitable Lead Trust donated stipends to pay for the designs, as it did with a previous competition in collaboration with University of Notre Dame's School of Architecture. The new library is the gateway project toward Saint Xavier University's vision of becoming recognized as a leading comprehensive Catholic university.

Saint Xavier broke ground in November for a new residence hall to be located on the northeast quadrant of its Chicago campus. We anticipate the 108-bed facility will be finished by August 2008. The new facility is in keeping with the University's Strategic Plan, which calls for a minimum of 1,000 students to be living on its Chicago campus.We will build the new residence hall to LEED Silver environmental standards as set forth by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The University's Arthur Rubloff Hall, which opened fall 2006, became the first university building in Illinois to receive the prestigious LEED Gold designation.A leader in green practices, Saint Xavier is a member of the Illinois Sustainable University Compact, which has pledged to accomplish multiple environmentally sound goals by Dec. 31, 2010. The University became the first Chicago university to sign the Presidents Climate Commitment, joining 415 other schools nationwide in a pledge to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions.

Thank you for the opportunity to share just a few of our many successes with you. I encourage you to explore our website (http://www.sxu.edu/) and visit our Chicago and Orland Park campuses to learn more about our mission and heritage, our Eight Strategic Directions and the quality academic programs Saint Xavier University offers.