December 2009 Message from the President
In the fall of 2000, Emmanuel College made the decision to become a coeducational institution, a decision that has proved transformative in creating the community we are today. With a vibrant student body of 1,700, we have far exceeded the enrollment goals set in 2000 and we are focused on the future. We are moving ahead from a position of strength into what I believe is an even more critical phase, particularly given today's shifting economic, demographic and technologic conditions.
In a year of economic uncertainty, Emmanuel College made bold, forward-looking decisions to invest in our future. We completed the construction of a new academic science center and named it for an alumna, Maureen Murphy Wilkens '56; we reconfigured the fifth floor of the Administration Building into a superb space for the Art Department; and we forged an innovative partnership with the city of Boston and the Yawkey Foundations to restore Roberto Clemente Field for athletic use by our students and our neighbors. These decisions, like our decision in 2000, were research based, rooted in our mission as a Catholic liberal arts and sciences college, and have a direct impact on our students.
We are focused on preparing current and prospective students in innovative ways for the 21st century. Our new Maureen Murphy Wilkens Science Center, with leading-edge laboratories, research and classroom facilities, coupled with opportunities in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, make the Emmanuel science experience distinctive. With new academic programs like neuroscience and biostatistics, we are attracting more students in the sciences - students who will be prepared for medical school, doctoral programs, careers in the life sciences and more.
The Art Department allows us to offer a spectacular facility for our students studying graphic design, studio art, photography and more. The new design provides interactive, functional and naturally lit spaces ideal for the arts. We are enhancing the academic experience across the disciplines with the addition of new programs in the social sciences, an Honors Program with a rigorous four-year curriculum, and a Science Living-Learning Community, which brings together academic and residence life to support first-year students pursuing a science major.
The value of the liberal arts and sciences - an education that develops the whole person, critical thinking skills and a global perspective - is more important than ever. We are attentive to developing career paths in our programs and complementing study with internships and real-world experience in Boston, our home. To support this, we are providing more networking and mentoring opportunities, and further integrating internships into the curriculum.
With the opening of our new home field, Roberto Clemente Field, we are adding lacrosse, one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, to our intercollegiate athletic program. The additions of women's and men's lacrosse teams will bring Emmanuel College's total number of varsity sports to 17. Access to Clemente Field allows us to offer these student-athletes, as well as our soccer, softball, and track and field teams, a state-of-the-art facility for practice and competition.
You, our alumni, parents and friends, are an important part of Emmanuel's future. We need your support in recruiting new students who can benefit from the Emmanuel experience; in offering internship opportunities to our bright and motivated students at your workplace; in investing in our students by funding scholarships and financial aid; in embracing and promoting all that makes Emmanuel special; and in visiting campus to see firsthand our students and mission in action.
In this Season of Advent, the Season of Emmanuel, our God with us, we remember the many ways that God enters into our world and into our lives. May your Advent be blessed with joyful expectation and peace.
- Sister Janet Eisner, SND