Reflections Magazine Issue #71 - Spring 2010 | Page 2

Column

from the president
• When the fieldhouse was constructed in the
late 1970s, it was and still is a resource for not
only our Siena community, but for a variety
local groups, teams and organizations.

The key word here is “exploring.” The ramifications for the university are obviously many, and
I’m sure opinions will vary greatly as we move
through the process.

• Our fine art programs have served as cultural
beacons, sharing Siena’s creativity and artistic
expression with the rest of the world.

As our On Higher Ground capital campaign
progresses, we have the framework to potentially
have an on-campus facility in place to house
a football program. Our proposed Outdoor
Performance Stadium project has the ability
to expand/adapt to add other sports, including football.

• Our academic programs, from criminal justice
to psychology to social work to sport management—and now nursing—have provided
community-based learning opportunities and
met community needs for many years.

Spread the Word About
Siena Heights University
Being an Adrian Dominican Sister, I rely on
the Congregation’s mission and vision to guide
my thinking. And one of our Four Pillars of
Dominican Life is Community.
For me, at Siena it’s always about creating community. How do we do that? Here are some
ways we have done so in the past:
• From our institution’s earliest days, we have
accepted students from all races, religions and
backgrounds—and eventually men—after
Siena Heights decided to become coeducational in 1969.
• We were the first college or university in
Michigan to offer degree-completion programs for working adults, opening a center
in Southfield in 1975. Since then we have
blanketed Michigan with degree-completion
centers and have a distance learning program
that allows an additional community of students the opportunity to earn a degree and
better their lives.
2

Reflections Spring ’10

• On campus, we build community spiritually
through Mass and other nondenominational
worship opportunities that glorify God.
We have and continue to build community
in so many different ways. Is football another
potential community-building enterprise
for Siena Heights University? In the near future,
we are going to try to answer that question.
As you might have already heard, we are exploring the possibility of adding football as an intercollegiate sport at Siena Heights. To make sure
we make the right decision, we have established
a task force to investigate and weigh all the factors involved, including: potential start-up costs,
facility upgrades, academic impact, additional
supporting programs (marching band, cheerleading, etc.).
Fred Smith, our longtime athletic director,
is heading this task force. I am confident that
under his leadership the right questions will
be asked—and answered—so we can make
an informed decision.
I want to emphasize we are not starting football.
Right now we are just exploring the possibility.

The excitement football can generate could
be transformational for a college or university.
It has proven to be the case at other institutions
similar to Siena. Football may also hopefully
give us the opportunity to influence more
young people in a positive way.
When I arrived as President more than three
years ago, I promised to “Be Bold” in the way
I led the University. Adding football would
certainly be a bold move, maybe as bold a
move as Siena Heights’ decision to become
coeducational more than 40 years ago.
We may ultimately decide that now is not the
right time to bring football to Siena Heights.
But as we move through our 90th anniversary
year, I believe the time is right to at least ask
the question.
I hope you share my excitement about the
many community-building possibilities that
await Siena Heights University. It’s what we
are all about.

Sister Peg Albert, OP, PhD
President