Column
from the president
Spending Some Time on
the Spiritual
We spend a considerable amount of our time
focusing on the material. In other words, what
we can see.
Our responsibilities, duties and needs often
require it. As President of Siena Heights, I am
constantly aware of this fact. Daily I deal with the
material world of budgets, management, facilities and fundraising. It never stops.
In fact, lately I am even more aware of the material. Construction on O’Laughlin Stadium—our
new outdoor performance complex that will
house many of our athletic teams—has started.
That means parts of our campus are in the middle of a physical transformation that will redefine
our Adrian campus in new and exciting ways.
Most people realize these material improvements are important and necessary for the future
success of Siena Heights University. However,
do we realize that even more vital is what is unseen—that being the spiritual.
Our campus may have been built with bricks and
concrete, but the University’s foundation was
developed on spiritual principles. First, the vision
of the Adrian Dominican Sisters led to the development of our mission, which continues to
be the driving force behind this University.
What do we mean when we say we are a Catholic university in the Dominican tradition? That is
a question we at Siena Heights University must
ask ourselves every day. Are we living the Gospel? Are we a community of faith? Are we open
and inclusive? Are we sharing the fruits of our
contemplation? Are we competent, purposeful
and ethical? The God of us all demands that we
answer “yes” to all those questions.
2
Reflections Winter ’11
As a member of the “Order of Preachers,” I am
impelled to help spread that message of the Gospel. As a Catholic, Dominican University we
also are impelled to reflect and preach the values
inherent in our tradition such as truth, justice,
prayer, service, community and study. We also
have an obligation to provide opportunities for
our students and our entire community to address their spiritual needs. This won’t happen by
building new stadiums, classrooms or residence
halls. It comes through each and every person’s
commitment to living the mission and values
of Siena Heights.
These material improvements to our campus
will provide more students all the opportunities
Siena Heights can offer. However, it is vital we
provide that spiritual nurturing and direction
so our students can continue to transform the
world when they leave Siena Heights.
As we look to the future of Siena Heights and
all the exciting changes we can see happening
around us, let’s also strive for those things that
are unseen. In fact, we must never lose sight of it.
We know that in the long run our relationship
with God, each other and our entire planet is
and always will be the most important endeavor here at Siena!
God bless!
Sister Peg Albert, OP, PhD
President