Welcome back to our entire campus community – students, faculty, staff and friends! All of us offer a very special welcome to our 450 first-year students and our 110 transfer students. The summer has been filled with camps and conferences. A highlight of the summer was when we hosted the Convocation of the Religious Sisters of Mercy with 470 Sisters visiting campus for a week. They commented on the beauty and serenity of our campus, a safe place, and how fortunate we are to be here. I can’t agree more; however, I’m not so sure that it’s always so quiet.
We will join the founding Religious Sisters of Mercy in celebrating the 90th anniversary of Misericordia University, formerly College Misericordia, this year. The upcoming year will be filled with events, lectures and many opportunities to join together as we continue to build our young university in the Mercy tradition. During this year, please take time to reflect upon our charisms of Mercy, Service, Justice and Hospitality. Misericordia University students provided 151,000 hours of service to the local, regional, and international community last year. Please join with all of us in the campus community to change lives and give back to the people and communities that need it most.
I look forward to seeing you around campus. There’s so much to do on campus – concerts, art exhibitions, lectures, service opportunities, clubs, music, and student performances. The wide range of activities around campus provides the perfect setting to try out what you are learning in the classroom or just to make new friends. And, of course, our sports teams are underway, so get out and play or cheer on our Cougars to victory.
Again, welcome to each of you as we begin a new academic year together!