The Boston College
Chronicle Published by the Boston College Office of News & Public Affairs september 18, 2014 VOL. 23 no. 2
Core Curriculum Renewal Effort Set to Continue
INSIDE •Healthapalooza, Walk Across Campus, page 2 •Emergency info available via new app, page 2 •Read Aloud program needs readers, page 2 •Parents’ Weekend and Pops on the Heights, page 3
The initiative to renew Boston College’s undergraduate core curriculum enters a new phase this academic year, with the goal of creating four to six pilot courses for 2015-16. But the core renewal effort’s leaders also see an opportunity in the months ahead for a wider reflection and discussion on the core’s distinctive place in BC education – and the distinctive role of faculty who teach in it. These and other core-related topics will be on the agenda when the Core Foundations Task Force holds a town meeting-style event on Oct. 15 at 4 p.m. in Fulton 511. “It’s important for us, as a community, to be re-energized as the process goes forward,” said College and Graduate School of
Last Thursday, Sept. 11, was a day of ceremony and tradition at Boston College, as the University held the annual Mass of the Holy Spirit (above) and, later in the day, the First Year Academic Convocation, which began with the First Flight processional. More on page 9. (Photos by Caitlin Cunningham)
Q&A: David Quigley
Looking Forward to ‘the Challenge Ahead’
•Honor for Lynch Leadership Academy’s Germain, page 8 •BC and Teach for America, page 8 •Church in the 21st Century fall slate, page 9 •Gaelic Roots series events, page 10 •Welcome Additions: new faculty at BC, page 11 •Lowell Humanities Series, page 12
Gary Gilbert
•Student Affairs AVP talks about sexual assault issues, page 7 •McCoy is inaugural Liberty Mutual Insurance Prof., page 8
David Quigley, who is in his first year as provost and dean of faculties at Boston College, recently discussed the state of academic affairs at the University. We are in a time when the value of a liberal arts education is undergoing particular scrutiny. Why do you and Boston College believe so passionately in the importance of the liberal arts for today’s students? Now that I have been at Boston College for going on 17 years, I have come to appreciate more and more how central the liberal arts tradition is to what BC is all about and how it distinguishes us from so many of our peers. There is such a wealth of terrific schools in the area and across the nation, but BC stands out for a steadfast commitment to the importance of the liberal arts for all of our undergraduate students. This comes through most powerfully when I talk to alumni: So many point to
the richness of the liberal arts courses they took as helping to clarify for them what they were being called to do in their lives beyond graduation. As a Jesuit, Catholic university we understand that the liberal arts open up the possibility of transformation for our students. There is an emphasis on reflection and discernment that requires students to think seriously about who they are, what Continued on page 4
QUOTE:
Arts and Sciences Interim Dean Gregory Kalscheur, SJ, who chairs the task force. “We need the engagement of our colleagues to succeed in renewing the core, and in affirming its importance to Boston College.” The effort began in the fall of 2012 when the Core Renewal Committee met with groups of faculty, administrators, staff, students and other stakeholders in the University community to address concerns and hear views regarding the core curriculum, last revised in 1991. By the following spring, the committee had formulated a proposal with an emphasis on intellectual engagement with enduring questions, interdisciplinary approaches to complex problems, student formation and personal discernment. The proposal also suggests roles for the divisions of Student Affairs and Continued on page 3
BC Opens Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor
Lee Pellegrini
•BC retains 31st place in US News rankings, page 3 •PULSE program gets major support, page 4 •Dupont is new Burns Librarian, page 5 •Accessibility website debuts, page 5 •Photos: BC hosts Crux website launch, page 5 •More space for St. Columbkille Partnership School, page 6
By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor
A newly created institute aims to make Boston College a hub for Jesuit studies, while serving as a resource to the University community – and beyond – on the history, spirituality and pedagogy of the Society of Jesus. Launched this past summer, the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies will be, in partnership with other BC departments, offices and programs, a locus for courses, workshops, publications, scholarly symposia and other events and activities that convey the character and nature of the Jesuit mission. “This is a great opportunity for Boston College to affirm its Jesuit, Catholic identity, and in a way that also serves to promote the work of the Society of Jesus,” said institute director Casey Beaumier, SJ. “We look forward to making
Casey Beaumier, SJ
a very meaningful contribution to the University’s intellectual, spiritual and formational charge.” The institute’s inaugural offering was a Jesuit Immersion program this past July, in collaboration with the School of Theology and Ministry, that provided participants with an historical, faith and pedagogical perspective of the Society of Jesus. The program Continued on page 6
“Not only is this site useful to students, faculty, staff and visitors to campus, but it sends a powerful signal about the importance we place for Boston College to be accessible to all. It may be a legal requirement, but more than that, it is also an ethical obligation.” ––Vice Provost Patricia DeLeeuw on BC’s accessibility website, page 5
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A ROUND
C AMPUS AN APP FOR EMERGENCIES
OK, NOW TAKE A STEP TO THE LEFT...
Earlier this month, Boston College freshmen congregated inside Alumni Stadium for their class photo. To see video highlights of other events during the first two weeks of the new academic year, go to youtube.com/BostonCollege.
A HEALTHY ATTITUDE AT BC The Plaza at O’Neill Library will be the site for the Office of Health Promotion’s (OHP) third annual “Healthapalooza” on Sept. 22 from 10:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. The plaza will be filled with a number of free and healthy activities offered through offices, departments and organizations around campus. This year’s event will feature a realistic simulation of alcohol impairment using “fatal vision goggles” organized by the Boston College Police Department; free food tastings and fresh, local apples from BC Dining Services; a CPR tutorial from Eagle EMS; hands-on training on using a fire extinguisher from Environmental Health and Safety; a primer on common safety hazards in the residence halls from the Office of Residential Life, and more. When OHP opened four years ago, according to Director Elisa Tofias Phillips, the office decided to hold a signature event that would celebrate health and fitness while bringing together the University community to foster awareness of health-related issues.
“The first year was such a great success – with thousands of students attending and community partners supporting the event with great enthusiasm – that we decided to continue the event each fall to kick off the new academic year,” Phillips said. But Phillips stresses that the strength of the collaborating of-
fices, departments and programs at Boston College is what makes Healthapalooza so successful every fall. “The main goal is to highlight the many great partners we work with that offer wonderful resources to students.” In addition to BC Police, Eagle EMS, Dining Services, Environmental Health and Safety and Residential Life, Healthapalooza co-sponsors include Campus Ministry, Campus Recreation, HEALTHY YOU, Office of Emergency Management, University Counseling Services, University Health Services, and the
Director of NEWS & Public Affairs Jack Dunn Deputy Director of NEWS & Public AFFAIRS Patricia Delaney Editor Sean Smith
Contributing Staff Melissa Beecher Ed Hayward Sean Hennessey Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan Michael Maloney Photographers Gary Gilbert Lee Pellegrini
Women’s Center. The rain date for Healthapalooza is Sept. 29. For more information on the Office of Health Promotions, see www.bc.edu/ healthpro. Elsewhere on the health-andfitness front at BC, the hugely popular Walk Across Campus (WAC) campaign is set to begin its fall program on Oct. 1, after having attracted nearly 1,400 participants this past spring. Walkers, who each receive a Fitbit pedometer to track their progress, form teams to provide one another with support and encouragement. Participants in the spring WAC who are returning for the fall program are automatically registered and remain on the same team. New WAC participants interested in joining a team or serving as a team leader should e-mail wac@ bc.edu as soon as possible. Information on Walk Across Campus and HEALTHY YOU is available at www.bc.edu/healthyyou. –Michael Maloney
The Boston College
Chronicle www.bc.edu/chronicle chronicle@bc.edu
Members of the Boston College community with smartphones or tablets can now easily obtain emergency preparedness information, thanks to a new mobile application being made available through the University’s Office of Emergency Management. The In Case of Crisis – Education app gives users access to the BC Emergency Reference Guide, which describes preparedness and response procedures for various types of campus emergencies, such as fire, power failure or weather events. The free app features simple formatted instructions, intuitive graphics, direct-dial emergency contacts (smartphones only), a flashlight tool for mobile devices that support it, an audio alarm to alert others to your location, and a place to record personal details – such as evacuation routes or meeting locations – for emergency situations. “We’ve made a concerted effort to get emergency-related in-
formation out and around campus, such as posting an at-a-glance guide in classrooms and residence halls,” said Office of Emergency Management Director John Tommaney. “But there’s only so much you can put on a piece of paper, and the fact is, many people – especially students – are moving toward the paperless life. Students, in fact, are most likely to have smartphones with them 24 hours a day, wherever they are, and within a radius of three feet or less. So we are leveraging available technology to better serve their needs.” The app – which Tommaney said was given a “soft launch” in June to some 500 users, who gave it good marks – is being formally released this month as part of Emergency Preparedness Month. To download the app, and for more information about emergency management at Boston College, see www.bc.edu/ emergency. –Office of News & Public Affairs
The Read Aloud Program – which sends Boston College faculty members and staff on weekly visits to read stories or books to Brighton schoolchildren – is seeking candidates for the 2014-15 academic year. A partnership of Boston College, Boston Public Schools and Boston Partners in Education, Read Aloud assigns volunteers to four-member teams that work throughout the year with one classroom each at Brighton area schools including the Thomas Edison School and the St. Columbkille Partnership School. Each member of a team is responsible for one of four sessions per month. The deadline for applicants is Sept. 26. For more information, see http://bit.ly/YB1MeZ or contact Laura Bitran in the Office of Governmental and Community Affairs at laura.bitran@bc.edu. –Office of News & Public Affairs
The Boston College Chronicle (USPS 009491), the internal newspaper for faculty and staff, is published biweekly from September to May by Boston College, with editorial offices at the Office of News & Public Affairs, 14 Mayflower Road, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 (617)552-3350. Distributed free to faculty and staff offices and other locations on campus. Periodicals postage paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to The Boston College Chronicle, Office of News & Public Affairs, 14 Mayflower Road, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467.
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Parents’ Weekend, Pops Close September By Rosanne Pellegrini Staff Writer
The exciting sights and sounds of Parents’ Weekend (Sept. 26-28) will once again include the symphonic stylings of America’s orchestra, the world-renowned Boston Pops, led by conductor Keith Lockhart. The 22nd annual Pops on the Heights Barbara and Jim Cleary Scholarship Gala — a beloved BC tradition and once again a sold-out event — also will feature a guest appearance by musician and actor Chris Isaak. Proceeds from the Sept. 26 event benefit the Pops Scholarship Fund, a BC student-aid initiative that since its inception has raised more than $23 million for financial aid and has provided scholarships for more than a thousand BC students. Over the course of his career, Isaak has released 13 albums, 12 singles, been nominated for two Grammy awards, acted in several movies and starred in his own critically acclaimed TV series. With his longtime band Silvertone, he has entertained tens of thousands of people for more than two decades — and
his hair has its own fan club. Isaak has won three MTV Video Music Awards, one ASCAP Film and Television Music Award, and most recently received the Stockton Arts Commission STAR Award. Following performances by BC student groups in and around Conte Forum, which begin at 6 p.m., the Pops will take the stage at 8 p.m. The concert also will feature the University Chorale. This year’s gala is chaired by two University trustees and their wives: Chuck ’64 and Gloria Clough, MDiv’90, MS’96, P’87, ’93, ’98 and Stephen ’84 and Tami Murray ’83, P’09, ’15. Organizers anticipate a record-breaking event, with the total to be announced that evening. Information about Pops on the Heights is available at www.bc.edu/ pops. While the Pops gala is regarded as the unofficial kickoff to Parents’ Weekend, activities for the hundreds of parents and family members who visit the Heights will begin that morning. In the afternoon, President William P. Leahy, SJ, will offer perspectives on the University’s past, present and future, and reflections
Enlivening the annual Pops on the Heights festivities this year will be an appearance by Grammy nominee Chris Isaak (left).
on its distinctive mission. As part of the annual fall tradition, parents are invited to attend Friday classes and visit with faculty and administrators at the Deans’ Open Houses, as well as at Student Affairs and Academic Advising Center open houses. Afternoon discussions on teaching and student life will be held in Robsham Theater. Center for Student Formation Director Mi-
Core ‘Town Meeting’ to Be Held Oct. 15 Continued from page 1 University Mission and Ministry in the core experience. After the CRC submitted the proposal to University President William P. Leahy, SJ, he established the Core Foundations Task Force this past spring to continue the work. One of the most important milestones in the core renewal process, said Fr. Kalscheur, has been the creation of a vision statement for the core, titled “The Vision Animating the Boston College Core Curriculum.” [It is available for viewing at http://bit.ly/ ZgPWXk] “This document lays out, in very concrete and straightforward terms, the core’s place at BC but also in the context of the Jesuit educational tradition,” he explained. “Then it discusses the core’s relevance to intellectual and spiritual formation today, inviting students and faculty ‘to see how the various disciplines, with all their specificity, differentiation, and limitations, might work together to construct an integrated understanding of reality.’ “Of particular interest to faculty is the section that talks about the ‘distinctive role’ they play through teaching in the core: It’s not enough to teach students a body of material; faculty must be attentive to the context of their
Gregory Kalscheur, SJ
students’ lives. It is our hope that faculty will help students see why studying this material deepens their understanding of what it is to be a person, and who they will become as they engage this material. Faculty are encouraged to help students see how the material will contribute to better understanding the world in its wholeness.” The document notes that faculty teaching in the core should present themselves as models, Fr. Kalscheur added, and show how one’s educational and vocational interests are guideposts to becoming “citizens, leaders, and human beings of depth of thought, creative imagination, and compassion.” This vision statement should be a resource for faculty members in developing proposals for pilot
courses that will debut next academic year, said Fr. Kalscheur. These courses would be part of two sequences that involve the multidisciplinary study of fundamental questions and global challenges, Enduring Questions and Complex Problems. The task force, meanwhile, will create a plan for assessing pilot courses to ensure they meet the criteria for learning outcomes in the core curriculum. These include understanding and utilizing major ideas and methods of inquiry in scholarly disciplines to address complex contemporary problems, for example, or discussing enduring questions and issues that are fundamental to human inquiry. In addition, the task force will offer workshops and other programming to assist faculty on various aspects of the core, such as pedagogy in team-taught courses. “We want a dialogue with, and among, faculty about the ways in which they can engage students,” said Fr. Kalscheur. “What’s important about Jesuit education goes beyond the core curriculum, but we want the core to reflect that Jesuit distinctiveness, and it’s vital that our faculty understand – and are inspired by – their central role in accomplishing this.”
chael Sacco’s talk “What Does the World Need You to Be?” will discuss how formative programming is an important complement to the BC academic experience; he will moderate a panel of students who will share their transformative moments as undergraduates. Director of Athletics Brad Bates will present “Being a Super Fan: The Impact of a Division 1 Athletics Program on the Student Experience.” He and a panel of student-athletes will discuss what it means to support BC’s sports teams as part of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
A day-long welcome center on Friday, in the Robsham Theater foyer, will provide an opportunity for families to meet, have refreshments and pick up campus maps and other information. Saturday events include a barbeque at the Flynn Recreation Complex before the BC-Colorado State football game in Alumni Stadium at 12:30 p.m. The weekend will conclude with a Family Liturgy in Conte Forum that is open to all faiths, followed by a continental breakfast. For more on Parents Weekend, see www.bc.edu/parents.
BC Holds Steady at 31st in the Latest US News Survey Boston College maintained its ranking of 31st among national universities in the 2015 US News & World Report survey. The University was bolstered by high marks in admission selectivity, graduation rates and alumni giving, as well as a continued strong assessment from high school guidance counsellors. Boston College was also ranked 37th in the “Great Schools Great Prices” ranking, reflecting the University’s commitment to need-blind admissions and to meeting the full demonstrated need of all of its accepted students. In addition, BC’s Carroll School of Management improved one spot to 21st in the “The Best in Undergraduate Business” rankings of top AACSB-accredited programs. Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley said he was pleased with the 2015 US News rankings and the positive manner in which Boston College continues to be viewed nationally. “It is heartening to see that Boston College has been recognized once again by US News & World Report as one of the nation’s great universities,” said Quigley. “We are committed to providing a transformative education to those young men and women who chose to study at BC, and it is good to see our peers recognizing just how well we are doing. “I congratulate our talented faculty and all members of the University community for their important contributions that have resulted in our maintaining our position in the top tier of national research universities.” Overall, Princeton was ranked first by US News, followed by Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Stanford and the University of Chicago. Boston College was eclipsed by Tufts and Wake Forest universities (27th), the University of Michigan (29th) and the University of North CarolinaChapel Hill (30th). Following BC were New York University (32nd), the College of William and Mary and the University of Rochester (33rd) and Brandeis University and Georgia Institute of Technology (35th). US News’ rankings of all colleges and universities can be viewed at http://www.usnews.com. –Jack Dunn
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Provost Is Upbeat on BC’s Future
PULSE Gets Boost Cooney family gift will enable BC’s signature academic service learning program to expand By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer
Student enrollment in Boston College’s signature academic service learning program, PULSE, will be able to expand thanks to a generous gift from University Trustee Robert Cooney ’74, his wife Loretta and his family that creates an endowment to provide resources for additional faculty and staff. Theology Associate Professor of the Practice Meghan Sweeney, who is starting her ninth year teaching in the PULSE program, has been named the Cooney Family PULSE Director. Annually, 364 students enroll in the 14 sections of the PULSE core course (Person and Social Responsibility), but there is a wait-list. The Cooney gift will enable the PULSE core to expand to 16 sections and enroll an additional 52 students. PULSE combines philosophy and theology coursework, reflection and discussion with 10-12 hours a week of field placement in a variety of social service sites. PULSE partners with more than 50 agencies in the Boston area on placements that expose students to a range of issues facing marginalized populations, from homelessness, addiction and domestic violence to mental illness, hunger and loneliness. Since its establishment in 1969, approximately 13,000 BC students have participated in PULSE. “PULSE is the BC mission in action,” said Cooney, whose daughter Ellen ’08 participated in PULSE, volunteering at Project Bread. “It really struck us that there were BC students who wanted to have this incredible — and uniquely BC — experience, and couldn’t.” “This wonderful gift will enable us to bring more students into PULSE,” said Sweeney. “Because PULSE is a year-long program, it allows for real relationships and human connections to
form. The constant action and reflection brings it all together and our students really grow. It’s a very formative learning experience.” Cooney credits his wife as the driving force behind their gift. “Loretta is very concerned about the inequities that PULSE explores. I’m proud that BC is committed to programs like this.” According to program cofounder Philosophy Professor Patrick Byrne, PULSE was built on the belief that if students experienced firsthand the suffering of those on society’s margins, they would better appreciate the issues that contribute to social inequality. In addition to the PULSE core course, there are eight elective courses that explore topics such as Boston neighborhoods, health care and writing as a tool for social change. These electives also have a field placement component. Sweeney praised the work of the 18 students who comprise the PULSE Council, serving as liaisons between the PULSE program, BC students and the placements. Each manages three placement locations and serves as the contact person for every PULSE student working at that site. Sweeney said she was drawn to the PULSE program because it combined her academic interests in theology and practical concerns she had about social justice issues with the teaching of undergraduates. “PULSE cultivates a different way of seeing things. The goal is for students to bring the experiences and the lessons to whatever field they choose to pursue.” Material from the Light the World newsletter was used in this story. Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu
we are and to seek additional course proposals from faculty. We are also looking forward to working with John Rakestraw in the Center for Teaching Excellence to strengthen our courses and to work across campus to make the core as powerful and meaningful as possible for all of our students.
and the Board of Trustees, we were able to hire some of the best young scholars across schools and fields during the recent economic downturn, faculty who are already making invaluable contributions to the University in teaching and research. In addition, the Sesquicentennial Assistant Professorships have enabled us to
Gary Gilbert
Cooney Family PULSE Director Meghan Sweeney. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
Continued from page 1 they value and how they might best contribute to the world. A key reason that Jesuit education has emphasized the liberal arts for the past 500 years is that experience has shown that they are the best preparation for leadership. Our students and alumni have a great commitment to service leadership, which emerges in large measure from extended studies of our traditions and the great works of the past. BC has made a strong commitment to the natural sciences over the past few decades. Can you talk about the importance of the sciences? To be a great university in the 21st century, one must achieve a level of excellence in research and teaching in the natural sciences and mathematics. We are fortunate to be located in Boston, the life sciences capital of the world, and we live in a society where scientific and technological expertise is becoming more and more important. Boston College has a responsibility to train students in science and technology, whether they are science majors or not. As an institution, our interests will be best served if we can attract the best 17and 18-year olds who are looking at colleges. We do a disservice to them and ourselves if we don’t commit to sustaining excellence in targeted areas in the sciences. I see scientific investment also as a contribution to the Catholic Church. Around the world there are few examples of Catholic universities providing leadership in STEM areas. Boston College has an opportunity to provide this leadership and to put forth a different face on the Catholic intellectual tradition if we manage to develop even greater strengths in the sciences. Finally, there is an underdeveloped ethical awareness in some STEM areas that we are well positioned to address as a Jesuit, Catholic university. Our commitment to service, ethical reflection and scholarship can help strengthen the sciences on campus and make a powerful contribution to the world of science beyond BC. Overall, how is the core curriculum renewal progressing and how can Boston College best affirm the core’s role in undergraduate education? One of my favorite experiences in academic administration has been examining our core and imagining how we can strengthen it. Over the past few years, our Core Renewal team has worked to offer a plan on how best to renew the core, and earlier this year Gregory Kalscheur, SJ, led the work that resulted in a vision document that will help us advance the process [see story on page 1]. We are moving forward with pilot courses for the fall of 2015, and working with faculty to envision new interdisciplinary courses. We will host a town meeting on Oct. 15 to provide an update on where
“A key reason that Jesuit education has emphasized the liberal arts for the past 500 years is that experience has shown that they are the best preparation for leadership. Our students and alumni have a great commitment to service leadership, which emerges in large measure from extended studies of our traditions and the great works of the past.” Describe the role and the importance of graduate and professional programs at Boston College. Graduate and professional programs are essential to securing and advancing Boston College’s place as one of the nation’s great research universities. It is important to who we are to maintain our strengths, which allow us to have a positive impact across the world. The School of Theology and Ministry is a great example of a graduate school success, as it has become a leader in global theological education. In the College of Arts and Sciences, I’m proud that the Mathematics Department’s PhD program has graduated its first PhD class, and that it has helped us to recruit a stunning cohort of math faculty who have further strengthened the department and benefitted the undergraduate program. We clearly face a moment where graduate education, particularly at the master’s level, is going through profound changes nationally and globally. Online grad programs have challenged established ways of organizing programs across all fields, which requires us to think seriously about where master’s education fits within our individual departments and schools and more broadly within our goals and hopes for the University. How is BC succeeding in recruiting and retaining younger faculty? One of my responsibilities is to prepare the way for the next generation of BC faculty to thrive and to continue the tradition of excellent faculty – as researchers and teachers – that we have here at Boston College. With the support of the President
recruit and retain some outstanding young faculty, with the goal of creating a total of 10 endowed positions within the next five years. Named professorships can be game changers in recruiting and retaining faculty. What programs and initiatives are being launched this academic year? I am pleased to see a growing spirit of interdepartmental and cross-school collaboration at Boston College. Environmental Studies has become a major due to demand among students and interest among faculty, and I am delighted to see a growing number of joint faculty appointments in place now throughout the University. Faculty from the Connell School of Nursing, Graduate School of Social Work, Lynch School of Education and beyond are working on a new program in global public health, while many other interdisciplinary initiatives are developing across campus. It is an exciting time at Boston College. How do you imagine the provost’s role in the particular context of Boston College? I am still figuring out how to enable the Provost’s Office to best serve the University. My primary role is to support faculty as teachers and researchers and to support students by aiding the development of innovative and rigorous programs. One of my greatest hopes is to develop a heightened sense of teamwork and collegiality – across schools and across the entire university – so as to enable the Boston College community to achieve our greatest hopes. I look forward to the challenge ahead. –Jack Dunn
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Dupont Takes the Reins at John J. Burns Library By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor
Christian Dupont, who combines state-of-art expertise on library technology with a scholarly interest in Dante and French phenomenology, has joined Boston College as John J. Burns Librarian and associate university librarian for special collections. Dupont succeeds Robert O’Neill, who retired during the 2013-14 academic year, as director of Burns Library and its widely acclaimed special collections of rare books and other materials related to Irish history, music and literature, British Catholic authors, and Jesuitica, among other subjects. For the past six years, Dupont worked at Virginia-based library software company Atlas Systems, where he helped develop and promote Aeon, the premier online user request workflow management system for special collections and archives. Prior to Atlas, Dupont had extensive experience in the academic library field, serving as special collections director at Syracuse University and University of Virginia; he also held reference and curatorial positions at the University of Notre Dame Libraries. “Christian brings an ideal
blend of scholarship and special collections knowledge to the Burns Library,” said University Librarian Thomas Wall. “Under his leadership we expect to further integrate our distinctive collections into all areas of teaching and learning, while at the same time growing the collections commensurate with the Boston College mission and world class aspirations.” For Dupont, joining BC represents both a welcome return to academia and the opportunity to help guide a distinguished institution’s progress in a rapidly evolving, technology-driven era of change. “My heart is in academic librarianship: It’s where I started out, so it’s ‘home’ to me,” he explained. “But of course, there have been dramatic developments over the course of my career, and the biggest has been the growth of the Internet and the transformative impact it’s had on specialized research libraries like the Burns. “A few decades ago, these libraries were more the province of scholars and specialized researchers. But now, thanks to the Internet and the access it provides, the audience includes many others, like undergraduates and professors – but not just at
Burns Librarian and Associate University Librarian for Special Collections Christian Dupont. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
BC but over the world. Everyone has a stake now. “And that’s the focus of our mission at Burns: How do we reach out to, and best serve, this wider audience?” Working in the academic library field, Dupont said, brought an awareness of the Burns Library’s excellence, an appreciation strengthened through his occasional visits to BC. “My travels with Atlas and my research interests relating to the reception of Dante and the Divine Comedy have brought me frequently to Boston over the
last several years,” said Dupont, who is secretary and librarian for the Dante Society of America. “I liked to take advantage of those opportunities to visit area libraries, including the Burns. The reception the Burns held for the opening of the Bobbie Hanvey photographic archives was a particularly memorable event.” At the same time, Dupont said he formed a favorable impression of Boston College as a national university intent on fulfilling its Jesuit and Catholic legacy. “Being at Notre Dame, I saw how the institution grew around
its Catholic identity, which was fascinating to me. I see BC in much the same way: focused on preserving the Jesuit and Catholic identity, and using that as a means of moving forward. I think Burns can, and does, play a key role in that effort, and I am excited to be part of it.” Dupont earned a bachelor of arts in theology from Andrews University in Michigan, and went on to pursue graduate studies at Notre Dame, where he received master of arts and doctoral degrees in the history of Christianity, his thesis focusing on phenomenology in French philosophy and religious thought. He also holds a master’s degree from the Indiana University School of Library and Information Science. He has been held leadership roles in several professional organizations, particularly the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association. He also is a member of the Bibliographical Society of America, Society of the History of Authorship, Reading and Publishing, the American Printing History Association, and other academic and bibliophilic societies.
New Website Aids Accessibility to Campus By Melissa Beecher Staff Writer
A prominent new website has been launched to ensure individuals with disabilities have equal access to services at Boston College. The website [www.bc.edu/accessibility] collects information from across campus to give users a comprehensive view of the resources BC offers for those with disabilities. From parking and transportation guides to accessible building entrances to technology guidelines to contact phone numbers for BC’s Disabilities Service Office, the site is packed with useful details. The web project was undertaken by the Disability Services Committee, along with Vice President of Information Technology Services Michael Bourque, Executive Vice President Patrick Keating, Vice Provost for Faculties Patricia DeLeeuw, Office of Institutional Diversity Associate Director Judy Ferres, Dean of Students Paul Chebator (now retired), Senior Associate Dean of Students Carole Hughes
and Web Technology Manager Scott Olivieri. Harvard Digital Resources and Services Librarian Scott Lapinski provided analysis and Lynch School of Education Associate Professor Richard Jackson consulted in the project. “Not only is this site useful to students, faculty, staff and visitors to campus, but it sends a powerful signal about the importance we place for Boston College to be accessible to all,” said DeLeeuw. “It may be a legal requirement, but more than that, it is also an ethical obligation.” For students, the site outlines the full range of resources both at the institution and within the community. It clearly directs users to the person or department who can assist with dining, housing, transportation or library needs. For students with learning disabilities, direct links to content from the Connors Family Learning Center quickly explains how they can receive support services or how an individual may request accommodations. The site is also a rich resource for faculty, documenting how a professor can better integrate
support services in class. Suggested syllabi statements along with an accessibility checklist are provided. ITS strives for a “barrierfree technology environment” to members of the community and has a detailed section explaining the concepts of Universal Design for Learning and training sessions to help all web editors become more aware of accessibility issues. In addition, the site links to employee and student grievance procedures, so the University may swiftly respond to problems. “We hope the site reflects what we believe to be true – that Boston College is an inclusive community where all individuals are welcomed and supported,” said Olivieri. The website will be evolving constantly, as various groups and departments update content on their sites. Links to the website can be found on the “About BC” tab on www.bc.edu, as well as the footer of most Boston College websites under “Accessibility.”
Boston College hosted the official launch of Crux, the Boston Globe’s website on Catholicism, on Sept. 11 in Robsham Theater with a panel discussion on the papacy of Pope Francis. Panelists included (L-R in above photo) Boston Archbishop Cardinal Sean O’Malley, OFM, Cap., Globe Vatican expert John Allen Jr. and Harvard Law School Professor Mary Ann Glendon, as well as School of Theology and Ministry Assistant Professor Hosffman Ospino (below), Catholic blogger Robert Christian and Crux spirituality columnist Margery Eagan, who served as moderator.
Contact Melissa Beecher at melissa.beecher@bc.edu Photos by Lee Pellegrini
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Advanced Jesuit Studies
Continued from page 1
included a 10-day pilgrimage to Spain and Rome, followed by four weeks of courses at BC. A major facet of the institute’s work, Fr. Beaumier said, will be serving as new headquarters for the Institute of Jesuit Sources, a scholarly publishing house for Jesuit-related texts and studies founded by the Missouri Province of the Society of Jesus in 1961. The relocation of Jesuit Sources – which publishes Jesuit primary sources in English translation, monographs on Jesuits, and auxiliary literature in Jesuit studies – to BC is to take place in late November. The institute’s associate director, Associate Professor of History Robert Maryks, will be the director for Jesuit Sources. Maryks is editor-in-chief of the Journal of Jesuit Studies and the book series Jesuit Studies, both of which also are housed in the institute. Seth Meehan, assistant director at the institute, will assist in the growth and promotion of the digital archives materials, publication development and research of the Jesuits and their history at BC. In addition, the institute is home to an online bibliographical library of works in Jesuit studies with a searchable database that will contain every book, book review, article or other scholarly writing reference to the Jesuits
throughout history. Beginning next June, the institute will co-organize a biannual International Symposium on Jesuit Studies, which Fr. Beaumier said will be an opportunity for academic exchange within the global community of scholars across different fields and disciplines. Also next summer, the institute will begin a program for rising junior and senior high school students that explores the spirituality of the Jesuits, particularly in regard to how it relates to discernment, education and service. Fr. Beaumier said the initiative will give students a useful insight into the Society of Jesus while also underscoring the benefits of Boston College and the Jesuit tradition. “During this academic year, we will look to make connections across the University, in academic, administrative, student life and other areas,” he said. “We hope that our colleagues will see the institute as a means to animate the vision of the Society of Jesus as it relates to their needs and interests.” For more information on the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies, see http://www.bc.edu/ content/bc/centers/iajs.html. Contact Sean Smith at sean.smith@bc.edu
Stokes Lawn was the site for the Sept. 5 Student Involvement Fair, a showcase for Boston College’s student clubs and organizations. More photos on page 8. (Photo by Caitlin Cunningham)
A New Look for St. Columbkille Partnership School in Brighton gains space for new classrooms and other facilities
St. Columbkille Partnership School in Brighton has announced the addition of two new science labs, a new library/media center, four additional classrooms, a music room and art room, a cafeteria and administrative offices in 16,000 square feet of new space acquired as part of a 40-year lease agreement signed between the school and the Archdiocese of Boston. The new facilities, totaling $1.2 million, have been added in the space previously occupied by the Conservatory Lab Charter School, which relocated to Dorchester in June, and St. Columbkille High School, which closed in 1993. Since its inception in 2006 as a partnership between Boston College, the Archdiocese of Boston and St. Columbkille Parish, the St. Columbkille Partnership School has seen a 171 percent increase in enrollment, from 140 to 380 students, reversing the trend of urban diocesan schools in Boston and throughout the nation. The additional space will enable the school to expand to 480 students. Boston College has invested more than $4 million in the K-8 Catholic school during the past eight years as part of a commitment by University President William P. Leahy, SJ, to sustain the last Catholic elementary school in neighboring AllstonBrighton. “We offer an excellent education that has attracted students from Allston-Brighton and 16 communities throughout the region,” said Head of School William Gartside. “The school features a holistic approach that focuses on the academic, spiritual and human development of its students. The support from Boston College and these renovations will enable us to provide the infrastructure to support the quality academic education we offer and to expand our services to 100 additional students.” St. Columbkille Parish School was founded in 1901 to serve the burgeoning population of Irish immigrants. The school began experiencing declining enrollment beginning in the 1980s, and was transformed by the partnership with Boston College, the Archdiocese of Boston and St. Columbkille Parish. Since then, more than 90 per-
St. Columbkille Partnership School in Brighton – a partnership between Boston College, the Archdiocese of Boston and St. Columbkille Parish – has gained an additional 16,000 square feet of space, including a music room, four additional classrooms and a cafeteria. (Photos by Lee Pellegrini)
cent of the school’s teachers have earned master’s degrees from Boston College, and BC’s Lynch School of Education has assisted the school in adopting a researchbased curriculum, a strong early childhood program and a technology-centered elementary education program. Given the steady increase in pre K-6 enrollment, the 16,000 square foot expansion will provide additional seats for middle school students in the coming years. “We are a community school that provides a rigorous education at an affordable cost,” said St. Columbkille Partnership Board Chairman Peter McLaug-
lin. “Our partnership with BC and its Lynch School of Education has created a winning formula that appeals to parents not only in our host community, but in surrounding communities including Newton, Watertown, Waltham, Cambridge, Brookline and West Roxbury.” Added Gartside, “It is an exciting time for all of us at St. Columbkille School. One of the best Catholic schools in New England just got better, and our lease with the Archdiocese of Boston gives us the space and stability we need to continue to grow and thrive in the years ahead.” –Jack Dunn
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Q&A: How Boston College Deals with Issues of Sexual Assault Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Katherine O’Dair discussed the recent and ongoing national conversation about sexual assault on college campuses, and how Boston College is dealing with these issues. O’Dair is also the University’s deputy Title IX coordinator. To help us get a better understanding of the issues in play, let’s start with some basics: How is “sexual assault” defined at Boston College? According to Boston College’s Student Sexual Misconduct Policy, and in line with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ definition, sexual assault is defined as any sexual penetration or sexual contact with another individual without consent. It is important to note that “sexual assault” is just one form of prohibited behavior under Boston College’s Student Sexual Misconduct Policy. This policy defines and describes a broad range of prohibited behaviors, including all forms of sexual harassment, sexual violence, relationship violence, stalking, and sexual exploitation. Students, faculty, staff and the greater Boston College community can learn more about our comprehensive Student Sexual Misconduct Policy online at www. bc.edu/sar. How to define consent is at the center of the discussion about how colleges and universities are addressing sexual assault. How does Boston College define consent? Consent is defined as words or actions that clearly indicate voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity. Consent is always freely informed and actively given. Silence or lack of resistance does not imply consent. Consent must be ongoing, and it may be withdrawn at any time. Consent for one sexual act does not imply consent for any subsequent sexual activity. Consent may never be obtained through use of coercion, intimidation, force, or threats. Just this year we revised our policy to make it clearer to students the issue of incapacitation and the role of alcohol. As we say in the policy, consent cannot be obtained from an individual who is incapable of giving consent if the person: has a mental, intellectual, or physical disability; is under the legal age to give consent (16 years old in Massachusetts); is asleep, blacked out, unconscious, or physically helpless; or is incapacitated, including through the consumption of alcohol or drugs. How does Boston College deal with sexual assault-related issues? Have there been any recent
Photos by Caitlin Cunningham
changes? Boston College takes the issue of sexual misconduct very seriously. Over the past several years, the University has made significant changes to policies, enhanced and formalized response efforts, and expanded education, communication, and training. These efforts have been advanced with the aim of not only complying with changes in law and new guidance under Title IX, but also in keeping with our mission to care and support all of our students and to provide a safe campus environment. Boston College has many resources in place to support and respond to members of the community who have been affected by sexual violence. In June, BC hired Rachel DiBella, MSW, to serve as the new assistant director of sexual violence prevention and response. Rachel has been working to expand and enhance the services of the Sexual Assault Network, which includes the SANet hotline, and to raise awareness about these services within the community. The hotline [617-552-2211], which has existed since 1982, is a 24-hour/7-days-aweek private resource that is staffed by advocates who are trained to listen, to provide options, and to support the survivor or friend of the survivor as they embark on the healing process. The hotline is also anonymous if the caller chooses not to provide identifying information. Boston College has a coordinated approach to prevention and response, including a sexual assault steering committee that meets monthly and includes broad representation from individuals across campus who have a direct role in prevention and response efforts. A small case team composed of the Student Affairs Title IX coordinator, deputy chief of the Boston College Police, the associate dean of stu-
dents, and the assistant director for violence prevention and response meets biweekly to review cases and ensure that students are receiving the proper care. This fall, I plan to talk with faculty who have expertise in this area, and will continue to engage the entire campus community in conversations about this important topic. One major issue colleges and universities face is determining how best to investigate complaints in a manner that is prompt, fair, and impartial to all parties. How has BC sought to do this? Like many universities, Boston College has moved to an investigator model for sexual misconduct cases. When a complaint is reported to the Office of the Dean of Students or when the University otherwise determines an investigation or conduct action is appropriate, an investigation will be conducted through the use of one or more internal or external investigators specifically trained in sexual misconduct investigations. Boston College investigators understand the complexity of sexual assault cases, and are trained to maintain an unbiased approach, ask fair and appropriate questions, and be knowledgeable about the issues that survivors face. The Boston College Police Department provides assistance to victims including addressing immediate safety concerns, investigating incidents of sexual misconduct, filing a criminal complaint both on-campus and off-campus, and assisting victims with medical attention and care. There are 11 specially trained sexual assault officers within the Boston College Police who are available to assist students if they choose to report an assault to them. How is the University proactively raising awareness about sexual assault and enhancing pre-
vention efforts? The first step in preventing sexual violence is responding to it appropriately when it does occur. Boston College is committed to educating the staff and faculty community about the importance of reporting a disclosure to me as the Student Affairs Title IX coordinator. This will help to ensure that individuals affected by sexual violence are all offered the same resources and all cases are handled consistently. I have already talked with hundreds of BC faculty and staff and in doing so have distributed our one-page document for faculty and staff that describes the resources, options, and reporting protocol. This document can be found at www. bc.edu/sar under “Faculty Guide.” I will continue to attend, and welcome an invitation to faculty and administrative staff meetings to discuss our policies, protocols, resources, and most importantly how to respond to students who disclose an incident of sexual violence. For students, the Women’s Center has provided Bystander Intervention Education to the student community since 2008. The Bystander Program has trained approximately 3,500 students to prevent instances of sexual violence from occurring through helping students to recognize problematic behavior in various contexts, and to empower students to intervene. Members of the Sexual Assault Steering Committee developed a follow-up Bystander “booster” module that will be provided to juniors and seniors through student organizations, retreat groups, and athletic teams. Student Affairs developed a multi-program effort to educate the current freshman class to understand what sexual violence is, call out problematic behavior, and support those affected by sexual violence. All firstyear students were required to complete HAVEN, an interactive online sexual assault prevention program module, prior to arriving on campus; attend “Are You Getting the Signal?” an improvisational educational performance that explores how social pressures, gender stereotypes, and false preconceptions all can lead to sexual violence during Welcome Week; and will all be trained in Bystander Intervention Education during the spring semester. All firstyear student community bathrooms will contain information about the Sexual Assault Network Hotline.
Can you describe your role as Student Affairs Title IX coordinator? My role is to oversee the University’s efforts related to the prevention, education, and response to incidents of student sexual violence and sexual harassment on campus. I can help an individual student connect to resources and/or explain how to file a complaint should the student choose to do so. I also take a broad view and track and monitor incidents of sexual misconduct on campus. To this end, I work closely with faculty and staff to ensure that they have the resources to help students who disclose. It is also important that faculty and staff understand that they must report these incidents to me so that I can take every measure to ensure that we have a safe campus environment in which students can learn and live. In my role as Student Affairs Title IX coordinator I act in a deputy capacity to Richard Jefferson. Your role as Student Affairs Title IX coordinator is focused primarily on student-on-student sexual misconduct, but could you also briefly discuss how the University responds to faculty and staff complaints? The University’s Discriminatory Harassment Policy [http://www. bc.edu/content/dam/files/offices/ policies/pdf/policies/I/1-200-025. pdf] describes the University’s response to harassment complaints by faculty and staff, including sexual harassment. Linda Riley, the University’s current harassment counselor, is available to meet with anyone who believes they have been a victim of discriminatory harassment at the University. Also, in accordance with the recent amendments to the Violence Against Women Act, the University will respond to any employee who reports to the University any incident of sexual assault, domestic violence, or stalking, regardless of where the incident occurred or the identity of the alleged perpetrator. Employees are encouraged to seek the assistance of the Boston College Police, who will provide the employee with written information regarding on- and off-campus resources and options to pursue the matter through the legal system, including the right to seek a restraining order. SANet is also available to any member of the University community who needs support as a victim, bystander, or as the recipient of a report of sexual violence. –Sean Smith
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McCoy Joins BC Law As First Liberty Mutual Insurance Professor among others. Her publications include the books Financial Modernization after Gramm-Leach-Bliley and The Subprime Virus: Reckless Credit, Regulatory Failure, and Next Steps, co-authored with Kathleen C. Engel. The professorship McCoy holds was established through a $3.1 million gift from Liberty Mutual Group, the largest gift in the Law School’s history. “We’re very pleased to welcome Pat McCoy to BC Law,” said Dean Vincent Rougeau. “Her expertise strengthens our dynamic faculty and fulfills the promise and opportunity provided to us by Liberty Mutual’s generous gift: to bring one of the nation’s leaders in financial services regulation and insurance law to campus.” “The Liberty Mutual Professorship piqued my interest because it offered me the opportunity to work with renowned legal scholars and extend my research in insurance law while teaching top-notch students in a sophisticated financial community,” said McCoy, who is teaching Insurance Law this semester, and will also direct courses on the regulation of banking and other financial services. “BC Law also offers some-
By Sean Smith Chronicle Editor
Patricia McCoy, a leading expert on issues of financial services regulation, has joined the Boston College Law School faculty as the inaugural Liberty Mutual Insurance Professor in property and casualty insurance law. A researcher on the nexus between financial products, consumer welfare and systemic risk, McCoy was among the first to raise alarms about the dangers of subprime loans, the subject of her 2002 article in the Texas Law Review. While at the US Department of Treasury from 2010-11, McCoy helped form the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and served as its assistant director for mortgage markets, overseeing the bureau’s mortgage policy initiatives. McCoy, who was most recently director of the University of Connecticut School of Law Insurance Law Center, was a visiting scholar in the MIT Economics Department and served on the Federal Reserve’s Consumer Advisory Council and on the board of the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association. She has testified before Congress and shared her expertise with the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and National Public Radio,
Lee Pellegrini
Patricia McCoy
thing very special that is missing at many other law schools, which is an official commitment to advancing social justice in the law. That mission dovetails perfectly with my work and makes BC Law an inviting environment in which to work. Meanwhile, I am excited at the chance to help BC Law deepen its curriculum in financial services regulation and law. And, of course, the greater Boston academic and public policy community offers endless
By Sean Hennessey Staff Writer
Gary Gilbert
Lynch Leadership Academy Head Earns Honor Thaly Germain, executive director of the Lynch Leadership Academy at the Lynch School of Education and Carroll School of Management, has been named to the 2014 Pahara-Aspen Education Fellows program, which identifies education leaders who use diverse and innovative approaches to ensure all students have quality learning opportunities available to them. “It’s something I didn’t necessar- Thaly Germain ily expect or anticipate,” said Ger- cities. Among her other roles in main, who joined the Lynch Lead- education, Germain has been a ership Academy in 2012. “I’m really principal in Washington, DC, and honored by the opportunity and it’s a history teacher in New York City, truly humbling to stand among this two jobs that provided her with much of her firsthand experience group of leaders.“ Germain is no stranger to inno- and knowledge. “Again, the piece that stands out vation and leadership. At the Lynch for me is how humbling it is to Leadership Academy, she oversees have been selected for the fellowship program strategy, development and program and how much I’m lookimplementation. Prior to her arrival ing forward to learning as part of at BC, she served as the executive this cohort-based experience,” said director of aligned staff at New Germain. “This is an opportunity to Leaders, where she helped re-create leverage the ideas and the thinking the organization’s recruitment, seof other leaders meaningfully.” lection, training and principal supThe Pahara-Aspen fellowship port programs across 10 partner
provides education leaders with the chance to step back from their daily work and reflect on what they and their peers have done, and look ahead at what’s possible. “The fellowship gives me the opportunity to work alongside leaders who have had a true impact on education reform and the sectors of education,” said Germain. “I’m looking forward to all the learning and I’m truly excited about the opportunity. “A lot of the work we’ll be doing is thinking about reshaping education and also learning from one another. The experience will be about innovating and thinking about our future as leaders in this space.” The Pahara-Aspen Education Fellows program is highly competitive – Germain is just one of 24 educators chosen – but her selection isn’t surprising, said Carroll School Dean Andy Boynton. “Some day, Thaly will be the secretary of education for our great country,” he said. “Until then, we are thrilled to have her at BC.” Contact Sean Hennessey at sean.hennessey@bc.edu
opportunities for professional discourse and collaboration that are attractive.” McCoy said her teaching and research interests on financial services regulation – with a particular eye to mortgage policy in the wake of the subprime loan controversy – are well-suited to a law school setting. “Banking, insurance, and now securities – especially with the growth in mutual funds in 401(k) plans – directly affect everyone’s financial well-being,” she explained. “Ideally, that is for the good but sometimes it is for the bad. Given the social welfare implications of financial services, it is important for BC Law to train lawyers about their pivotal role in enacting the laws and regulations in this area and in how to think creatively about solving the many vexing problems that financial services present. “The financial services regulation area has been really fascinating to work in since the financial system almost melted down in 2008. There is no end of interesting and gratifying topics to write on and lawyers who work in this area never get bored. Meanwhile, it is an area where lawyers can do a lot of good.” Among her current projects,
McCoy is examining countercyclical regulation, which posits that regulation should be stricter during economic booms and ease up during recessions, instead of the opposite. She also is analyzing theories of systemic risk and how the federal government’s implementation of those theories is altering the regulation of insurance companies. This coming spring, she plans to begin a study on how to design private annuities to assure financial security for older Americans when they retire. A Lawrence, Kansas, native who earned her bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and her juris doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley, McCoy clerked for the late Hon. Robert S. Vance on the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and was a partner at Mayer Brown in Washington, DC, specializing in complex securities, banking and constitutional litigation. In 2012, the American Law Institute named her as an adviser to the Third Restatement on Consumer Contracts. She currently sits on the Advisory Committee on Economic Inclusion of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Contact Sean Smith at sean.smith@bc.edu
Survey Finds BC Alumni Among Top Participants in Teach for America Boston College is ranked fifth in the nation among mediumsized colleges and universities in contributing alumni to Teach For America, a competitive program where outstanding college graduates commit to teach in high-need schools and become lifelong leaders in the movement to end educational inequity. According to rankings released this month by Teach for America, there are 29 Boston College graduates in the 2014 teaching corps. Some 400 Boston College alumni have served in Teach for America since its founding. There are a total of 5,300 individuals in the 2014 Teach for America corps, representing more than 850 colleges and universities and 49 states and the District of Columbia. The total includes both 2014 graduates and alumni of previous classes who are transitioning to teaching from another field or joining the corps as experienced educators. According to Teach for America, the 2014 corps is the most diverse in the organization’s history. Teach For America [teachforamerica.org] works in partnership with communities to expand educational opportunity for children facing the challenges of poverty. Founded in 1990, Teach For America recruits and develops a diverse corps of outstanding college graduates and professionals to make an initial two-year commitment to teach in high-need schools and become lifelong leaders in the movement to end educational inequity. –Office of News & Public Affairs
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C21 Explores Poverty, Christian Response to the Poor By Kathleen Sullivan Staff Writer
Events and writings from The Church in the 21st Century this semester take a look at poverty and Christians’ response to the poor. Associate Professor of Theology Rev. Kenneth Himes, OFM, will present “The Poor: What Did Jesus Preach? What Does the Church Teach?” on Sept. 23 at 5:30 p.m. in Gasson 100. Fr. Himes is the guest editor for the fall issue of C21 Resources, for which he has authored the essay “The Complexity of Poverty.” Also featured in C21 Resources are pieces written by Pope Francis, Dorothy Day, Catholic Relief Services CEO and President Carolyn Woo and Boston College Professors of Theology Pheme Perkins and Roberto Goizueta, among many others. Best-selling author and America magazine editor-at-
Author and journalist James Martin, SJ, will give a lecture next Thursday in Robsham Theater as part of this fall’s Church in the 21st Century program.
large Rev. James Martin, SJ, will give a lecture on “Jesus: A Pilgrimage,” which is also the title of his latest book. Fr. Martin’s lecture will be held on Sept. 25 in Robsham Theater beginning at 6:30 p.m. There are no tickets for this event. Seating is first-come, first-served, with doors opening at 6 p.m. Robsham will also be the set-
ting for an appearance the following month by Sister Helen Prejean, an internationally recognized opponent of the death penalty and author of Dead Man Walking. The Oct. 9 event will begin with a screening of the film “Dead Man Walking,” based on Sister Prejean’s bestseller, starring Oscar winners Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon.
Afterwards, Sister Prejean will discuss her prison ministry work and ways the Catholic Church reaches out to the marginalized. There are no tickets for this event. Seating is first-come, first-served, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. On Oct. 21 author and documentarian Gerard T. Straub will present “From Hollywood to Haiti: A Filmmaker’s Journey with the Poor” in Gasson 100 starting at 7 p.m. The event will include a screening of Straub’s work, followed by a discussion. On Oct. 28, the University will welcome Archbishop of Miami Thomas Wenski, who chairs the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee of Domestic Justice and Human Development, to talk about the Catholic vision for immigration reform. The archbishop’s presentation will take place in the Murray Function Room of Yawkey Center beginning at 4:30 p.m.
The concluding event is a panel discussion moderated by Graduate School of Social Work Dean Alberto Godenzi on “Is There a Future for Catholic Health and Social Services?” Panelists will be Michele Broemmelsiek, vice president of overseas operations for Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities USA President Fr. Larry Snyder and Fr. J. Bryan Hehir, secretary for health and social services for the Archdiocese of Boston. This event will take place Nov. 5 in McGuinn 121 at 7 p.m. Co-sponsors for C21 events are the School of Theology and Ministry, Center for Human Rights and International Justice, Theology Department, Graduate School of Social Work and Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life. For more information on C21 events, see www.bc.edu/church21. Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu
The Boston College community came together last Thursday for the annual Mass of the Holy Spirit, held in the Plaza at O’Neill Library. University President William P. Leahy, SJ (at right in center photo), was the celebrant and Associate Professor of Theology Father Kenneth Himes, OFM, was homilist at the Mass, which is the traditional opening to the academic year at Jesuit universities and secondary schools. The event also served as a memorial Mass for longtime senior administrator William B. Neenan, SJ, who died this past summer. In photo at right, Vice President for University Mission and Ministry Jack Butler, SJ, helped administer Communion. All photos by Caitlin Cunningham except bottom right, which was taken by Suzanne Camerata
Later that day, the Class of 2018 assembled for the First Year Academic Convocation, which began with the “First Flight” processional across campus (photos at left and center) and ended at Conte Forum, where they heard a talk from author Dave Eggers, whose novel The Circle was chosen as this year’s freshman class read. Eggers (at left in photo above) met with students following the event. To see video highlights of other events during the first two weeks of the new academic year, go to youtube.com/BostonCollege.
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More “Campus Arts” on page 12
Gaelic Roots Series Offers Traditional Music, Dance Events The fall Gaelic Roots series will include a ceili in Gasson 100 on Oct. 7, led by Boston College faculty member Kieran Jordan (in center of photo at left), and a Christmas Concert on Dec. 9 featuring Robbie O’Connell and Aoife Clancy.
Christopher Huang
Boston College’s popular Gaelic Roots Music, Song, Dance, Workshop and Lecture Series will have a new venue, the Cadigan Alumni Center on Brighton Campus, thanks to a recently established partnership between the Center for Irish Programs and University Libraries with the Alumni Association. Gaelic Roots, which brings to campus some of the most acclaimed performers of music in the Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton and other Gaelic traditions, will present two events this semester in Cadigan. The others will take place at the Theology and Ministry Library (TML) on Brighton Campus and in Gasson 100. The fall schedule begins on Sept. 25 in the TML auditorium (117 Lake Street) with the husband-wife, fiddle-piano duo of Don and Cindy Roy. A champion fiddler, Don Roy is wellversed in several styles, with a particular affinity for the French Canadian tradition. Cindy Roy supplements her highly praised piano accompaniment with foot percussion, giving the Roys’ music a particularly strong rhythmic component. Gasson 100 will be the setting on Oct. 7 for a perennial Gaelic Roots favorite, an Irish dance and ceili organized by fiddler Seamus Connolly, the Sullivan Artist-inResidence in Irish Programs at BC, and Kieran Jordan ’96, a
renowned Irish dance performerchoreographer-teacher and BC Irish Studies faculty member. This participatory event features Irish social dances, all of which will be taught by Jordan, and are open to experienced and novice dancers alike. Gaelic Roots will make its Cadigan debut on Nov. 13 with a concert featuring two eminent fiddlers with contrasting styles, Kimberley Fraser and Oisin McAuley. Frasier, a former Boston-area resident, is one of the most prominent contemporary
musicians in the Cape Breton tradition and has performed at festivals and concerts throughout the world, as well as past Gaelic Roots events. McAuley, a staff member at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, is an exponent of the Donegal style of fiddling, which draws on Scottish as well as Irish influences. He is a member of the highly regarded traditional Irish band Danú, which has won awards from Irish Music magazine and BBC Radio 2. Capping the fall semester slate will be the Gaelic Roots Christ-
mas Concert on Dec. 9, with two of New England’s most beloved Irish singers, Robbie O’Connell and Aoife Clancy, both of whom were on the staff of the Gaelic Roots summer school program during its existence. This pair of cousins has connections to Ireland’s famous singing family the Clancy Brothers: Clancy is the daughter of the late Bobby Clancy, while O’Connell is a nephew of the Clancys and also performed with the group. In the past few decades, O’Connell has emerged as a prolific singer-song-
writer whose works have been widely sung in concert halls and pubs alike. Similarly, Clancy – a former member of Cherish the Ladies – has enjoyed a fruitful solo career, and is known as a foremost interpreter of Irish, traditional and contemporary folk songs alike. Gaelic Roots events, which all begin at 6:30 p.m., are free and open to the public. For more information, see www.bc.edu/ gaelicroots. –Sean Smith
ON THE BC BOOKMARKS BLOG •School of Theology and Ministry Associate Professor Jane E. Regan has written an essential guide for anyone in the ministry of adult faith formation. In Forming a Community of Faith: A Guide to Success in Adult Faith Formation Today, Regan – a nationally noted educator and researcher who directs the STM continuing education program – explores what important church documents say about evangelization and catechesis, and how they play a crucial role in thriving adult faith communities.
Boston College dance group VIP (Vida de Intesa Pasion) performed at last Friday’s Latin Soul Arts Festival in the Plaza at O’Neill Library to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month. For information about campus events and activities celebrating the month, see www.facebook.com/HispanicHeritageMonthBC. (Photo by Caitlin Cunningham)
•After two years in East Africa, graduate student Michael Rossmann, SJ, found himself back in the US and realized in a big city he can “pass thousands of people without anyone saying a single word to me. It might feel more comfortable not to be interrupted, but it’s not exactly comforting when people do not acknowledge my existence.” He writes about why spontaneous, short encounters with strangers are important in an essay for America magazine.
See more at bcbookmarks.com
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Newsmakers Those seeking to rebrand the GOP should look to its history, wrote Prof. Heather Cox Richardson (History), author of the forthcoming book To Make Men Free: A History of the Republican Party, in an op-ed piece for The New York Times.
Andrew R. Davis joins the School of Theology and Ministry as an assistant professor of Old Testament. A scholar of the Bible and its Near Eastern environment, Davis is teaching a course on Women in Scripture and a seminar on the Book of Isaiah. Most recently, he was on the faculty of Seattle University’s School of Theology and Ministry. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, a master’s degree and doctorate from Johns Hopkins University, and a master of theological studies from Weston Jesuit School of Theology. He spent a year serving in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. Associate Professor of Economics Mehmet Ekmekci, who served on the faculty of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management before coming to Boston College, is an expert in game theory and its related field of mechanism design. In addition, his research interests include information aggregation, bargaining and search, and corporate takeovers. A native of Turkey, Ekmekei earned his PhD from Princeton University. In 2010, he was a visiting professor of economics at Yale University. His research has appeared in the Journal of Economic Theory, Review of Economic Studies and American Economic Review. Assistant Professor of the Practice in Hispanic Studies Silvana Falconi, a member of the Romance Languages and Literatures Department, received a bachelor’s degree in translation and interpretation in French and English at Women’s University of the Sacred Heart in her native Peru and went on to earn master’s and doctoral degrees at Purdue University. Falconi’s academic interests include Spanish language teaching, teacher training and administration, curriculum design, webenhanced technology and computer-based learning. Prior to BC, she directed the Language Program in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Indiana University, Bloomington. She has more than 20 years of teaching experience, has presented a variety of papers and organized large-scale teacher training events and conferences. Lynch School of Education Assistant Professor of the Practice in Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology Oh Myo Kim brings clinical and research expertise in such areas as adoption, eating disorders, cultural socialization, racial and ethnic identity and mindfulness. She has also focused on cultural counseling and expressive writing interventions. Kim received her PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Minnesota, where the Asian American Psychological Association and The Adoption Initiative at St. John’s University recognized her dissertation about an expressive writing intervention for adopted Korean American adults. Kim also holds a master of divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. She was a post-doctoral researcher at The Emily Program, where she counseled individuals, groups and families experiencing eating disorders. –Kathleen Sullivan, Rosanne Pellegrini and Ed Hayward Photos by Lee Pellegrini
Calderwood University Professor of Islamic and Asian Art Jonathan Bloom discussed the origins of the black flag with white Arabic writing flown by ISIS, the militant group in Iraq and Syria that calls itself the Islamic State, in an interview with PRI’s “The World.” In an essay for Sloan Management Review, Assoc. Prof. Sam Ransbotham (CSOM) discussed what happens when the use of analytics in business stops being new and different. The Wall Street Journal highlighted research by Asst. Prof. Elida Laski (LSOE) on the correlation between the way children count as they move their tokens on a board game and their gains in numeracy, for a piece on how language relates to math skills. In an increasingly virtual world, are people losing touch with the sense of touch itself – and if so, so what? wrote Seelig Professor of Philosophy Richard Kearney in a piece published by The New York Times and the Irish Times. Research Prof. Philip Altbach (LSOE), director of the Center for International Higher Education, discussed the reason post-graduate students from India are increasingly choosing to study abroad in a piece for The Hindu. Canisius Professor and Jesuit Institute Director James Keenan, SJ, wrote about the Jesuit mission and
Timothy Mahiers ’17 with Boston Mayor Martin Walsh WCAS ’10 at last Saturday’s 11th annual Allston-Brighton Walk for Recovery. Mahiers was a volunteer for the event, a local celebration to mark National Recovery Month, an initiative led by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
“our Jesuit brand of hospitality” in a post for Jesuit Refugee Service “On Assignment,” and discussed racial understanding at colleges and universities in a post for dotCommonweal.
Publications Prof. Maxim D. Shrayer (Slavic and Eastern Languages) contributed “Lev Ozerov as a Literary Witness to the Shoah in the Occupied Soviet Territories” to the collection The Holocaust: Memories and History and published “Ilya Selvinsky and Soviet Shoah Poetry in 1945” in Around the Point: Studies in Jewish Literature
BC BRIEFING and Culture in Multiple Languages.
Time and a Half Asst. Prof. Charles Gallagher (History) presented “Synergy & Separation: Catholic Social Teaching and the ILO’s Declaration of Philadelphia, 1944” at the University of Pennsylvania, and “Authority & Anti-Judaism: Emmanuel H. Chapman, Human Rights, and the Limits of Catholic Social Activism,” at the University of
NOTA BENE O’Connor Family Professor of Management and Organization Michael G. Pratt has been named a fellow by the Academy of Management for having made “significant contributions to the science and practice of management.” “I am very honored – and a little surprised – to be receiving this recognition at this point in my career,” said Pratt, who is also the PhD director for the Management and Organization Department. “I am thankful to all of my mentors, doctoral students, co-authors and other colleagues whom have helped me on their way. Recognitions like this are given to individuals, but it takes a lot of help along the way.” The Academy of Management describes itself as “the preeminent professional association for management and organization scholars,” with a membership of nearly 20,000 in 115 countries that includes business school faculty and doctoral students, academics in related social science and other fields, and practitioners in management. Pratt noted that despite his department’s relatively small numbers, it already has produced two other Academy of Management fellows in Ferris Professor Jean Bartunek, RSCJ, and Cotter Professor Mary Ann Glynn. “I am honored to be part of such a vital department and school here on campus.” –Sean Hennessey
California, Santa Barbara. Prof. Maxim D. Shrayer (Slavic and Eastern Languages) presented “From Nabokov to Sapgir: Pushkin’s Guiding Star” at the Pushkin State Memorial Museum (Pushkinskie Gory), Russia. He also served as the chair of the organizing committee of the International Nabokov Readings, Nabokov Museum/St. Petersburg State University, Russia, where he presented “Nabokov and Soviet Culture of the 1970s: Gabrilovich, Finn, Averbakh and the Making of A Declaration of Love.” A cantata by Assoc. Prof. Ralf Gawlick (Music) titled “Kinderkreuzzug (Children’s Crusade)” was performed by the Dortmund, Gütersloh and Poznan Boys Choirs in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II in Poznan, Poland, as the final concert of the 11th International Festival of Boys Choirs.
JOBS The following are among the most recent positions posted by the Department of Human Resources. For more information on employment opportunities at Boston College, see www.bc.edu/offices/hr: Program and Outreach Manager, Office of International Programs Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Administrative Assistant, Career Center Systems Manager, Lynch School of Education Associate Vice President/Dean of Students Associate Director, Residential Life Assistant Director, Undergraduate Programs, Center for Student Formation Manager, Network Systems Associate Director, Research Initiatives, Center for Catholic Education Administrative and Fiscal Assistant- Jesuit Community
T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle september 18, 2014
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Also in “Campus Arts” A look at the Gaelic Roots series events for this semester (page 10)
Presenters at this fall’s Lowell Humanities Series include (clockwise from above left) Peter Fallon, Stuart Dybek, Laura Kasischke and Jeff Chang.
Jon Randolph
Jeremy Keith
A glance at the fall schedule for the Lowell Humanities Series, which brings some of the world’s brightest literary lights to Boston College. All events take place in Gasson 100 at 7 p.m. and are free and open to the public. Oct. 1: Matt Taibbi • In his New York Times bestseller The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap, Taibbi takes readers on a journey through both sides of our new system of justice: the untouchably wealthy and the criminalized poor. As he narrates these stories, he draws out and analyzes their common source, and unveils what we need to do to stand up against the troubling trend of “the Divide.” In 2008, he won the National Magazine Award for his columns in Rolling Stone, where he was a contributing editor. He is also the author of The Great Derangement: A Terrifying True Story of War, Politics and Religion. Oct. 14: Mark Edmundson • In Why Football Matters, Edmundson, a professor of English at the University of Virginia, considers the paradoxical game that transformed him as a young man. His many other books include Why Read?, Why Teach?, Kings of Rock and Roll, The Death of Sigmund Freud, and Nightmare on Main Street. His essays have appeared in Harper’s, The
Suella Holland
Lowell Humanities Series Begins Fall Schedule on Oct. 1
New York Times, The American Scholar and Raritan, to which he is a contributing editor. Oct. 22: Stuart Dybek • Dybek is the author of five books of fiction, most recently Ecstatic Cahoots and Paper Lantern. He also has two volumes of poetry, Brass Knuckles and Streets In Their Own Ink, and has received such literary awards as the PEN/ Bernard Malamud Prize, a Lannan Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, and four O. Henry Prizes. In 2007, he was awarded
BC SCENES
GETTING INVOLVED
both a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant and the Rea Award for the Short Story. He teaches at Northwestern University where he is Distinguished Writer-inResidence. Nov. 5: Laura Kasischke • A poet and novelist, Kasischke has won numerous awards for her poetry and received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. Tackling such subjects as global pandemics and school shootings, Kasischke’s novels – which include Suspicious
River, White Bird in a Blizzard and The Life Before her Eyes, which was made into a 2007 movie starring Uma Thurman – have enjoyed popular appeal. (Presented by Poetry Days) Nov. 12: Peter Fallon • The 2012-13 Burns Library Visiting Scholar in Irish Studies, Fallon grew up on a farm in the Irish midlands and graduated from Trinity College, Dublin, where he is now an adjunct professor of English. A prize-winning poet, his books include News of the World: Selected and New Poems, The Georgics of Virgil and The Company of Horses. At age 18, he founded The Gallery Press, Ireland’s leading literary publishing company, and has edited and published 500 books of poems and plays by the country’s finest established and emerging au-
thors, including Seamus Heaney, Paul Muldoon, Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, John Montague and Brian Friel. Nov. 19: Jeff Chang • Executive director of Stanford University’s Institute for Diversity in the Arts, Chang won the American Book Award for Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. His new work, Who We Be: The Colorization of America, examines the cultural transformation of the US over the last three decades. Chang was editor of Total Chaos, an anthology on the influence of hip-hop culture into other art forms, and has written for The Nation, The New York Times, Foreign Policy, VIBE, and The LA Review of Books. For more information on the Lowell Humanities Series, see www.bc.edu/lowellhs. –Office of News & Public Affairs
“Songs from the Moon” Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m. Robsham Theater, Bonn Studio
The Dreamscape Project Group will present a play set in Boston’s South End, “Songs From the Moon,” that focuses on six women of different backgrounds. Each character explores her life and relationships with the others (and the mysteriously absent Wanda) through story, dance, and original music by Chris Renna. Admission is $15, $10 for seniors, Boston Dance Alliance, or w/BC ID. Student Admission Program members (L-R) Sade Phipps ’16, Bridgette McDermott ’15, Frank DiMartino ’17, and Kristen Gallant ’15.
Stokes Lawn was overflowing on Sept. 5 for the annual Boston College Student Involvement Day, as BC club and organization representatives gave their pitches to passersby. To see video highlights of other events during the first two weeks of the new academic year, go to youtube.com/BostonCollege.
Photos by Caitlin Cunningham
Evan You ’17 of the Chinese Students' Association. (L-R) Kyrie Olsen ’17, Rami El-Abidin ’15, Diego Vicentini ’16, and Scott Johnson ’15 from Jammin’ Toast.
(Foreground, L-R) Brian Limbo ’15, Amanda Clemente ’17 and KahRam Bamfo ‘17 of the Philippine Society of Boston College.