{ reality} what we value
a
our { promise } St. Ambrose University is an inclusive community where close relationships with students are a foundation for learning. In the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, St. Ambrose faculty and staff balance challenge and support, empowerment and exploration to enable students to fulfill their intellectual, physical and spiritual potential.
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our { goals } our { realities } The world of education has expanded at a rapid pace, creating a diversity of choices and opportunities. And yet, it seems that many colleges are, at a glance, remarkably similar. At St. Ambrose, we recognized that we needed to more consistently and congruently express our values, what makes us different and the benefits of joining our community. And so, we listened to students, alumni, faculty and staff about what they most valued about their St. Ambrose experiences, and developed a “promise” based on what we heard. In these pages, you’ll read more about what we believe makes St. Ambrose, well, St. Ambrose. Hopefully, these attributes are what attracted you to our community, and are what you’ll carry with you—and spread to others—as you continue life’s journey.
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From Milan, Italy to Milan, Illinois Our university namesake, Saint Ambrose, was the humble bishop of Milan—not even a baptized Catholic when the citizens drafted him to lead the Church there in 374 AD. He became celebrated for his scholarship, service to the unfortunate, oratory skills, leadership of the people and defense of the Church. A Renaissance
“When in Rome…” This famous phrase is rooted in conflict about Church fasting practices. The actual quote by St. Ambrose? “When you are in Rome, live in the Roman style; When you are elsewhere, live as they live elsewhere.” When you’re in Italy, visit the Sant’Ambrogio church in Milan, where the body of the saint is interred.
Fighting Bees Our athletic teams were nicknamed the Saints until 1937, when students pressed for a change. Warren Lage ’40 suggested the Bees for their tie to St. Ambrose and his “honey tongued” speaking. Further, Lage stated “the qualities of a bee, such as its industriousness and its ability to sting” exemplified the hoped-for characteristics of the team.
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Friend of Justice Upon ordination, St. Ambrose gave away his fortune to the Church. He counseled wealthy residents, the government, military and others to have love, hope, faith and mercy. Another familiar phrase from the Bible represents the saint’s philosophy about power and charity: “To God the things that are God’s; to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.”
man before the Renaissance, he is viewed as a founding force of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. In modern times, St. Ambrose University is the only known U.S. college named for the saint. (Little known fact: Saint John was an early contender for the school’s name.)
Governor, Bishop, Doctor St. Ambrose was a committed intellectual. He said, “In all people there lies … a desire to search out the truth which leads us on to have a longing for knowledge and learning and infuses into us a wish to seek after it. To excel in this seems a noble thing.” The Pope designated him the first Doctor of the Church, a nod to his deep knowledge of Scripture.
Sealing the Deal Bee references again! Our seal displays three bees surrounding a hive to symbolize the Holy Trinity. Three crosses allude to the coat of arms of the Davenport family (founder of our fair city). Encircling the shield is Latin— for St. Ambrose University Davenport—beginning, and ending, with a Greek cross.
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Someone to Watch Over You Outside Ambrose Hall stands a statue of our patron saint of learning, carrying a book to represent scholarship and scroll for oratory. Over the years, the statue endured yearly green St. Patrick’s Day paint. He even lost a hand in 1936. Official reason? Freak storm. Conventional wisdom: Overzealous student contact. Thankfully, the statue is now restored.
Our History under the Oaks Bishop John McMullen, the first bishop of the newly formed Davenport Diocese, founded St. Ambrose in 1882 as an institution with split roles—a seminary to prepare young men for the priesthood, and an academy with a curriculum closer to today’s high schools than a college. The first enrollment of 33 students continued to grow. Ambrose started a women’s initiative that evolved into the now-closed Marycrest College, and eventually spun-off Assumption High School. By the 1920s, Ambrose became more like a modern-day college and in 1987, a university. Today, we are a robust institution offering programs across disciplines with degrees awarded at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. Throughout our history and in the present, certain characteristics have made this community special. 5
{ goal } broaden perspectives
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[Colleges should] train men to think out the problems that concern the ultimate welfare of human beings.
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– Msgr. Ulrich A. Hauber, President, 1926–30
Students in the university’s first days did not choose a major or register for selected classes. The “classical” curriculum was devoted to language, literature, rhetoric, elocution, history, geography, mathematics, philosophy and religion, and was designed to prepare graduates to become intellectual problem solvers who were suited for any type of work. Optional courses included botany and physiology. A second curriculum focused on preparation for commercial pursuits, including courses in penmanship, bookkeeping, commercial law and religion.
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The liberal arts continue to provide St. Ambrose students with a broad perspective of our world and an understanding of what it means to be “human.” Our development of premier programs in business, healthcare, education and other fields has remained in the context of examining civilization’s shared history and knowledge, and creating opportunities for students to discover new interests. The core curriculum prepares students to address future opportunities and challenges they can’t yet even imagine, and to become problem solvers. Graduates leave Ambrose and enter their communities with more than technical skills for a career, they’ve cultivated the intellectual and communication skills needed to lead a meaningful life.
NEW VIEWPOINTS: Opening yourself up to new experiences, new knowledge and new opinions is at the very heart of a “liberal” education. That could mean sharing a class discussion in a new environment, or making lifelong friends with someone from a completely different background.
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Liberal Arts & H olistic Education
L iberal A rts & H olistic E ducation
{ goal } explore faith St. Ambrose was founded as a Catholic institution, created to educate seminarians and “regular� students sent from parishes in the Davenport Diocese. Until the 1950s, the faculty and administration drew heavily from the ranks of the ordained, and in our early decades we enrolled mostly Catholic students. All were expected to attend Mass, complete a course of theological studies and conform to a litany of rules designed to prevent moral chaos. But from the beginning, we have welcomed members of all faith traditions to join this community and consider an exploration of spirituality as an important component to their learning.
Rev. Edward M. Catich ’34 founded our art department in 1939 and was also a world-renowned calligrapher, stone incisor and artist. His modern style, such as this watercolor of a nun, challenged traditional notions of religious art.
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It doesn’t matter if you’re Catholic or non-Catholic. If you want to be involved, you can be. –Heidi Haessig ’07
Our institution remains recognizably Catholic in that we continue to be faithful to the teachings of the Church. But we also remain catholic in the sense that we welcome all. We continue to assess how community values and student freedoms intersect and impact each other. We support and create opportunities for every student to examine belief systems— including their own. Retreats, Mass, interfaith celebrations, academic coursework in religion, theology or even our Peace and Justice minor all serve as possibilities for that exploration. Together, we probe deeply into matters of faith and reason to ask the hard questions, and search for the universal truths that bind us together.
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Catholic I dentit y
catholic identit y
{ goal } engage in community The personal nature of a St. Ambrose education has been evident from the beginning. Students originally lived in very close quarters, with older students serving as proctors who enforced the rules (that was considered support!). They learned in small classes, with preparation—or lack thereof — duly noted. Expectations were high, rules were strict and explanations not accepted. Administrators developed extracurricular outlets to fulfill all potentials—debate clubs, baseball, dances, radio stations and more. Alumni continue to look back fondly, saying they wouldn’t trade the experience for the world.
In 1954, Donald Braddock ’54 became the first student to receive a Fulbright Scholarship while at St. Ambrose. Fulbrights fund international scholarship, and recipients travel abroad to teach and study.
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Each new semester, there’s a renewed challenge in teaching the subject, because there are new and different students. I’ve learned over the years that each is a unique, distinct individual.
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– Art Serianz PhD, professor
The personal touch at St. Ambrose continues to be what makes our community great. Because of our size and resources, students find their opportunities are almost infinite. From a coordinator dedicated to the needs of transfer students, to a study abroad system designed to send you anywhere you can dream, from a group dedicated to helping students with disabilities, to a tradition of success in preparing Fulbright candidates, and from a team of advisors dedicated to each student to a cadre of alumni mentors who prepare you for your life to come. Together, we make it happen.
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P ersonal , S upportive & Challe nging
P erso nal, S upportive & Challengi ng
{ goal } take action
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Colleges are the intellectual disturbers of status and apathy in the communities where they are, the moral consciences of their communities.
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– Rev. John S. Smith ’45, professor The roots of social justice at Ambrose run deep and have often been expressed through action against inequality and working toward the common good. Social justice speakers invited to campus in the 1930s discussed the rights of labor and committees examined the needs of migrant workers who had settled in the Quad Cities, students joined Catholic Action and traveled to the south during the 1950s to create and bear witness to civil rights change, and the campus community weathered the turbulent peace movement of the ’60s. In more recent times, student groups in the ’80s built relationships with Appalachian communities, assisting with construction and development projects.
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We still shape the character of an Ambrose education through an emphasis on social justice. The university co-sponsors the Pacem in Terris program to honor leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Sr. Helen Prejean. Groups including Amnesty International, Habitat for Humanity and Ambrose Women for Peace and Justice; class-based service projects; and an annual social justice conference on campus all provide focal points for these initiatives. Thinking about appropriate ways to bring about social change has evolved as well. Our efforts now include considerations of culture and external forces, and we immerse ourselves in experiences to better understand situations. We hope to help communities bring about their own change.
Peace and nonviolence formed the foundation of Rev. William “Digger� Dawson ’50 and his 40-year philosophy teaching career at St. Ambrose. To honor his work, the School of Social Work created an award in his name.
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S ervice & S ocial Justice
service & social justice
{ goal } keep connected The role of higher education expanded throughout the 20th Century, and with it programs, majors and formats also grew. In 1933, Ambrose organized the Social Study Club as a forum for community discussion of Depression-era challenges. As teaching became professionalized in the 1920s, nuns from local Catholic grade schools attended evening classes to brush up on their pedagogy. When it became clear that a nursing curriculum was necessary to train staff at local hospitals, the university responded (but made sure to keep the female nurses separate from the all-male “official� student body). And in 1977, the university debuted its first graduate program, the Master of Business Administration (MBA).
OLD SCHOOL: Though both fashion and technology have most definitely changed through the decades, what remains is our commitment to providing lifelong educational resources and career-expanding learning that meet students where they are, when they are ready.
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The university continues to listen and respond creatively to our community’s education needs. Our expanded graduate portfolio includes business, education, healthcare and social services degree programs in demand by students — and valued by community employers. The ACCEL curriculum offers a flexible way for non-traditional students to finish a bachelor’s degree. Healthcare offerings like the Assistive Technologies Lab provide care to the community and training to students. The entire region enjoys the performing arts calendar at the Galvin Fine Arts Center. And our alums frequently turn back to St. Ambrose not only to reminisce, but also for career support, advanced degrees, certificate programs and workshops.
Each year, Ambrose welcomes the public to a series of events exploring themes including “The Darwin Project,” “Migration” and “The Ubiquity of Work.”
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Lifelong Lear ni ng
lifelo ng lear ning
{ goal } feel at home In the early years, new students wore beanies for their first few months. These and other elaborate initiation rituals inducted students into the community. Ambrose welcomed its first international student back in 1920, when Pedro Mendive from Havana, Cuba arrived. Students from Uruguay, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Korea soon followed. In 1968, senior Dan Doran wrote that Ambrose is “people who have trouble getting papers in on time, people who don’t have trouble; … people who sit in the student center and solve the problems of the day, people who never go into the student center; … Ambrose is essentially people, the ones you know and the ones you don’t know.”
Ambrose has always welcomed those of different nationalities, ethnicities, faiths, interests and abilities. And in 1968, we (finally!) accepted women as regular students.
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As often as not, students remark that our campus atmosphere is why they chose St. Ambrose. This feeling extends to our buildings and residence halls, which are designed with all the comforts you would expect of home. Friends and memories are made in our small classes, comfy res halls and helpful study groups; and on sports teams, special-interest clubs and art performance groups. Each generation of students has contributed to old traditions and created new ones. From Welcome Week to Last Blast, from New Year’s Reenactment dances to Midnight Breakfast, and from Wacky Wednesdays to taco pizza, St. Ambrose students cherish their time spent under the oaks.
SAVOR YOUR TIME: Moments spent in reflection, in communion, in companionship and in plain old silliness will transform to nostalgia soon enough. Enjoy the moment.
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I nclusive, Frie ndly & C omfortable
I n clusive, Frie ndly & Comfortable
supportive
thoughtful
giving
sharing
nurturing
bo holistic friendly spirited true intentio inspiring compassionate
practical
engaged
empowering inclusive
curious
creative
faithful
Individually and collectively, you’ll hear St. Ambrose people described in similar ways. It’s what you think of when you think of “Ambrosian.”
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teambuilders
undless honorable
competitive
intellectual
fun
personal
open
steadfast
eclectic
comfortable
ethical collaborative
nal
dedicated
accomplished
growing
responsive
linked
flexible
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Coloring Perceptions If St. Ambrose University were a color, what color would we be? No, this is not that midterm psychology test you forgot to study for. Close your eyes and picture campus‌ what colors come to life? You probably start with blue and white, but also the ruddy red brick from Ambrose Hall, the green of the leafy oaks in summer, and all the other vivid colors that call to mind shared experiences and new discoveries.
Our Message in Action Telling the world about what makes Ambrose so different isn’t the same as selling widgets or promoting a new movie. We considered many ways to express our values in publications, advertising, online and elsewhere. What emerged was the idea of Goal/Reality, an approach that emphasizes the benefits and outcomes of an Ambrose education, the real value of our degrees and programs, and the well-rounded graduates in demand by employers and who are making an impact in their communities.
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publications
advertising
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You Are Ambrosian You are a part of St. Ambrose, and you are seen as Ambrosian. We hope that all members of our community carry our mission with them, share our values and aspire to our vision of what the university can be. So we ask you to reconsider what first attracted you to the university—as a student, faculty or staff member, administrator, donor or volunteer. What were your goals? Do your words and deeds reflect your commitment? Where do you need to keep working to enrich your own life through enriching the community around you? What is your reality?
“ Ambrose has opened my eyes to how people can come together for a common purpose and achieve great things.” –Munir Sayegh ’11
“ I’ve seen how average students, when they came to St. Ambrose, one professor would inspire them. Then they would just take off, go on to graduate school, do work for their communities.” –Msgr. Marvin Mottet ’55 and former faculty member 37
“ At St. Ambrose, I don’t feel like I’m just a student. People here really care about me. The faculty members treat us like colleagues.“ –Katie Swanson ’10 DPT
True Blue (& White) Adventures For those who are new to the university, here’s just a sampling of the experiences to come.
Get started Attend opening convocation in front of Lewis Hall. Catch on that the school colors are blue and white.
Join the club Complain about the parking. Just know that people have been complaining about it since the 1950s. Bike much?
Risk bewilderment Enroll in that upper-level philosophy class, and start talking Hegel and Heidegger with your suitemates.
Lend a hand Join the Habitat for Humanity team as they help to provide affordable housing for local residents.
Sidetracked! Wade through Lake Ambrose outside of Cosgrove Hall after a spring rainstorm. 38
Look backward Attend the Feast of St. Ambrose Mass in early December and reflect on the expansiveness of our namesake’s accomplishments.
Prepare for nostalgia Learn the words to “Ambrosian Oaks,” the alma mater. The song is set to the melody “Finlandia.” You know how that goes, right?
Voyage onward Work with the Center for International Education to plan a semester studying abroad in Italy. Bellissimo! (Keep a lookout for the pope!)
Last Blast Let that pent-up study stress explode on a late spring weekend of games, music, sunbathing, barbecue, karaoke and laughter. Inflatables, too.
Consider your options A graduate degree can be very valuable. Why go anywhere else?
Show your pride Purchase an Ambrose license plate to broadcast to the world that you are Ambrosian. Then buy some sweatshirts for the parentals.
Return to celebrate Attend a wedding of two of your closest college friends at Christ the King Chapel.
And so… Every Ambrosian has a unique story to tell, and collectively, they represent our great university. We hope that story has taken shape for you in your interactions as well as in these pages. We encourage you to take advantage of the opportunities, participate in the traditions and make your own St. Ambrose history.
To learn more, see more and contribute > Check out www.sau.edu/bees to read about St. Ambrose University traditions and history, and www.sau.edu/ambroseofmilan for more about St. Ambrose the man. > Visit www.sau.edu/ourpromise to view information about the Goal/Reality campaign and supporting publications, ads and the website, and to download wallpapers for your computer screen or phone. > Contact Communications & Marketing at stories@sau.edu to share your Ambrosian story.
We are indebted to the work of Rev. Anthony Farrell ’60, PhD (Bees and Bur Oaks: 100 Years of St. Ambrose College) and Rev. George William McDaniel ’66, PhD (A Great and Lasting Beginning: The First 125 Years of St. Ambrose University). Thanks also to Rev. Robert “Bud” Grant ’80, PhD, whose scholarship on St. Ambrose the man informed much of our material. 40
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518 West Locust Street Davenport, Iowa 52803 www.sau.edu
Our Mission St. Ambrose University—independent, diocesan, and Catholic—enables its students to develop intellectually, spiritually, ethically, socially, artistically and physically to enrich their own lives and the lives of others.
Our Vision St. Ambrose University will be recognized as a leading Midwestern university rooted in its diocesan heritage and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. Ambrosians are committed to academic excellence, the liberal arts, social justice and service. 42