President Carol Ann Mooney
Multiethnic Commencement Celebration 2011
Welcome
May 8, 2011

 

Thank you for inviting me to attend the fourth annual Multi- Ethnic Commencement Celebration. I am delighted to be here with you tonight. When I wrote the Strategic Plan for Saint Mary’s College in 2007, you were seniors in high school. During your four years here we have made real progress on most of the goals of that plan. The area with the most success may be our Admission Office — in my first year at Saint Mary’s (2004) the percentage of students from diverse backgrounds in our incoming first year class was 9 percent. I am proud to say that we increased that to 14.9 percent in 2009, 16.5 percent in 2010, and the incoming class is projected to be at least that strong.

My reason for putting this initiative in my Strategic Plan is my firm belief that more diversity on our campus will make Saint Mary’s a more vibrant learning community, and, it will prepare all of our students for life and work in a diverse and global world.

Social justice calls us to correct the inequities that are the product of our political, cultural, and economic history mandates diversification of the best educational institutions in the country.

Without a more diverse student body, many of the most academically talented young women will avoid Saint Mary’s College because they would realize that our lack of diversity would adversely impact their educational experience. We are making real progress.

Furthermore, the fact that the Catholic Church is a world-wide organization encompassing people of every race means that if Saint Mary’s fails to become a community that is inclusive of women of many races, ethnicities, and cultures, the College’s ability to provide intellectual leadership within the Church will be ever more and more marginal. It is imperative that we increase the racial and ethnic diversity of the student body, faculty, staff, and administration, and increase the socio-economic diversity of the student body.

I hope that your experience at Saint Mary’s has been a rich one. There are always highs and lows in every collegiate experience, but I know for a fact that you have been intellectually challenged. You may have faced challenges that other students didn’t, but here you are tonight – and you and your families should be proud of your achievements both in and outside of the classroom. Many of you have participated in volunteer activities, clubs, sports, and student government. Some of you have studied abroad and sat on College committees. I have heard you share your views with your peers, faculty, the administration, and even our Board of Trustees.

Every student who attends Saint Mary’s is unique and contributes something to the ethos of the place. We are the strong and vibrant institution that we are because of what each of you brings to us. You have changed Saint Mary’s by being here.

Now, as you prepare to leave us, I hope that you will become ambassadors for Saint Mary’s. I also hope you will encourage your little sisters, cousins and friends to attend Saint Mary’s College. Like our speaker tonight, you can achieve greatness, and I expect that you will. We will miss you and I hope that you will keep in touch and return frequently.