FROM PRESIDENT

Isabelle Cherney, Ph.D., Mount Mary University

Dear Mount Mary Alumni and Friends,

Welcome to our fall edition of Mount Mary Magazine!

As I reflect on my first two years as president of Mount Mary University, I am consistently amazed at the resilience and grit of our faculty, staff and students. This past year was a challenging one for higher education. Many factors contributed to this, including a downturn in the number of high school graduates going to college and a shifting societal perspective causing many students to question the long-term value of a college degree. Several late and fundamental changes to the Federal Application for Student Financial Aid (FAFSA) process made it very difficult for many students (particularly first-generation) to apply, and for colleges to prepare their financial aid packages in a timely fashion.

These challenges are coupled with rising costs for food, housing, insurance premiums and services, and aging infrastructure in need of updates, and many new federal regulations leveled at colleges and universities. The combination of these factors led to the recent closure of 100 institutions in the past two years. Mount Mary is blessed to have been able to weather many of these issues without having to cut costs drastically or let go of talent. This is in part due to our university’s nimbleness and capacity to reinvent itself. We are constantly seeking ways to adapt to ever-changing social and economic environments, to remain relevant and to look confidently toward the future.

As we navigate the challenges ahead, we must also consider ways to best prepare our students for a workforce that is constantly in flux.

Which skills will be most needed for future careers? In response to this question, we recently established a new academic structure to streamline preparation and encourage interdisciplinary engagement. This year we introduced new programs, including a Master of Social Work degree and undergraduate offerings in Cybersecurity, Business Analytics, Digital Marketing and Public Relations through a partnership with the RIZE consortium (see Campus News on page 19).

We have also established professional collaborations, allowing our students to work on projects with corporations such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Target.

This year we are poised to reinvent our core curriculum as the Faculty Assembly voted in a new, contemporized one. Companies want employees with “power skills” (also referred to as “soft” skills), who know how to work in teams, communicate effectively, think critically, apply empathy and ethics and use technology effectively.

Our new core will develop power and life skills (such as a new class in personal finance) while allowing each student to graduate with not only a bachelor’s degree in their major, but also with a certificate in technology or leadership. Literacy in technology and digital information — as well as critical thinking and problem-solving skills — are among the top attributes stakeholders want for our students. A first-year seminar, the Mount Mary Experience, will introduce students to the rigors of intellectual pursuit and our SSND mission, while also teaching how to succeed at university life. This support will be provided through a new “one-stop shop” located in our Welcome Center, where students can get answers to their questions and successfully navigate the college experience.

Over the past year we have engaged our faculty, staff, board members, students and alums in discussions to inform our next strategic plan, exploring the past, present and future of our beloved institution. I would like to thank all who participated in these important deliberations, in particular co-chairs Dr. Karen Friedlen, vice president for Academic Affairs, and Dr. Marmy Clason, division chair for Communication, Business and Technology.

This effort was guided by the invaluable advice of Doug Smith and Nikki DeGuire, both of whom provided pro-bono time and expertise. I am excited to execute this vision, which centers our future around four bold themes:

• providing innovative, interdisciplinary, interprofessional and in-demand academics

• empowering diverse learners to lead and succeed

• building an interconnected community and world

• ensuring a thriving Mount Mary University

Last year we launched the Institute for the Advancement of Women and Children (IAWC). The Institute is comprised of four Centers of Excellence: the Center for Women’s and Children’s Rights, the Center for Women’s Leadership, the Center for Women’s Health and Wellness and the Center for the Advancement of Women in Technology. Since its inception, the IAWC has already played a pivotal role in elevating Mount Mary’s visibility and footprint within the community.

The Center for Women’s and Children’s Rights has hosted multiple gatherings intended to provoke thought and inspire dialogue around important topics in social justice and equitable access to education. These events have included the Greater Milwaukee Commission and Milwaukee Succeeds Summit on Early Childhood Education this past spring and the HSI Summit on Latinas’ Access to Higher Education organized by Dr. Vanessa Varela this June.

Our 2024 Voices of Leadership keynote speaker was Kat Esser, Global Health leader for AWS Social Responsibility + Impact, Strategic Innovation leader, executive advisor (see story on page 10). Esser, who enthralled the audience as she discussed the transformational power of our personal and professional choices, was instrumental in the launch of the IAWC. The event was hosted by the Center for Women’s Leadership.

The Center for the Advancement of Women in Technology will be launching new technology certificates, made possible by AWS. This educational opportunity will offer skills in cloud computing technology to our campus community at no charge. This opportunity will also provide our students with highly marketable skills which can be used across a diverse range of fields.

Last spring, we were supported by the AWS Health Equity Initiative for our idea to create “Culturabot™,” a chatbot promoting culturally informed health care (see story on page 4). Led by Dr. Kari Inda, chair of the Occupational Therapy graduate program, a team of faculty and students developed Culturabot™ to help health care providers expand care for patients across a wide range of multicultural backgrounds. Our UX Design students are creating the app’s interface, helping to craft a user-friendly experience. This groundbreaking shift in healthcare delivery is supported by the Center for Women’s Health and Wellness and is guided by Bob Schwartz, chief transformation and innovation officer.

In August, Mount Mary gained a hydroponic gardening station from Farm Forks, an organization supporting educational efforts around food sustainability (see blurb on page 19). This new technology will provide hands-on learning opportunities for our students to explore the ways in which food is grown and harvested. Just as the acquisition of our Anatomage table changed the ways in which we teach anatomy, physiology and science, this tool will support learning for our Food Science, Biology and Dietetics students.

Despite the ever-shifting landscape of higher education, we remain rooted in our commitment to the university mission, started by our School Sisters of Notre Dame 111 years ago. It is through our collaborative vision, sustained efforts and continued dedication that we will continue to provide an affordable, accessible, high-quality education and path to upward mobility for all our students. In the face of the obstacles that lie ahead, we look towards the future with optimism, hope and resilience.