Press Releases

Hinda Schuman and Linda Johnson
The Pennsylvania Project

Lawrence Gallery

Run Date: September 2 – 30, 2010

Opening Date: September 2, 2010
4:30-6:00 p.m.

Rosemont College
1400 Montgomery Ave.
Rosemont, PA 19010
Phone: 610.526.2967

Snow from “The Pennsylvania Project” 2009

Rosemont, PA - Rosemont College has received a financial grant of $100,000 from The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and the Walmart Foundation. The Walmart College Success Award will assist Rosemont with funding for the institution’s Bridge to Success, a pre-orientation program designed to enhance retention of first-generation students. Rosemont was one of only 30 colleges nationwide to receive the funding.

Through the Walmart College Success Award program, 30 CIC member colleges and universities, selected through a competitive application process, will receive substantial grants to help strengthen exemplary programs that support the education of first-generation students. The newly selected 30 institutions and the 20 initial College Success Award recipients will work together as a network to assist first-generation college students, learn from one another, and serve as models for other colleges and universities.

Located in suburban Philadelphia, Rosemont College offers students an exceptional and comprehensive, coeducational learning experience. The College’s Bridge to Success is offered each August for incoming students and offers them academic support which emphasizes writing and reading, college readiness, and study skills. A group of select students will also receive individual mentoring to assist with team building. All participating students are monitored throughout the academic year by the Program’s coordinator and the Student Academic Support Center.

“Rosemont College has made a commitment to offer a comprehensive learning experience to all interested and qualified students,” said Marilyn Moller, Bridge to Success Coordinator and Director of Education at Rosemont College. “This award is a wonderful way to advance Rosemont’s Mission, its dedication to the Program, and most importantly its dedication to educate our students. We are very grateful to the CIC and the Walmart Foundation for establishing this award.”

In 2009, the CIC received a second grant of $3 million from the Walmart Foundation to support the second cohort of award recipients. Twenty CIC member institutions with programs that show the greatest promise of increasing retention of the largest number of first-generation students were selected to receive grants of $100,000. Ten institutions that have established worthy projects with a smaller scope of impact or are more experimental in nature will receive $50,000 awards. All award winners have an undergraduate enrollment that includes at least 30 percent first-generation students among the most recent classes of first-year students.

“The 20 colleges and universities selected for the initial awards in 2008 have done a great job in rising to the challenges of retaining and graduating first-generation students,” said Walmart Foundation president Margaret McKenna. “The Walmart Foundation is proud to provide the opportunity for an additional 30 institutions to participate in the program and contribute to the growing body of knowledge on how best to support these students.”

In announcing the award winners, CIC President Richard Ekman said, “We are delighted by the recognition that this second grant from the Walmart Foundation gives to the role played by private colleges in educating first-generation students. Much attention has been focused recently on higher education as a key to making the United States workforce stronger and the country more competitive in the 21st century world economy. As the federal government and philanthropic leaders call for increased degree completion in higher education, small and mid-sized private institutions are an underutilized resource in this effort. Private colleges also enroll comparable or higher percentages of lower-income and first-generation students to public institutions and they require far less subsidy by state governments to succeed in meeting these national goals. Most importantly, small and mid-sized private institutions have moved beyond a focus on access to a record of unequalled success in retaining and graduating low-income and first-generation students.”

Citing data from the American Association of Community Colleges, Ekman noted that more than six million students a year enroll for credit at the nation’s community colleges. However, only 26 percent actually transfer to a four-year college. In addition, according to the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the six-year graduation rate of first-generation students at public four-year institutions is only 44 percent compared with 61 percent at private colleges and universities. “In short, if we are to achieve the ambitious national goal of increased numbers of college graduates, the lessons learned from the experiences of private colleges will need to be heeded by national policymakers and others,” Ekman stressed.

The Walmart College Success Awards program will include a conference in 2011, online networking opportunities, and a final publication on best practices from both cohorts to be disseminated at the end of the grant period in 2013.

The 20 $100,000 award winners are:

Alma College, MI; Alverno College, WI; Berea College, KY; Catawba College, NC; Clark Atlanta University, GA; College of Notre Dame of Maryland; DePaul University, IL; Elizabethtown College, PA; Franklin College, IN; Guilford College, NC; Lynchburg College, VA; Mars Hill College, NC; Mercyhurst College, PA; Mills College, CA; Notre Dame de Namur University, CA; Rosemont College, PA; Stetson University, FL; Stevenson University, MD; Thomas College, ME; and University of St. Francis, IL.

The ten $50,000 award winners are:

Cardinal Stritch University, WI; Chaminade University of Honolulu, HI; Defiance College, OH; Emmanuel College, MA; Eureka College, IL; Heritage University, WA; McKendree University, IL; Saint Augustine’s College, NC; Wabash College, IN; and Woodbury University, CA

The programs offered at these 30 institutions represent the wide range of approaches to working with first-generation students. Some institutions focus on the unique needs of a particular subset of first-generation students, such as Hispanic students, commuter students, transfer students from community colleges, or students pursuing a teaching career. A number of the award recipients offer transitional summer programs for incoming students that help prepare them for college-level work and life away from home. Others provide services such as mentoring, tutoring, career development, and providing scholarships and stipends to help ensure success for first-generation students.

For more information about the Walmart College Success Awards and the programs of the 30 winners, visit the CIC website at www.cic.edu/projects_services/walmart_college_success.asp.

Commencement 2010 Remarks to the Graduates
By Joseph M. Torsella

Student Reflection
By Lynn Watson '10, SGPS

Invocation
By Nidha Azam '10

Student Reflection
By Disha Shah '10

Student Reflection
By Loretta McKaig '99 & '10, SGPS

Rosemont, PA - Rosemont College’s School of Graduate Studies will host “A Stroll Through the Arts” on Thursday, May 6, 2010, from 6:30-10:00 p.m. at Main Building. The evening will feature literary readings, digital and graphic design presentations, as well as video productions. This event is free and open to the public.

Three awards will be presented including the Charles James O’Donnell Award in Digital Design, the Graduate School Award in Literature, and the Graduate School Award in Fine Arts.

For more information contact Alexis Kropp, Director of Public Relations, 610.527.0200 ext. 2967.

An Irish Poetry Evening with Father John McNamee at Rosemont College

Rosemont, PA- Celebrate the season of all things Irish with parish priest and noted author, Father John McNamee at Rosemont College on Wednesday, March 24, 2010, in the foyer of Main Building. The poetry reading will begin at 7:00 p.m. and is sponsored in part, by The Bolger Fund for the Promotion of the Study of the History and Culture of Ireland.

A man of Irish wit and humor with a gift of poetry, Father McNamee will read selections from Donegal Suite and poems not yet published.

Perhaps best known for his efforts on behalf of the poor, Father McNamee is a pastor emeritus of Saint Malachy Church (Philadelphia, PA) and the author of several books of prose and poetry which champion the cause of the poor. His best known book, Diary of a City Priest, was made into a movie and appeared at numerous film festivals with distribution rights on public television.

Father McNamee’s contributions to the poor have touched many people and projects in Philadelphia and elsewhere. He is the founder and board member of the Southwest Community Enrichment Center. Other organizations that he is involved with include the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker Movement, the Catholic Worker House, the Ludlow Youth Community Center, and the Catholic Peace Fellowship. Additionally, he continues to support the efforts of Saint Malachy.

McNamee’s presentation is free and open to the public.

Sponsored in part, by The Bolger Fund for the Promotion of the Study of the History and Culture of Ireland”

New Environmental Studies Major Announced
at Rosemont College

Rosemont, PA- Rosemont College’s Undergraduate College announces its newest program, a bachelor of arts in environmental studies. Located 11 miles west, the nation’s 6th largest city, Philadelphia, Rosemont’s proximity offers prospective students and future graduates a wide variety of employment and post-baccalaureate study opportunities within the sectors of conservation, preservation, and environmental studies, science, and policy. Rosemont will begin admitting students into the program for the fall 2010 semester.

The new degree is designed to prepare students to become familiar with the pressing issues regarding the environment, and to facilitate a meaningfully contribution to its preservation and maintenance. The interdisciplinary program will also provide training in the skills necessary for employment in a variety of settings in addition to providing preparation for specialized study at the graduate level.

“The environmental studies program has been developed with great consideration for the individual student’s needs and will instill an awareness of the importance of the environment for future generations,” said Lenore Koczon, Dean of the Undergraduate College. “Our faculty has developed a unique niche program that incorporates such disciplines as science, philosophy, theology, and business.”

For more information, call 1-888-2ROSEMONT or visit www.rosemont.edu.

Rosemont College Blood Drive

As a result of the recent bad weather across the country, on the heels of the holiday season, the blood supply has drastically decreased.  
Type O negative and B negative blood supplies have dropped to emergency levels.
 
As a blood donor, your help is needed now! 
 
Since type O negative blood can be used for any patient when there is not time to determine the patient’s blood type, it is crucial that there b a sufficient supply. 
 
Each day, more than 38,000 blood donations are needed in the U.S.  Your help is needed to replenish the blood supply.  Schedule your appointment to give blood through the American Red Cross today and help save lives. 
 
Please give at our upcoming blood drive:
 
Rosemont College
Monday, February 15th
10 AM – 4PM
McShain Auditorium
 
CLICK HERE   to sign up online
 
For questions about eligibility
CLICK HERE  or call 1800 GIVE LIFE (option 4)

For this week's prayer we join with Pax Christi Port-au-Prince and the Commission Episcopale Nationale Justice et Paix (the Haitian Catholic bishops' Justice and Peace Commission) as they have invited everyone to hold a day of prayer for Haiti on Friday, February 12, one month after the devastating earthquake struck that country and so we pray.

God our hope, we entrust to you the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Dismayed by the incomprehensible suffering of the innocent, we ask you to inspire the hearts of those who are trying to provide the aid which is so indispensable. We know how deep the faith of the Haitian people is.

Strengthen the downhearted; console those who are weeping; send your Spirit of compassion on this people which has been so sorely tried. Amen. (prayer courtesy of Taize Community Prayer Service)

Campus Ministry News

Confirmation Information Session

If you are interested in being confirmed, please come to an information session to sign up this Sunday February 14th at 8 pm or contact Elizabeth Small at esmall@rosemont.edu before Sunday.

Lenten Announcements

This Lent we invite you to journey with Campus Ministry as we enter into the next 40 days of prayer and fasting. This time is a time to slow down, to pay attention, and to re-evaluate. We invite you to join us during this time.

Come by the Campus Ministry Office anytime before Ash Wednesday to participate in Operation Rice Bowl, Rice Bowl will also be available at Ash Wednesday Mass. They will be collected during Holy Week.(This fundraiser benefits many countries in severe need through Catholic Relief Services)

Mardi Gras Party
Join the Campus Ministry Staff in celebrating Mardi Gras with donuts and coffee at 3pm on Tuesday February 16th

Our Lenten Season will begin with Ash Wednesday Mass at 12:30 pm in the Immaculate Conception Chapel. Please join us for Mass.

Joseph M. Torsella, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Board of Education, 
to Speak at 87th Commencement

Rosemont, PA - Joseph M. Torsella, chairman of the Pennsylvania Board of Education and the founding president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, will be the guest speaker at Rosemont College’s 87th Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 15, 2010.

President Sharon Latchaw Hirsh, Ph.D., will preside over the ceremony, which will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Connelly Green. In the event of rain, the event will be held in the College’s Alumnae Hall. Torsella will also be the recipient of an honorary degree presented by the College’s Board of Trustees.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate from the University of Pennsylvania, Torsella earned an honors degree in economics and history. As a Rhodes Scholar, he did graduate work in history at New Oxford College. He would go on to become Philadelphia’s Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning (1992-1993) where he helped formulate many of the initiatives that resolved a $1.25 billion cumulative deficit for the city at that time.

Torsella was the driving force behind the concept, fundraising, construction, and opening of the $200 million National Constitution Center. Under his leadership, the Center sprung to international acclaim, financial stability, and unparalleled institutional reputation. In 2009, after serving two separate terms, Torsella stepped away from the Center to run for United States Senate, a bid he would narrowly lose.

In 2008, Torsella was appointed by Governor Edward Rendell as Chairman of the Pennsylvania State Board of Education, the regulatory authority responsible for all 501 public school districts and 14 state universities in the Commonwealth. In 2005, Torsella took on the role of founding co-chair of the Greater Philadelphia area’s bid for the 2016 Olympics.

Along with his many career accomplishments, Torsella has served as a trustee or advisor to many civic and non-profit organizations, including the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau; the Holocaust Awareness Museum; Historic Philadelphia, Inc.; the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation; the Springside School; and the Knight Foundation. He is also an active parishioner at St. Genevieve’s Roman Catholic Church.

• Dawn Adler Adjunct Faculty, American Sign Language
  
• Cheryl Grant Adjunct Faculty, Business
  
• Melissa Glen-Fleming Adjunct Faculty, Communication
  
• Kristen Wilson Adjunct Faculty, Counseling & Psychology
• David Arena - Adjunct Faculty, Counseling & Psychology
  
• Raymond Setters - Adjunct faculty, Creative Writing
  
• D.F. Pace - Adjunct Faculty, Criminal Justice
  
• Robert Salladino - Adjunct Faculty, Education
• Ann Eves - Adjunct Faculty, Education
  
• Theresa Lewis-King -Adjunct Faculty, Education
• Donna Piekarski - Adjunct Faculty, Education
• Susan Rodriguez - Adjunct Faculty, Education
• Christina Spink - Adjunct Faculty, Education
• Barbara Wade - Adjunct Faculty, Education
• Gaeton Zorzi -Adjunct Faculty, Education
• Mary Jane Meconi - Adjunct Faculty, Education
• Alan Rosenau - Adjunct Faculty, Education
• Nancy Pashley - Adjunct Faculty, Education
• J Greory Boyle - Adjunct Faculty, Education
• Amy Williams - Adjunct Faculty, Education
• Terri Salvucci - Adjunct Faculty, Education
• Anita Urofsky - Adjunct Faculty, Education
• Renee Jackson - Adjunct Faculty, Education
  
• Carla Spataro - Adjunct Faculty, English & Publishing
• JC Todd - Adjunct Faculty, English & Publishing
  
• Michael Cifone - Adjunct Faculty, Ethics
  
• John Cameron - Adjunct Faculty, History
  
• Lisa Grossbauer - Adjunct Faculty, Math
  
• Linda Cobourn - Adjunct Faculty, Reading
  
• Christine McCormick - Adjunct Faculty, Sociology
  
• Tatiana Ripoll-Paez - Adjunct faculty, Spanish
• Julia Vila - Adjunct Faculty, Spanish
  
• Megan McLain - Adjunct Faculty, Women's Studies
  
• Marshall Warfield - Adjunct Faculty, Writing
  
• James Talone - Adjunct Faculty, Writing
• Helen Soiffer - Adjunct Fauclty, English