Dear Arts and Sciences Alumni, 

Contrary to what you might expect, summer is one of the busiest times here in the Dean’s Office! During Summer Preview, we focused on getting our newest and largest-ever flock of new Jays registered for classes! Classes began this week, and we have over 1,250 new first-year undergraduate students enrolled!  

To prepare for this talented group of students, and to better support our current students, in June, over 140 faculty members participated in an all-day workshop dedicated to exploring the impact of AI on our academic mission. The workshop served as a kick-off to our larger goal for this academic year, integrating AI learning outcomes into our Magis Core Curriculum. Following the workshop, select faculty from nearly every department in the College dedicated additional time this summer to the project. They developed new course modules and assignments to ensure students can integrate the ethics and critical thinking that are foundational to a Jesuit, Catholic liberal arts education with the technological advances they need to master for their future careers. I am so proud of how our faculty creatively integrates the Catholic Intellectual Tradition with innovative pedagogies to address society’s most timely questions.  

In July, we welcomed 22 new full-time faculty to the College of Arts and Sciences. We have recruited them from top doctoral programs and postdoc positions, including Harvard, Stanford, and Notre Dame, among other prestigious universities. They are bringing significant research and teaching expertise and will advance the variety of courses and research projects we offer to students.  

This summer, I partnered with Alumni Relations to explore and design new ways to connect with you – our amazing alumni. I am excited to expand opportunities to keep you informed about what’s happening on campus, and help foster meaningful engagement with faculty and strengthen connections with current students through mentorship. I look forward to sharing more details with you very soon. 

I welcome your feedback on the newsletter. Please don’t hesitate to stay in touch—we love hearing about all the great things that alumni are accomplishing. 

Warmest wishes from our nest to yours,