May 2007

From Your Alumni Office
Since our last message to you, Bishop James A. Griffin, current distinguished professor of theology at Ohio Dominican University and retired bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Columbus, has been named Interim President of ODU. Bishop will assume the leadership role July 1, when Dr. Jack Calareso leaves for his presidency at Anna Maria College in Paxton, Massachusetts. We hope that you will take the opportunity to meet and welcome Bishop in the months ahead.

This Saturday, nearly 400 new graduates will join you as proud alumni of this great university. Our Welcome Reception was held following commencement rehearsal last night. Please click here for pictures. What a great bunch of dedicated, motivated and successful men and women! They remind us of you. We hope you will meet them, and one another, at our Annual Alumni Happy Hour on July 19. This year’s gathering will take place at Barley’s Brewing Company, Ale House No.1, on High Street, sandwiched between the Convention Center and the North Market. SAVE THE DATE and JOIN US for a FUN time!

Lots of other events are on the calendar and drawing board, including our Reunion Weekend, June 1 - 3, especially for alums graduating between ‘32 and ‘72, who will be celebrating class parties and many other fun activities (including Tai Chi!). We’ve got a Cleveland Indians Picnic and Game in August, and are crafting something fun for our alums at the other end of the state. Please check the website for details: www.ohiodominican.edu/alumni.

Please take a moment to read the important message from our current Student Government leaders about the Ohio Choice Grant. A few moments of your time could make an enormous difference in the lives of our students and thousands of college students throughout Ohio…and it won’t cost you any money.

Thank you to the members of YOUR National Alumni Council of Advocates (NACA) who recently dedicated another entire day to working on opportunities to help you and help ODU. Please feel free to contact any of them, or us, if you have any ideas, comments or questions.

Reunion 2007 is almost here!
RSVP today, or else...

St. Mary of the Springs alumnae who graduated in years ending in 7's and 2's will soon be joining us for Reunion Weekend 2007. Contact the Alumni Relations Office at (614) 251-4608 or send an e-mail to mailto:alumni@ohiodominican.edu?subject=Reunion 2007.

Please Help Save the Ohio Choice Grant
On behalf of Student Government, we would like to ask for your assistance with a major issue concerning students. The Ohio Choice Grant that all ODU students from within the state receive is in jeopardy of being taken away. The Grant is for $900 for all Ohio students going to independent colleges within the state. Ohio Dominican would lose over $2 million dollars in aide from this grant alone.

The grant has been around since 1983, and since then, all students from within the state going to independent universities have received $900. The grant was created to encourage Ohio students to go to a university within the state, as well as alleviate the public higher education system. Since the enactment of the grant, the percent of Ohio students attending Ohio independent universities has gone from 47% to 72%.

Governor Strickland has proposed to cut the Ohio Choice Grant out of the budget and only allot money on a need-based situation for students. Unfortunately, need-based looks at most parents' income but in the majority, students are the ones who pay for their education, not their parents! Having that additional $900 to count on is very beneficial. The change would take immediate effect for this fall, meaning that some 42,000 families would need to come up with an additional $900 per year.

We are asking you to send a letter to Governor Strickland expressing the concern of losing this very important grant. You can visit http://www.savestudentchoice.com/ for more information and to submit letters. Your assistance would be very much appreciated.

Jeremiah Guappone, Student Government President
Christa Munoz Student, Student Government Vice-President

“Only Connect….” (E. M. Forster)

Does your job leave you feeling intellectually unsatisfied? Feeling out of touch with all those great ideas you discovered in college? Are you a teacher looking for an interesting alternative to an M. Ed.? Why not re-connect at ODU!

Ohio Dominican offers a Master of Arts degree in Liberal Studies. This Humanities-based degree is an innovative, interdisciplinary program designed to help you achieve your human potential as well as your career goals. The program emphasizes a number of disciplinary areas, including history, politics, literature, art, music, and philosophy. Small class sizes ensure you get individualized instruction. This year we will be offering courses in Exploring the Liberal Arts, Magnificent Manifestoes, Love and Society, Music and Culture, and a special summer course in Architecture.

Contact Program Director Jeremy Glazier for more information: glazierj@ohiodominican.edu or (614) 251-4756

CALL TODAY – CLASSES BEGIN JUNE 4!