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Canisius College

Contact: Dr. Scott Chadwick
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Mission and Identity Officer
Phone: (716) 888-2120  E-Mail: chadwics@canisius.edu

Abbreviated Mission Statement

"Founded by the Jesuits in 1870, Canisius College is an independent, co-educational medium-sized, institution of higher education in the Catholic and Jesuit tradition...Canisius espouses the ideal of academic excellence along with a sense of responsibility to use one's gifts for the service of others and the benefit of society. It seeks to promote the intellectual and ethical life of its students, helping to prepare them for productive careers as well as for meaningful personal lives and positive contributions to human progress."

Structure

The Vice President for Academic Affairs serves as the Mission and Identity Officer for the College. The centralized organizational model of the past has been replaced with one that seeks to more deeply infuse our mission throughout the institution in order to impact all aspects of campus and community life. The former large, representative Mission and Identity Working Group (organized in 2007) was disbanded in favor of committees and groups of collaborative colleagues focused on specific action. The activities noted below reflect the ideas and activities generated by these groups.

Activities and Educational Programs

• Center for the Global Study of Religion
  • Conversations in Christ and Culture speaker series
  • "Christianity on the Road Less Traveled" immersion trips to the Philippines, Mexico, El Salvador and India
• Ignatian Scholarship Day was inaugurated as a celebration of student scholarship in the spring of 2008 with 225 participants. In 2009, 300 students participated and shared the results of their scholarly inquiries and accomplishments.
• The College has offered an interdisciplinary Catholic Studies minor since 2004. More recently, a minor in Peace and Justice Studies has been created. With an interdisciplinary approach, the new minor focuses on the religious, social science and humanities perspectives needed to address peace and justice topics.
• The Institute for Transformational Leadership in Education was created through a generous grant from the Oishei Foundation.  One of many Institute activities is the College’s Ignatian Urban Scholars Program. In collaboration with the community, the program prepares individuals committed to improving educational opportunities for children living in the high-poverty areas of Buffalo. The program includes both academic and spiritual components and encourages students to consider education from a justice perspective.
• Since it is an integral part of the academic experience, Service-Learning has been moved from Campus Ministry to Academic Affairs and now has a full-time director, a graduate assistant, an AmeriCorps volunteer and a work study. Starting out as the Office of Service-Learning, it has been changed to the Office for Community-Based Learning which permits it to be broader in scope and be more involved in promoting the Mission of Canisius College.  During the 2009-10 academic year, more than 130 courses (taught by approximately 95 professors and involving almost 2,000 students) included an optional or mandatory service learning component.
• A project involving the creation of micro-businesses for interested refugees and immigrants is in its early stages. Five faculty members from the Wehle School of Business are collaborating with two classes, two student clubs, and four refugee organizations to develop micro-businesses in the Buffalo area. This project will support strategic planning, the identification of a location for the businesses, financial assistance, fund raising, and marketing.  This is a project of the Office for Community-Based Learning.
• Through the Institute for Autism Research, faculty in the School of Education and Human Services, along with trained student-counselors offer the Connections Program each summer. As a treatment and research program for children with Asperger’s Disorder (a form of high-functioning Autism), the program improves the lives of children and families in the community who are affected by this disorder.
• All members of the Division of Student Affairs have committed to reading The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life by Rev. James Martin, S.J. and participating in a discussion group to be led by the rector of the Canisius Jesuit Community, Rev. Michael Tunney, S.J. Following this exercise, they will collaboratively create a Canisius-specific publication based on the Principles of Good Practice for Student Affairs at Catholic Colleges and Universities.
• The Justice in Action work group is comprised of students and members of the faculty, staff, and administration. They work together to lend support, coordinate, publicize, and develop initiatives that educate and promote awareness about justice issues. This group is focusing on immigration during the 2009-2010 academic year. In addition, they are leading an effort to develop a campus tour that will encourage and enable the campus community to gain a greater understanding of Ignatian spirituality and the value of reflection as one walks around and stops at designated points along the campus route.
• The Canisius College Core Curriculum has been revised and includes a requirement that students experience coursework specifically designed to incorporate attributes that reflect core Jesuit values including justice and global awareness.
• The Canisius College Video Institute supports students with equipment and faculty expertise as they collaborate with not-for-profit organizations to create video presentations describing the many valuable activities of these dedicated organizations including Habitat for Humanity, Catholic Charities Immigration and Refugee Assistance Program, Journey’s End Refugee Services, Vive La Casa, Hispanics United of Buffalo, and many more.