Stephen Babbles

The inauguration speech by President Pestello outlines the future direction and vision for Le Moyne College. It aims to achieve national recognition as a premier Jesuit college by building on imperatives such as academic excellence, enhanced student life, increased diversity, environmental sustainability, and a strong tradition of service and civic engagement. The core mission emphasizes intellectual and spiritual development, grounded in Catholic Jesuit values of service, justice, and community, preparing students for meaningful lives and to transform the world.

This document outlines the Program Goals and Outcomes for Le Moyne, focusing on six key areas for student development and achievement. The strategic pillars include demonstrating core medical knowledge, effective interpersonal and communication skills, competent and ethical patient care, high professionalism, commitment to practice-based learning and improvement, and awareness of systems-based practice. The overarching aim is to ensure students are well-prepared for humanistic medical practice, deliver quality patient care, and contribute effectively within the healthcare system as lifelong learners.

The document captures a ceremony focused on empowering the organization's greatest asset, its people, specifically through Human Resources. A key highlight was the conferring of an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree upon Michael Daniel Madden, class of 1971, recognizing his scholarly distinction and noteworthy public service, including his transformative $7 million gift which established the Madden College for Business and Economics. The event included an invocation, recognition of the Anandogen nation, and speeches detailing Mr. Madden's career, his connection to Jesuit education, and his commitment to giving back to the institution. Later segments included announcements about significant improvements in U.S. News and World Report undergraduate rankings for business programs (Analytics, Marketing, Accounting, and Finance) and the dedication of the Lin K. Madden Professorship for Leadership and Human Resource Management, honoring Lynn Madden.

The event recognized the 69th annual commencement ceremonies, highlighting the graduation of 730 undergraduate students from 47 countries and 35 states. The graduate ceremony for 330 students took place on Friday, May 17th. Key speakers included student speaker Eric Bird, who is heading to NYU Medical School with free tuition, and remarks emphasizing Jesuit values like 'Magis' and 'Cura Personalis.' The event also recognized several individuals receiving honorary degrees: Father Greg Boyle (founder of Homeboy Industries), Father John O'Malley (Theology Department at Georgetown), Fred Valeri (first graduating class member in 1951), and Pamela Hunter (Assembly Member). The discussion noted the growth of the college's undergraduate population since 1951 and the success of graduates, with 98% placed in jobs or graduate school. Specific mention was made of the robust arts program, including the award-winning musical 'Kafka's Metamorphosis,' and the critical support provided by generous contributions and grants for new majors like risk management and insurance.

The convocation celebrated the remarkable success and momentum of Lemoine College amidst challenging economic times for higher education nationally. Key discussion points included significant achievements such as surpassing the $100 million endowment milestone, leading in endowment growth metrics, securing external funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and National Science Foundation for faculty projects, and launching a new Communication and Film Studies department. Enrollment management reported projecting a record-breaking second consecutive year for new full-time undergraduates with a reduced discount rate. Subcommittees also reviewed five major construction projects, representing the largest building campaign since the college's founding. The agenda also covered ongoing strategic initiatives, including the development of a comprehensive strategic plan based on six imperatives, revisions to the core undergraduate curriculum, and the prioritization of improving personnel practices concerning performance reviews and compensation to ensure consistency and fairness.