Introducing a (traditionally) new way to showcase the college.
If you have a Saint Anselm diploma on your wall—if you send packages to your son or daughter c/o Saint Anselm College—if you work here, support our programs, or enjoy events on campus—you know this is a special place. Maybe you felt it the minute you arrived for a tour. Maybe you have a deep love of this place that has shaped a lifetime of memories and friendships, influenced your career and guided your personal life.
Photo Gallery (photos by David White)
No matter where your place is in the tapestry of Anselmian life, there are certain things we all have in common. We share a creative mind and generous spirit; a drive to achieve; and a devotion to growing spiritually and morally as we live lives of meaning. Anselmians believe in the value of a liberal arts education in preparing students for professional roles and challenges that can’t always be predicted.
But what is it, exactly, that sets Anselmians apart from people in other communities of higher education? And how can the college celebrate those qualities in a way that speaks to alumni, faculty, donors, and friends, as well as to those who see us from a greater distance — prospective students, community partners, guests speakers, website visitors, newspaper readers, television viewers, and others?
It is important for Saint Anselm to tackle those questions because competition for the brightest students has never been tougher. Demographic trends are leaving Saint Anselm with a shrinking pool of traditional applicants. Furthermore, choosing a college is an increasingly critical process for families who see a degree as an investment in the future but who may find the price tag unaffordable or even unreasonable. We need to widen our appeal to prospective students and supporters while remaining true to who we are.
To do this, we need to speak in our authentic voice (traditionally humble), yet illuminate our strengths and accomplishments in an ever-brighter light—to Anselmians and prospective Anselmians alike. This is the only way Saint Anselm College can continue to offer the best possible liberal arts education to those who can truly embrace it, build upon it, and make a difference in the world.
Every time we communicate with the world outside Saint Anselm’s 400 acres, whether it is in an admission publication, an invitation, a news article, a televised event, or an appeal for donations, we make a statement of who we are. We show our face; and this face makes an important impression. A high school senior applying for admission; an economist seeking a teaching position; a company hiring interns — they all make up their mind about us from what they see and hear.
About a year ago, Saint Anselm asked Ologie, a firm from Columbus, Ohio, to help answer these questions. Last August, Ologie’s experts arrived on campus and began getting to know the college by reading publications and talking to students, alumni, faculty, staff and members of the monastic community.
They found that when it comes to making a decision, Anselmians want to choose the right path, not necessarily the easiest one. They value personal success and achievement, but also want to use their talents and gifts for a greater good. They want to live lives that matter.
Together with college administrators and staff of the Office of Communication and Marketing, the “Ologists” developed a fresh, yet genuinely Anselmian, way of telling our story.
The telling of this story will make Saint Anselm better known and better understood. That, in turn, will strengthen the college and position it for success in the 21st-century higher education landscape. The goal is to help the college identify itself more clearly, more compellingly, and to a broader range of people.
The materials published by the college in the coming months, both in print and on our website, will have a look that is timeless and traditional, but not too formal. Some of these materials will go to prospective students, but alumni will notice differences in some of our publications and on campus. Over time, our Anselmian identity will be consistent across departments and throughout campus, and in all of our forms of communication.
In time for Commencement 2012, a series of light post banners will fly along the road through campus, celebrating our academics, arts, athletics, and other strengths. They are a hint of things to come.
An•selm´•i•an:
a word to live by.
There is an uncommon character that defines each of us. It’s something that comes from deep within. It becomes a part of us when we arrive on campus, it grows and deepens during our time here, and it forms the root of our spirit and the core of our being for the rest of our lives. It drives us to achieve, it enables us to make the hard choices, it confirms our faith, and it gives us the confidence and perspective needed to answer the world’s most important questions.
As students, faculty, staff , and alumni, we endeavor to grow spiritually and morally as we lead lives of meaning. We are devoted to the pursuit of knowledge, guided by a commitment to the liberal arts and to the Catholic Benedictine tradition. And we bring it to life through a community of capable, ethical leaders who are prepared to build a better world.
When we’re faced with the challenges that push our thinking and develop our character, we know we will rise to every occasion. Because each of us faces those challenges with a creative mind, a generous spirit, and a foundation in that most uncommon of character traits:
Each of us is an Anselmian.
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