University of San Diego Hosts 10th Annual Relay for Life

University of San Diego recently fought back against cancer by hosting their 10^th Annual Relay for Life. The event ran from 3 pm until midnight and attracted hundreds of students, faculty, and staff that formed a variety of teams. Considering this is the 10^th anniversary of the relay, USD took a look back at how the relay began on campus. 10 years ago a USD graduate student participated in a relay in Hawaii and wanted to bring it to the campus. Since 2008, thousands of people have participated in the relay and raised thousands of dollars for the American Cancer Society.

According to the American Cancer sSociety, “one out of every 100 Americans participates in a Relay of Life event and there are events in more than 600 communities that span 19 countries outside the United States.” University of San Diego is honored and happy to be one community that participates in the work for the greater good of supporting those struggling with cancer.

To read more about this event, visit University of San Diego news.

University of San Diego Students Commit to Global Change

76 students from University of San Diego recently submitted entries into The Global Social Innovation Challenge. The students comprised 35 social innovation teams which first challenged them to “demonstrate their understanding of a social or environmental issue with an eye to identifying gaps in the existing solutions.” The Challenge seeks to support students on beginning their journey of social innovation and entrepreneurship in order to create sustainable solutions to problems across the world. The challenge also gives students the opportunity to work as a team and figure out their skills and how to best put them to use.

One student noted how working on the Challenge submission gave her a new understanding of what it means to structure a business that is focused on building empathy. By participating in this Challenge, these students are demonstrating their commitment to sustainable, global change.

To read more about USD’s participation in The Global Social Innovation Challenge, visit USD news.

University of San Diego Kroc School of Peace Celebrates its 10th Anniversary

The Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego is celebrating the 10^th anniversary of its founding by looking at how to further achieve their mission of peace and justice. Recently, five members within the Kroc School gave a “TED-style talk” at the USD Institute for Peace and Justice inaugural innovators event. The talk sought to inspire hope, engage in discussion, and “provide the audience with an understanding that making the world a better place requires everybody’s contribution.”

Ev Meade, director of the Trans-Border Institute, gave a talk that examined the U.S.-Mexico border and all the complexities that go along with it.  He sought to educate and “provide opportunities for people to come together to build connections” in order to better serve those in marginalized situations on the border. Each speaker offered the audience a message of hope, positivity, and encouragement to continue on the mission of peace.

To read more about this event hosted by the Kroc School visit, USD news.

Catholic Colleges and Universities Recognized for their Green Initiatives

Catholic universities that have taken Pope Francis’s messages found in Laudato Si’ seriously have been recognized by the Sierra Club’s national magazine. Loyola Marymount University, the University of San Diego, and Loyola University Chicago have been recognized as members of the top 20 green colleges and universities in North America. According to a press release, the schools were rated as “have displayed a deep and thorough commitment to protecting the environment, addressing climate issues, and encouraging environmental responsibility.”

Loyola Marymount University made significant changes, as seen by their jump in rankings from the mid-60s to number six. They are also the first Catholic college or university on the list. The university now has 90,000 square feet of solar panels, an irrigation system that uses reclaimed water, and a university-led recycling plant. They also plan to “divert all food waste by 2018.”

University of San Diego also made significant improvements jumping from number 83 to number 10 in 2017. The University took Pope Francis’s mission to heart by listing “care for our common home” as part of their university mission. It also operates one of San Diego’s only electronic waste recycling centers, and has saved more than 10 million kilowatt hours and 30 million gallons of water annually since 2010.

Loyola University Chicago still remains ranked in the top 20 schools. This year Loyola students partnered with the Archdiocese of Chicago “to conduct energy audits on Catholic churches, cemeteries and hospitals as well as opened a student-run green café and a Compost Collection Network where students train local businesses to reduce waste.”

The scoring was based on 11 categories including energy, investments, good academics, planning, and water. The rankings showcase universities and colleges green initiatives and allow for indications of the campus’s sustainability efforts.

You can view the full article here.

 

University of San Diego Uses Interactive Art to Promote Peace & Justice

In a world that is constantly moving and chaotic it is hard for one to simply be still and imagine a peaceful, positive world. The University of San Diego recognized that struggle and wanted to find a way for members of the university to engage with peace in a new way. The Joan B. Kroc Institute of Peace and Justice had a desire to “celebrate peace and justice and to invite everyone, students and the community, to jump in and interact with the art.” That led to the Kroc School commissioning interactive mural artist, Kelsey Montague, to create a piece that is able to transport the viewer into a new frame of mind.

Patricia Marquez, the dean of the Kroc School of Peace Studies said that “the current state of the world poses a collective challenge and an obligation to intensify our thinking and inspire action to shape a better world. This piece is part of our vision to prepare students. To transform out societies, learning needs to engage all senses and should happen inside and outside of the classroom. The wall is meant to enhance the learning experience. The hope is that the students will graduate and leave inspired to lead effective change making endeavors across a variety of sectors and organization types.”

You can find more of Montague’s interactive pieces on her Instagram @KelseyMontagueArt or search the hashtag that accompanies all her pieces, #whatliftsyou. The full article can be found here. Photo courtesy of Renata Berto.

University of San Diego Launches Masters in Social Innovation Program

The University of San Diego has launched a new Master of Arts in Social Innovation (MASI) program in the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies. Students in the MASI program critically study the roots of social challenges and injustice and then work to create solutions to the social inequality. Areas of focus include poverty, inequality, human rights abuses and humanitarian crisis, pairing these issues with critical thinking, inventiveness, leadership and sustainable design.

The program is designed for those who think beyond present challenges to solution-based ideas. To work towards social innovation, students learn sustainable business design, leadership, communication, human-centered design and problem-solving.

Read more about this new program here.

 

Peace and Justice in ACCU’s Winter Newsletter

ACCU recently released the winter edition of Update, our quarterly newsletter. Read Update in full here. Peace and Justice highlights include:

Justice Dept. Grants Help Combat Injustice: Nine ACCU member institutions have received a boost to their efforts to combat violence against women with grants from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Violence Against Women. Among the recipients of grants to reduce sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking on campus are Saint Leo University, Benedictine University (IL), Mercy College of Health Sciences, Loyola University Maryland, Siena Heights University, Saint Anselm College, Felician University, Georgian Court University, and the College of Mount Saint Vincent.

Alverno Athletes Take Charity Title: Student athletes at Alverno College collected 13,235 items and donations for “Cans Across the Conference,” an annual food drive, marking the seventh straight year Alverno has collected the most items in the competition.

College of St. Joseph Students Serve Community: Students at the College of St. Joseph are working on a large-scale service project that involves the renovation of three apartments used by the county’s POISE (Parenting on our Own In a Safe Environment) program for pregnant and parenting youth ages 16-22, who are currently or will soon be homeless.

La Roche Explores Designing with Purpose: La Roche College’s Interior Design Advisory Board hosted a presentation on “Inspiring Lives with Design: Influencing Interiors through Purpose.” The presentation, given by Lisa Robison, founder of the nonprofit Dwell with Dignity, focused on bringing inspirational design to those experiencing poverty and homelessness.

Marquette and USD Earn Civic Engagement Awards: Marquette University and University of San Diego were chosen among five institutions nationally to receive the 2016 Washington Center Higher Education Civic Engagement Awards.

To subscribe to  Update, please email Paula Moore.

 

 

Register for the 2016 Catholic Institutions and Immigrant Integration Conference

The 2016 annual gathering on Catholic Institutions and Immigrant Integration (CIII) is planned for November 28-30, 2016 in San Diego. The first two days will consist of keynotes and interactive workshops at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice at the University of San Diego. The last day will include site visits in San Diego and Tijuana.

The project seeks to identify, study, and support a growing network of diverse Catholic institutions that are implementing successful programs and ministries with immigrants. The project’s overall goals are to improve and expand the work of Catholic institutions on immigrant integration, empowerment, and well-being. The conference will:

• Speak to the theological vision that underlies the Church’s work on immigrant integration;
• Lift up important research on the work of Church institutions with immigrants, and link academics/researchers with leaders from diverse Catholic institutions;
• Promote effective models of immigrant integration; and
• Dialogue on Catholic advocacy opportunities and strategies in light of the Presidential election.

 

Catholic Higher Education Kicks Off Year of Mercy

With the initiation of the Year of Mercy on December 8, Catholic colleges and universities have been preparing to live the call to mercy throughout the year. In a recent National Catholic Register article, four ACCU members were featured for their Year of Mercy initiatives.

At Franciscan University in Steubenville, OH, students have begun to put into action what the promptings of the Holy Spirit in a program entitled, “Project Mercy“. The two weekend project will feature six separate events and all seven works of mercy.

Additionally, both Ave Maria University and the University of San Diego have posted online resources for the Year of Mercy to engage their respective university communities.

Finally, The Catholic University of America campus ministry and law school have chosen to make a concerted effort to promote their existing projects related to the Year of Mercy. They have also added initiatives to assist individuals and families experiencing homelessness to “claim legal rights to shelter”, as well as help “low-income workers prepare tax returns and immigrants navigate the citizenship process.”

With all of this in mind, ACCU president Michael Galligan-Stierle has praised such involvement as showing how, “the intertwined values of mercy, justice and compassion animate Catholic institutions of higher education.” He went on to note that ACCU has chosen “Reflecting on the Message of Mercy” as the theme for the annual conference for mission officers.

With the start of the Year of Mercy, Catholic colleges and universities have continued, in their acts of mercy, to act as examples for the world. Keep up the good work!

How does your college or university promote mercy? Let us know! 

Catholic Colleges Make List of US Eco-friendly Schools

Wondering how your campus measures up in sustainability and energy conservation? Perhaps your school was one of the eleven Catholic colleges and universities featured in a recent Sierra Club ranking of the top ‘cool schools’!

To determine the rankings, the Sierra Club administered a survey to a wide range of higher education institutions in the U.S. The responding schools were then ranked according to a long list of criteria, including co-curricular activities, energy, investments, innovation, academics, and more:

Depending on their responses to the questionnaire, schools were then given a score in a 1000 point system and ranked accordingly. The eleven Catholic colleges ranked included:

1. Santa Clara University (no. 50)
2. University of San Diego (no. 69)
3. Loyola Marymount University (no. 81)
4. Aquinas College (no. 95)
5. St. Louis University ( no. 100)
6. St. John’s University (NY) (no. 102)
7. Gonzaga University (no. 109)
8. Villanova University  (no. 110)
9. University of Dayton (no. 127)
10. Creighton University (no. 138)
11. Saint John’s University (MN) (no. 146)

Based on the criteria for the rankings, these eleven schools are officially ‘cool schools’! The Sierra Club reminds us that it is both important to celebrate success but remember that there is more work to be done:

“Our results  suggest that while many universities are making admirable progress, no school has yet attained complete sustainability. In 2015, the top-rated university scored 859.75 out of a possible 1,000 points, indicating much work completed but also room for improvement.”

Want to learn more?  A recent National Catholic Reporter article featured some such progress at the Catholic colleges and universities on the list.

What is your campus doing to promote sustainability and environmental justice? Let us know!