https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYmQe6oMJVw

Father Malachi delivered this semester’s “State-of-the-University” address Nov. 12 at JFK Auditorium. The purpose of the event is to keep faculty, staff and students updated on various SFU projects and initiatives.

Father Malachi told those in attendance that the University’s Board of Trustees is looking to “increase visibility through marketing.”

He said that the Board is in the process of coming up with “reasonable objectives for enrollment growth.”

He discussed several new programs at SFU – Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, Fermentation Arts and Biochemistry at the undergraduate level, as well as a minor in Cybersecurity. In the developing stages is a General Engineering program.

At the master’s level, Nursing Education will be rolled out in the fall of 2016 and a master’s program in Family Nurse Practitioner will be available in 2017. Father Malachi also noted that a master’s program in Cancer Survivorship in currently in development.

He said that one of his primary objectives is to monitor student satisfaction. The University regularly assembles focus groups of different students in order to hear from them regarding what they think is important.

Father Malachi also meets with student groups directly.

He mentioned his recent meeting with the executive board of the Gamma Sigma Sigma Sorority.

The president updated attendees on the Schwab Hall renovation project, noting that the University incurred no debt from this project.

The renovation was funded “solely by donations of alumni and benefactors who are giving back because they like what they see today,” said Father Malachi. Schwab Hall is expected to re-open in August 2016.

He said raising money to renovate Sullivan Hall is his “number one fundraising priority” right now.

Father Malachi also highlighted the recently completed resurfacing of the football, soccer and softball fields and the opening of the Fine Arts “Garage.” He mentioned that a black box theater might be a project on the horizon.