What attracted you to the role of core director?

I am committed to the transformative potential of a Jesuit liberal arts education, and I believe deeply in the core. The director position excites me because of its focus on the engagement of the campus community — faculty, students and administration around the question of what curriculum, pedagogies and resources are needed to deliver on the promise of a Marquette education. I envision the core as something more than a list of classes, but rather the core can be the defining experience of a Marquette education, regardless of a student’s major. The lure of the core of common studies is not simply a focus on courses and teaching, though these are central — it is thinking about education in an intellectual context — the answers to the core’s curricular questions are found in the intellectual traditions of all the disciplines represented at Marquette. I can think of no enterprise that could be more fulfilling.

What do you hope to accomplish during your tenure as core director?

Marquette’s core revision process has the campus primed to create a core that is owned by all stakeholders and that is a primary selling point of the university. I look forward to continuing to work with Dr. John Su to see the revision process through to its completion. I hope as core director that I will be able to continue to engage the campus community in ways that all stakeholders can see themselves in the core and be excited to be a part of delivering the experience for our students. Once the core revision process is complete, I look forward to working with faculty, staff and students to implement the core. In its implementation, I hope to continue to develop means to communicate about core aims and activities throughout campus; I will seek to provide for integration between the core, the majors and the student experience outside the classroom. Finally, I hope to grow faculty and staff development opportunities for all those who teach in the core, advise students in the colleges and work with students in co-curricular contexts.

What are the biggest challenges you face as core director?

To establish, deliver and maintain a curriculum that meets the challenges of the 21st century while remaining committed to centuries-old spiritual traditions is a challenge in any context. While the rewards for our students, faculty and Marquette will be great, there is still a long road to travel to get to the implementation of a revised core. Marquette faculty and staff are committed to and invested in our students, and we are enriched by a diversity of thought about how best to meet the needs of our students. My challenge is to facilitate conversations and processes that leverage the passion and expertise of our faculty and staff in productive ways.