Dear Providence College Parents:

With the new academic year now underway at Providence College, I am heartened by the faith and resolve of our students and their families--in particular by those of you who continue to make significant personal sacrifices to ensure that your son or daughter will benefit from PC's values-based education.

The 2010 edition of U.S. News' popular college guide, America's Best Colleges, finds Providence College in familiar and prestigious company. Providence is ranked #2 in the north region's "Best Universities-Master's" category--the designation for 572 universities nationwide that offer a full range of undergraduate and master's programs. Since 1997, U.S. News consistently has ranked Providence College among the top three regional universities in the north.

The College's 87 percent average graduation rate--considered a key factor in judging schools by U.S. News editors--is the highest among its peer institutions nationwide. Providence's average freshman retention rate of 92% ranks it among the top five schools nationally in its designated category.

This semester, Providence College welcomed 22 new, tenure-track faculty members, who come to us with credentials from the top 100 graduate schools in the U.S. They join the 33 faculty members appointed in the last two academic years to replace both retiring faculty and to fill new positions. I am confident they will uphold and enhance the academic rigor of our programs.

The College recently was awarded a three-year, $250,000 grant to support academic goals in our Strategic Plan that focus on student engagement. The grant was received from the Davis Educational Foundation, established by Stanton and Elisabeth Davis after Mr. Davis's retirement as chairman of Shaw's Supermarkets, Inc.

Initiatives supported by this funding will focus on student/faculty interaction, active and collaborative learning, and enriching the educational experience. A senior engagement fellow will collaborate with our Center for Teaching Excellence and our faculty to develop programming such as an on-campus speaker and workshop series, an annual faculty seminar on student engagement, and student micro-grants.

Providence College continues to expand student/faculty research opportunities, particularly in the sciences and social sciences. Four PC faculty members--three in the Department of Biology and one in the Department of Psychology--are among those in Rhode Island who will share in a five-year, $18 million grant from the National Center for Research Resources of the National Institutes of Health. PC faculty members have been allocated nearly $309,000 to support biomedical and behavioral science research, including stipends for 12 student research assistants.

The College has completed the expansion and renovation of Slavin Center, PC's student union--mindful of its critical importance for our students' health and well-being. Students already are taking advantage of the building's 24/7 access for informal socializing outside the residence halls, and special late-night programming for Thursday through Saturday nights is well underway. 

Beyond the campus, student opportunities for community service and other activities have been enhanced through an expanded transportation program, which was piloted last semester. Four, 12-passenger vans are now available to support the co-curricular, community service, recreational, and social programs sponsored by Campus Ministry, the Feinstein Institute for Public and Community Service, and the offices of Residence Life and S.A.I.L. (Student Activities-Involvement-Leadership).

In addition, we encourage students to use our Neighborhood Shuttle Service to reach local destinations and attractions that Providence offers. PC students also can use their college I.D. to ride statewide public buses for free.

I am pleased to tell you that Rev. James Cuddy, O.P., '98 has been appointed chaplain of Providence College. Father Cuddy, who was ordained in 2007, previously served as parochial vicar at St. Louis Bertrand Church in Louisville, Ky. It is always gratifying to welcome an alumnus back to campus to direct our students' spiritual life and to oversee the outreach and evangelization activities sponsored by the Office of the Chaplain/Campus Ministry.

The beginning of a new academic year is always an exciting time. In the coming months, I will continue to update you on many of the initiatives and issues that impact life at Providence College. I invite you to read about campus news and events online at www.providence.edu/pcnow, which is updated weekly. And our Parent Program Web pages (www.providence.edu/PCparents) regularly feature important information and answers to the questions that PC parents often ask.

Trusting in God's providence, we begin another academic year with great confidence and expectation. May your hopes and prayers for your son or daughter be realized as the year unfolds.

-Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P.