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Dear Toreros:
I am thrilled to welcome you back to campus. It is a joy to feel the campus come alive again, to experience the real beauty of our campus, which is our diverse and inclusive community.
Toreros around the world continue to live out our vision to be an engaged, contemporary Catholic university where innovative Changemakers confront humanity’s urgent challenges.
Consider the example set by our nursing students and faculty who serve on the front lines of the pandemic. They cared for many who lost their lives, bringing dignity and companionship to those suffering and dying alone. Our students, faculty, staff and alumni supported vulnerable populations, assisted first responders and used their God-given talents to create innovative solutions that bring hope to those in most need. It is truly humbling to be a part of an extraordinary university community that has made such deep sacrifices for others during a very difficult time.
I often reflect upon the Catholic calendar, which each day memorializes an individual who lived a life in service to others for us to emulate. Today, September 1, the Church recognizes St. Giles the Abbot, who was among the “Holy Helpers,” a popular group of saints to whom people prayed, particularly for recovery from disease during the Black Plague in the 14th century.
As we face the pandemic of our time, we can ask St. Giles and the Holy Helpers to intercede for us and for our families and friends impacted by COVID-19. We can also express our deepest thanks and appreciation for our Torero family members, who are, in many ways, present-day Holy Helpers, sacrificing themselves for those in need.
We continue to navigate through challenging times. In the midst of our excitement to return to campus, we are mindful of the suffering caused by the terrorist attacks at the Kabul Airport last week and pray for the citizens of Afghanistan and others who remain in danger. We lift up the U.S. service members and all those who were killed, and we stand in solidarity with their grieving families and friends. We also pray for those who were impacted by Hurricane Ida, which hit the gulf coast this past weekend, as well as those impacted by wildfires, including those in Northern California.
Our students are our greatest gift. As the new academic year begins, we look forward to providing enriching opportunities for students to connect and contribute to a vibrant community. I am particularly thankful for the exceptional collaboration between our administrators and faculty, who worked together to elevate health and safety measures on our campus. To stay informed about our progress in the fight against the pandemic, please refer to the Onward USD website.
During the past academic year, we had deep and important dialogues about racial justice in America and our responsibilities as members of an engaged, contemporary Catholic university. These difficult but necessary conversations led to the creation of a bold five-year initiative, the Horizon Project, which will propel USD into the forefront of Catholic universities nationally by following Pope Francis’ guidance that a Catholic community must be open, expansive and welcoming.
We continued the important work of renovating our legacy buildings and creating new spaces for teaching, learning and interacting. We even broke ground on an entirely new complex – the Knauss Center for Business Education – which will be a model of excellence among our peer institutions.
The university remains committed to creating an inclusive and collaborative community that upholds the rights and dignity of all. This commitment extends to the prevention of sexual violence. We share a responsibility to respect ourselves and others in every encounter and to protect those who may be at risk. We will increase our efforts to prevent sexual violence and respond to incidents in ways that are trauma informed and demonstrate the utmost level of care.
We extend warm greetings to new faculty and staff members and other new campus leaders including Vice President for Student Affairs, Charlotte Johnson, Vice President for Mission Integration, Dr. Michael Lovette-Colyer, and Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Dr. Regina Dixon-Reeves.
As I conclude, I want to thank you for the role you play in USD’s success and for doing your part during these past 18 months to make the world a better place. I invite you to join me as we gather to pray for unity and for all those in need at our annual Mass of the Holy Spirit which will be held at the Immaculata Church on Thursday, September 9, at 12:15 p.m. Everyone is welcome to join in this wonderful tradition celebrating the beginning of the academic year.
As we embrace the promise of a new year, let us all seek to cultivate gratitude for the many gifts we have in our lives.
Have a great fall semester!
Peace,
James T. Harris III, DEd
President
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