USD President's Report 2003

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

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Over a span of 50 years, th.is young university has maintained an accelerated pace o f grow th and development, ach.i eving nati onal recogni ti on for its academic excellence. The uni versity's repu tation for academic rigor has, consequently, attracted extraordinary scholars among its fac ulty and high-achi eving students who, in tum, become extraordinary citizens of the world. The energy and enthusiasm for scholarship that are hallmarks of this university extend to dimensions far beyond the classroom walls. Th.is report focuses on another dimension of the university's missio n: its commitment to service. Members of this faith-based university - Catholic in its character - take seriously their indi vidual and collective call to holin ess. We believe that to become fulJy human is indeed to become God-like. Thus, we try to make every encounter an opportunity to learn from and contribute to the development o f our human famil y. USD students, fac ulty, staff and alumni take serio usly the challenge: " If you want peace, you must work for justice." And so we reach out. W e reach out through our C enter for Communi ty Service- Learning, which integrates academi cs and service in a hands-on approach that teaches students to learn by doi ng, and to learn by giving. We reach o ut through our Uni versity Ministry programs, which offer students countless opportunities for service, including serving meals to th e homeless, delivering meals to homebound HIV/AIDS patients and spending spring break building houses in Tijuana. And we reach out through the American Humani cs program , which combines leadership training w ith service to no nprofit organizations. Wc also reach out in countless ways throu gh our academ.ic programs. Our busin ess students hold clinics to help people improve thei r family businesses. Our law students for 25 years have provided mental health advocacy services to county residents by investigating complaints regardin g pati ent care in psychiatric hospitals, and by assisting health care providers in draftin g hospital policies and procedures related to patients' rights. Our th eater students foster communication and dialogue about family issues by

dramatizing tru e-life storie · told to th cm by local teen-agers and perfo nning them at community gatherings. Our science students monito r polluti on in nearby M.issio n Bay, our nursing students provide health care to scn.iors at the local communi ty center and our education students tutor first-generati on college applicants. These are just a handfi.11 of the many programs offered in our sc hools. Behind these programs are the pcoplc who make USD's outreach happen. They bring to lite our mission of servi ce. And they know that making a difference - wheth er for a multitude or a single person - is what matters most in this world . As you turn th ese pages, you will meet men and women who, like stones that make ripples in a po nd , have plunged into th eir work and created ripples that go on . I hope, before you fin ish reading, th at you too are moved , compelled , to be th e stone - and to make some tipples of your own .

Mary E. Lyons, Ph .D . President