Congratulations to Regis University: Mission Priority Examen
Dear Regis Friends,
I am sharing the good news that Regis has completed its Mission Priority Examen (MPE), which we began in the fall of 2021. We received a warm letter from Fr. Thomas Greene, S.J., provincial of the United States Central and Southern Province, who conveyed to us greetings and confirmation of the Jesuit and Catholic identity of Regis University from Fr. General Arturo Sosa, S.J., who serves as the 31st and present superior general of the Society of Jesus. Here is what Fr. Greene wrote to me:
As you will see, following the MPE, Fr. General Sosa has confirmed the Jesuit and Catholic identity of Regis University. I know that you and your team, especially Fr. Burke, worked hard to highlight the important characteristics of Jesuit higher education that are part of the fabric of Regis. You will note the third paragraph underscores the mission priorities that you have chosen. I know you will pay particular attention to ensuring those priorities are upheld across the University.
Click here for the letter Fr. Sosa sent to Fr. Greene. I also want to mention that, upon informing Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Fr. General’s reaffirmation of our identity as a Jesuit Catholic University, I received a warm note of congratulations from him, assuring our community of his prayerful support of our mission. Archbishop Aquila also noted that Regis is a partner to the Catholic Church of Denver and a vital resource to our neighboring dioceses. We will continue to build these relationships in the years to come as we strive to be a destination for Jesuit Catholic education in the Rocky Mountain West.
I want to add my own congratulations and thanks to all who made this important process and its successful conclusion possible. Above all, I want to thank you, the people of Regis, who infuse and animate the mission and vision of Regis. The positive outcome of the MPE process is, above all, a reflection of the truth about who we are and why our mission is so vital today. This Examen provided a crucial guidepost for our community as we crafted our recent Strategic Plan and accompanying Unit Plans. As we strive to implement those plans, we will be deepening our Jesuit Catholic identity and fulfilling our mission to seek to build a more just and humane world through transformative education at the intersection of faith, reason, and culture.
I am deeply grateful to our colleagues who worked so hard on the MPE process and in the articulation of our self-study document, including Kevin Burke, S.J., Kari Kloos, Chris Pramuk, Dan Justin, Kyle Turner, Mary McManus, Fredricka Brown, Beth Brin, Kristi Gonsalves-McCabe, Mark Reinking, Nicki Gonzales, Julia Brumbaugh, Jason Taylor, and our recently retired Vice President of Student Affairs, Barbara Wilcots. I am also grateful to Fr. Tom Curran, S.J., superior of the Regis Jesuit Community and Tom Reynolds, Provincial Assistant for Higher Education in the UCS Province, and the members of our visiting team: John Sebastian, Ph.D. (Loyola Marymount University), Michelle Murray, Ph.D. (College of the Holy Cross), Naomi Yavneh, Ph.D. (Loyola University New Orleans), and Fr. Michael Graham, S.J. (AJCU). Finally, I want to thank everyone who participated in one of our many campus listening sessions as students, staff, faculty, administrators, University Trustees, and University partners, including colleagues at Arrupe Jesuit High School and Regis Jesuit High School.
As the proverb says, “It takes a village,” and in this case, the many hands and hearts of everyone in our community to build and maintain this “village” — this beautiful, diverse, and vibrant university community. I am grateful to be a part of such a marvelous community and the great history of Regis University as we draw near to the 150th anniversary of our founding.
Thank you, dear friends, for making Regis all that it is.
Salvador D. Aceves, Ed.D
President