The day was cold and the rain barely held back as we graduated 1,072 students at commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 17. The weather, however, did not dampen the spirits of an enthusiastic crowd of students and their families who cheered as I announced the newest graduates of CUA. The day was another occasion of pride for the chancellor and other members of the Board of Trustees, administration and faculties, and, indeed, the entire CUA community. In its name, I wish to extend heartfelt gratitude to so many people:

• the maintenance, landscaping and custodial folks in Facilities and Operations who made the campus look so beautiful, set up the commencement areas of the campus and disassembled everything so efficiently afterwards;
• the officers in the Department of Public Safety who expertly orchestrated the flow of people and traffic on campus and made our visitors feel so welcomed;
• the folks in the provost's, deans' and other academic offices who coordinated every aspect of the event from communicating with the graduates and recording grades to distributing diplomas;
• the staff in the registrar's office for their generous diligence;
• the folks in the Office of Public Affairs and CPIT for their tireless efforts;
• the individuals in Campus Ministry and the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music for enhancing the celebrations, especially the beautiful Baccalaureate Mass;
• all those involved in the ceremonies for their great attention to every detail;
• the folks in the Division of Student Life for so many wonderful examples of generosity;
• the faculties of CUA for bringing the students successfully to this important day in their lives by teaching, mentoring and guiding them, and also for their presence at the Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement; and
• any others that I may have failed to mention but who know their roles in our students' lives and on this beautiful occasion.

Thank you one and all for your generosity and service.

The Columbus School of Law Commencement was also an occasion of great pride for the university and an equally impressive day. I am grateful to all our colleagues at the law school for their support of the students who graduated on Saturday, May 24. The Basilica of the National Shrine was "standing room only" as parents, spouses, families and friends applauded their graduates during the two and a half hour ceremony. The Honorable Janice Rogers Brown, associate justice of the California Supreme Court, gave a wonderful commencement address after receiving university honors. In bidding farewell to our graduates, I asked them to remember the words of the prophet Micah, etched on the walls of the law school building: "Do justice; love mercy and walk humbly with your God." It was truly a great day.

I have announced the resignation of Richard A. Collins from his position as vice president of institutional advancement. Richard has been with us for three years and has shaped the development organization in a way that will serve CUA long into the future. We owe him a debt of gratitude. Paul Brooks has assumed Richard's responsibilities in his new role as director of development. A search for a new vice president will commence immediately.

Deans Peter Liebscher of the School of Library and Information Science, Gregory Hunt of the School of Architecture and Planning and Douglas Kmiec of the Columbus School of Law will be stepping down from their roles this summer. Peter Liebscher will be succeeded by Professor Martha Hale from Emporia State University in Kansas. Greg Hunt will stay on in the faculty of his school. His replacement is in process. Meanwhile, I have appointed Associate Dean for Academics William Fox as dean of the Columbus School of Law, effective July 15, 2003. He will serve in this capacity for the 2003-2004 academic year. A search for a permanent dean for the law school will commence early next fall. I thanked the outgoing deans at a dinner in my home on May 20.

Professor John White is now hosting a group of seniors from Villanova University in a Washington mini-semester here on campus. He is joined by Villanova professor Jeffrey Hahn as they introduce these visiting students to the excitement of political life in Washington, D.C.

Father O’Connell and CUA administrators gathered with students outside Nugent Hall the day before they embarked for Guatemala.

Father Bob has taken a group of students for a three-week missionary trip to Guatemala. I hosted them for lunch in my home before their departure. This annual adventure is a wonderful opportunity for our students to experience life and pastoral work as "lay missionaries." Our Campus Ministry continues to be a great source of pride to CUA as we live out what we learn and bring our mission to life.

The American Cardinals Dinner in San Francisco was another great occasion for CUA to extend itself to a new audience. Frank Persico, Suzanne McCarthy, Ann Aubin, Joan Vorrasi and the students of the President's Society worked very hard to make the event a success. I am grateful to them and to the cardinals and board members who attended and financially supported this annual event. Next year, the dinner will be hosted in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota.

The Board of Trustees held its final meeting of the current year here on campus on June 2-3. We said goodbye to trustees Virgil Dechant, Bishop Robert Mulvee, Archbishop Francis Schulte, Helene O'Neil and Van Smith, who generously gave so much time, energy and attention to CUA over the years. I could never thank them enough! New trustees will join the board soon.

Although the 2002-2003 school year is hardly a memory, work has already begun to get ready for the next academic year. The offices of admissions and financial aid are working hard to prepare the way for the newest additions to the university community. Keep praying for their continued success. The Administrative Council will meet for a full-day planning retreat in June and other offices are finishing up work while clearing the decks for the initiatives required to begin anew in August. Summer school has already begun and the Office of Conferences and Summer Programs has launched its work for the next few months.

All of us at CUA were deeply affected by the recent murder of three employees of the Colonel Brooks' Tavern in Brookland, a place where many of us have enjoyed good times since the restaurant first opened in 1980. A number of folks have asked me if the university was going to "do more" to show its support for the families of the victims. I recently contributed $1,000 in the name of CUA to the memorial fund being collected there for this purpose. The owner recently told me that over $30,000 has been donated to the fund. I am going to set up a mechanism for individual members of the university to contribute, should they be so inclined. A letter describing this effort will be circulated in the next few weeks.

This will be my last column until late August. Let me take this occasion to thank everyone at CUA for making the past year a success. Get some well-deserved rest over the summer so that we can all come back refreshed and ready to welcome a new year.