Mount Mercy University heralds a new era of higher education

By Christopher Blake

Throughout history, communities have been shaped and molded by institutions of higher education. Today, the Cedar Rapids community embraces a new era in higher education opportunities, as Mount Mercy leaves behind its college years and embraces its new identity as Mount Mercy University.

When the Sisters of Mercy founded Mount Mercy College in 1928, it was with the needs of the community in mind. Their vision for providing educational opportunities locally, while instilling the Mercy values of volunteerism, gratitude, hospitality and service, spurred them to plant the seeds of a small women's academy on the hill. Those seeds have now sprung into a robust and thriving university community. Could the Sisters see how resolutely their vision has been realized, I know they would be pleased with the service and economic impact that Mount Mercy University graduates, students, faculty and staff give daily to the community.

Mount Mercy University continues to celebrate and cultivate a rich, beneficial partnership with the community, and we foster in our students, faculty and staff a tradition of excellence in academic and personal growth. Strong programs geared toward providing a rich foundation of fundamental, liberal arts learning, combined with strong professional career development, has always been a hallmark of a Mount Mercy education. As Mount Mercy University, we will continue to provide access to programs tailored to meet the needs of the community in which we live.

The traditional freshmen will continue to find majors that interest them, on a welcoming, safe and vibrant campus that offers rich co-curricular activities. Working adults will find programs that fit their busy schedules, in areas of study that will move their careers forward. For graduate students, Mount Mercy University offers programs in competitive fields such as business, education, marriage and family therapy, and nursing.

But even the best programs and curriculum cannot help sustain and shape a community if they are lacking in values-driven motivation and personal integrity. It is with this characteristic that Mount Mercy University distinguishes itself among its peers. Like all 16 Catholic colleges and universities sponsored by the Conference for Mercy Higher Education, we are a welcoming and inclusive learning community where people of all faiths can grow in mind, body and spirit.

We have reached the tipping point where our maturity calls us to live that vision as a university. Our re-designation as a Mercy University reflects more accurately our current position in the community, as well as our vision for the future and our promise of continuing with those values intact. As the only Mercy university in the state - and one of only 16 nationwide - Mount Mercy University will fulfill a key role in equipping the community and surrounding areas with values-driven leaders of integrity and professionalism.

While we change our name today, our mission remains at the forefront. We will forever carry the vision of the Sisters of Mercy with us, and continue to live out that call in our new future as a university. I look forward to the continued partnership of Mount Mercy

University and the

Cedar Rapids community.

Christopher Blake began his duties as eighth president of Mount Mercy College on July 1, 2006 and led its transition to Mount Mercy University. Comments: cblake@

mtmercy.edu