A Little More Information
The text below is from the introduction by Br. John O’Neill, FSC, who was one of the primary creators of this resource.
The “Sharing the Mission Project” had its origins with the decision in 1992 by the then Academic Vice President William Hynes, to “recognize distinguished achievement in teaching and/or scholarship by a faculty member” at Saint Mary’s College of California, by means of the annual awarding of the title Professor of the Year. Each professor so honored was then invited to deliver an address to faculty, staff, students, and guests at a reception in the Spring Semester. In the years since the inception of this award, the Saint Mary’s College community has been witness to an impressive parade of professors and addresses.
When the distinction of being named Professor of the Year was given to me in 2004, my reading of, and reflecting upon, the addresses of the previous Professors of the Year left me awestruck. I was at one and the same time inspired and saddened . . . inspired by the brilliant array of ideas and insights . . . saddened by the realization that none of these addresses would ever be delivered again, and few if any ever even read again. For these reasons, I set for myself the task of preserving and perpetuating the accumulated wisdom of these distinguished Saint Mary’s College Professors of the Year.
The collection of six Study Guides is meant to accompany the six short films made by Mr. Scott Gibbs (Quadrant Productions, Inc., Alameda, California) from the oral interviews of each of these outstanding professors [from 1992 to 2005]. The interviews were centered around the descriptors that came out of the New Century Committee document published by then President Craig Franz which proclaimed Saint Mary’s College as a “Premier Catholic, Lasallian, Liberal Arts Learning Community”. I understand that a number of faculty and consultants had a hand in the selection of these descriptors, especially then student-body president Mr. David Holquin and Dean of Mission and Faculty Development, Professor Carole Swain. It is my hope that the seminars which develop from use of these films and these study guides, will contribute to the ongoing development and formation of the entire Saint Mary’s College community: faculty, staff, students, parents, and alumni.
Br. John O’Neill, FSC
January 1, 2006
