Siena played host this month to an international symposium of the Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities (AFCU), a cohort of 22 institutions characterized by their Franciscan and Catholic values.
The AFCU symposium is typically held every other year to support the association’s goals of providing a forum for dialogue, as well as fostering and facilitating collaboration among its members. Held on campus June 20-22, the Siena community as well as registrants were invited to attend an array of presentations, keynotes and panel discussions. About 225 people took part in the three-day event, the first since 2018 due to the pandemic. The theme to this year’s symposium was Lighting the Way: Franciscan Education.
“Hosting the AFCU symposium provided Siena the occasion to share our beautiful campus with our Franciscan colleagues from across the nation and South America,” said Fr. Mark Reamer ’83 O.F.M., D. Min., vice president for mission and co-chair of the symposium. “It’s a great opportunity for us to share with one another the distinctive advantage of the vision and values of Francis and Clare of Assisi, and the 800-plus year tradition they began with one another. The energy and excitement were evocative.”
Br. Michael Perry O.F.M., director of Siena’s Center for Integral Ecology, gave a morning keynote inviting attendees to partner together to make AFCU campuses more sustainable and live out the teachings of Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Sí,” about care for the Earth, “our common home.”
The eight concurrent sessions, with more than 40 topics to choose from, covered a wide range of issues related to Franciscan higher education, including promotion of equity, restorative justice, servant leadership, student experience and more.
Daniel White, Ph.D., director of health professions at Siena, and Donnean Thrall, N.D., associate professor of nursing, presented on the College’s medicinal plants and community well-being project.
“We were grateful for the opportunity to share our medicinal plants and global health projects with the AFCU attendees,” said White. “It is always valuable to stand up next to your friends, colleagues, and collaborators and share the progress on projects that are so meaningful. It was a valuable exercise to reflect on how our work with students and communities exemplifies our Franciscan ethos. The symposium was a wonderful time to connect with other educators whose traditions and mission resonate so clearly with ours.”
Will Figueroa, assistant director for mission engagement, spoke on "Incorporating Franciscan Values in Youth Curriculum." He said, "It was inspiring to chat with like-minded colleagues from other colleges and share best practices about how to help students live our Franciscan values."
Anne Godson-Glynn '98, director of the Writing Center, presented with the First-Year Seminar team of Melody Nadeau, Fr. Ken Paulli, and FYS co-directors Britt Haas and Michelle Liptak.
"We were thrilled to share our program with members of the Franciscan higher education community," she said. "Faculty and administrators attending our sessions affirmed that Siena's two-semester, academically rigorous, Franciscan values-infused FYS model is unique and innovative. We are happy to report that AFUC opened the door to a multi-institutional, communal dialogue on the first-year Franciscan experience."
April Backus ’12, director of academic programs and events, also co-chaired the symposium with Fr. Mark and Chris Farnan, Ph.D., dean of the School of Liberal Arts, aided by a dedicated committee of faculty, staff and administrators from across campus.
“What a wonderful week here at Siena. We heard only compliments the entire week,” she said. “From the time our guests landed at Albany International, pulled into Snyder Hall, or walked into their first session, they were greeted as only Siena knows how to: with kindness, respect and doors held open!”
Assistant Director Sam Hesler, said the planning team received “a lot of positive feedback about the beauty of the Siena campus and the quality of their stay.
“What stood out the most to guests though, was the unwavering support and friendly faces of our AFCU planning team and volunteers,” she said. “This big of an undertaking would not have been possible without them.”
Chris Domes, Ed.D., president of Neumann University in Aston, PA and chair of the AFCU board of directors, said the symposium was an opportunity for AFCU member colleges to gather and celebrate their unique educational tradition.
“The Siena College campus and community offered a perfect setting and environment to collaborate and embrace the future,” he said.
Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin will host the next symposium June 5-7, 2025.