Dear Saints,
Welcome to the start of the 2025–26 academic year! There is nothing quite like the energy of opening day, the excitement of new beginnings, fresh opportunities, and a community coming back together.
A special welcome to our newest Saints: first-year students, transfers, graduate students, and new faculty and staff. You are now part of a community that will challenge you, support you, and walk with you every step of the way.
This year is different. It is historic. On September 18, we will gather as one community for the Celebration of Siena: Rooted in Franciscan Values, Rising as a University. Classes and work will pause so all Saints can take part in this once-in-a-generation moment. Together, we will honor our Franciscan and liberal arts foundation and embrace Siena’s future as a university. Details of the program will be shared in tomorrow’s Digest, but for now, I encourage you to mark your calendars. This will be a day we will remember forever.
As we begin the year ahead, let us carry with us the values that define us: compassionate leadership, inclusivity, innovation, lifelong learning, person centered. These values are not just words. They shape how we learn, how we treat one another, and how we prepare to lead in the world.
The year ahead will bring both challenges and opportunities, and I know we will meet them with strength and optimism. When Saints come together, anything is possible. Siena is rising, and this is our moment.
I wish you a year filled with success, joy, and promise.
Peace and all good,
Chuck