Dear Siena Families,
It is my pleasure today to welcome the entire Siena community to the 2026-27 academic year! We are grateful to hear the voices of our new and returning students filling the campus buildings and the academic quad.
We are now completing our first year as Siena University. Far more than just a name change, it marks our growth as a Franciscan institution with robustly expanded academic offerings at both the undergraduate and graduate level and an enhanced emphasis on experiential learning such as research, internships, study abroad and service learning.
We are also reimagining the entire student experience. At the helm of this effort is Darren Conine, who recently joined the Siena leadership team as our chief experience officer. Siena is one of the first institutions in the country to create this position, which manages all student-related administration from enrollment to commencement. As Darren mentioned in his welcome e-mail to you last week, input from our families regarding your student’s life at Siena is always welcome: simply email ask@siena.edu. We also have the monthly e-newsletter that goes out to our families, and you will be receiving the first issue of this new year on Tuesday, September 29.
Frequently in the news these days is the impact of artificial intelligence on education, particularly at the university level. We want our families to know that Siena is proactively addressing the challenges and benefits of AI with confidence and intent. Our faculty have been taking part in a series of hands-on workshops to design and update their curricula to ethically incorporate AI into research and instruction. Siena students will graduate with a strong grasp of AI technology that employers demand, but more importantly the moral grounding needed to be leaders in a changing workforce. We also know that our Franciscan mission will inspire us to make ethical choices, to communicate with respect, and to value human connection.
For the families of our first-year and transfer students, we understand the mixed emotions you are feeling now: pride and love, tempered by a sense of sadness and some bewilderment at how quickly the years have flown by. Our sophomores and juniors are now feeling much more at home and in the full swing of their academic life, while seniors are not only finishing up the requirements for their degree but are continuing to engage in internships, research and hands-on activities that will position them well to enter the job market or graduate study.
To our returning families, welcome back to the community you are helping to build. To our newest families, welcome to the Siena family. These years are marked by extraordinary growth, and we are here to help your student reach their fullest potential. Together, we are going to make this an unforgettable year.
Peace and all good,
President Chuck Seifert, Ph.D.