Holy Names University Realizes Record Enrollment Holy Names University opened its 140th academic year this week with a record enrollment of more than 1,100 students, while welcoming one of the largest entering classes of first-year students in the university’s history. One hundred and ninety-five first-year and transfer undergraduates and their families have chosen the HNU opportunity which is characterized by faculty who are experts in their fields and who actively desire to know and support their students through personalized education that inspires students to make a positive difference in their lives and in the lives of others, according to the university’s president. As one of the most diverse institutions of higher education in the United States, Holy Names provides education for the real world, said HNU President Rosemarie Nassif, SSND, PhD. Students arrived from 17 international countries and 11 states to benefit from this richly diverse multi-cultural and multi-national learning environment. They pursue undergraduate degrees and are successful in careers and graduate and professional schools in nursing, psychology, business, biological sciences, and liberal studies/teacher education. President Nassif said that, “For nearly 140 years we have been educating students to make a positive difference in their lives and in the lives of others. We are a diverse university and for us, diversity is more than a descriptor. It provides our students an opportunity to learn and develop skills in a social environment that reflects how the country and the world will be throughout their lifetimes. As a result, HNU is education for the real world: we help students prepare for the challenges in their personal and professional lives by living and studying in a diverse, multi-cultural and multi-national classroom. We are one of the most diverse universities in the United States and we are ranked first in the western USA for diversity, according to the most recent US News & World Report on Best Colleges in America. Our Catholic heritage provides for a values-enriched educational and social experience that honors and welcomes people of all faiths and beliefs.” Incoming students have been involved with various orientation programs over the past week, culminating in a campus-wide picnic Saturday afternoon and the start of classes Monday. In addition to traditional orientation events, incoming first-year students began participation in the HNU Connections Project, a program designed to help students transition successfully into college. The First Year Experience (FYE) is a component of the Connections Project and will engage all first-year students in several core courses. This year’s Connections Project theme is “Your Place at the Table: Our Food Our World” which is complemented by a common reading for all first-year students: The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, by Michael Pollan. This work explores issues of nutrition, social justice, animal rights, the environment and poverty and asks students to think critically about these issues. This is the third year for the First Year Experience and students take one of seven courses: Essentials of Effective speech United States History (1607-1877 and 1877-1900s) Introduction to Music Ancient World English (Critical Thinking and Writing) Introduction to Psychology Religious Studies (World Wisdom Traditions) Anastasia Prentiss, MA, HNU professor and coordinator of FYE, spoke to the value of the program: “It is crucial that incoming first-year students transition smoothly into their college experience by acquiring strong academic skills, social skills and developing political and cultural awareness. Critical thinking and writing skills are an essential aspect of the program, which builds a foundation for rest of students’ academic and life experience. We create an environment wherein they develop a love for lifelong learning.” Michael Miller, Vice President of Student Affairs, added that, “The increases in enrollment have impacted the vibrancy of our campus and the quality of academic and campus life programs.” Holy Names University, located at 3500 Mountain Blvd., just off Highway 13 in the Oakland Hills, was founded in 1868 on the banks of Lake Merritt near Downtown Oakland. The school moved to its present campus 50 years ago this spring and has launched a year-long celebration of its 140 years in Oakland. The university provides more than 25 undergraduate and graduate degrees and various certificates and credentials. Last year HNU received a coveted 10-year reaffirmation of its accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).