Dialogue with President Beth Paul

Veterans Day — which officially takes place on November 11 every year — is recognized as a federal holiday today. Veterans Day is an important opportunity to celebrate and thank all of our military veterans for their courageous service. As we reflect on the freedoms we enjoy because of their sacrifices, Nazareth University is proud to support our veteran students in their educational journey and recognize their contributions to our inclusive campus.  We’re committed to welcoming our veterans home from duty and easing the transition to their next career by providing comprehensive financial, academic, and mental health resources . In addition to offering scholarships, VA work-study opportunities, and credits for military experience, we created the Military and Veterans Suite in Smyth Hall to give military-affiliated students a space to study, relax, and socialize with their classmates. And for our faculty and staff, we implemented Green Zone Training to discuss the challenges and concern

Dear Nazareth community, I am so energized and inspired after enjoying another extraordinary Naz Weekend. It was spectacular! From our Centennial kick-off Friday morning to last night’s Yom Kippur pre-fast dinner and services, every event was unique and celebrated one of the many facets that make Nazareth University and our community remarkable. This past weekend’s celebration was an opportunity to showcase the best of all that is Nazareth — the strength and beauty of our community shined! Our alumni, families, and community members who do not have the opportunity to experience Nazareth day-to-day were able to see what a special place this is. I’m so grateful for every person on this campus who makes Nazareth such a warm, welcoming, and impactful place to be. Enjoying this weekend with so many of you and your families and friends was incredible. From the beautiful grounds to the elaborate setups to the engaging events, thank you to everyone who had a hand in planning and making this be

Today marks the 22nd anniversary of the tragedy that struck our nation at 8:46 a.m. on September 11, 2001. Please join me in reflecting on this National Day of Service and Remembrance to honor and commemorate the sacrifices made by countless individuals. We come together on this day each year in unity and service to change the narrative of the 9/11 tragedy. Today, and every day, we need to put aside our differences to serve our communities with the same humanity we showed each other more than two decades ago. Such reflection allows each of us, in our own way, to appreciate the historical and societal importance of 9/11. Nazareth University is committed to never forgetting 9/11. This was evident today when students from Military and Veteran Services rang the Golisano Academic Center bells at the precise times each plane was lost, and when each tower fell. Please take a moment to pause today in remembrance of the nearly 3,000 individuals who perished that day. Sincerely, Beth Dr. Beth P

Today the United States Supreme Court issued an important ruling regarding affirmative action in higher education. Specifically, the court ruled that colleges and universities can no longer consider race as a specific, express factor in admissions. The Supreme Court did not rule out race completely in admission programs, saying, "nothing prohibits universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected the applicant’s life, so long as that discussion is concretely tied to a quality of character or unique ability that the particular applicant can contribute to the university." Supreme Court decisions are complex, and legal experts spend years analyzing their impact. It’s certainly not possible for me or anyone at Nazareth University to assess — only hours after the ruling — how this decision will ultimately impact society or Nazareth. I can, however, share our initial institutional reaction, and provide context regarding what, if any, effect this ruling mi

As Nazareth’s Centennial draws closer, many people are hard at work outlining plans to celebrate this incredible milestone. Not surprisingly, discussions about the Centennial often reference the past, the present, and the future. With that in mind, I would like to share some news with you that very much involves the past and the present, and also has promise for our Centennial and beyond. Most students, faculty, and staff know that Golisano Academic Center was the Motherhouse for our founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph. The Sisters kept horses in a small paddock/barn between GAC and Golisano Training Center. When campus expanded in the early 2000s, the Sisters moved to their new home on French Road; the horses remained and continued to be lovingly cared for, in particular by Srs. Margaret Mary and Sienna. Many alumni, students, faculty, and staff fondly remember the stables being a popular stop on cross-campus walks. This small cluster of wooden structures sat unused since the last ho

Dear students, faculty, and staff, Today is  Juneteenth , commemorating the day in 1865 when Union soldiers landed in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War was over and that all who’d been enslaved in Texas were free.  Juneteenth  is one of America’s oldest nationally celebrated commemorations of the end of slavery. In recognition, Nazareth is closed today.  Taking a collective pause as a campus community provides a chance to solemnly contemplate the evils of slavery while at the same time appreciating — and celebrating – the joy and hope that the news of the end of that terrible practice brought to so many 158 years ago.    We speak of changemakers often; today’s really about change, period.  Juneteenth  celebrates a moment in history and in the American spirit when we faced injustice and tried to make it right. While racism and the struggle for equality continues and remains challenging, that moment — when people who’d never known freedom learned that they were free — was a

It seems like yesterday that we began a new academic year. And while an academic year can be measured in weeks that appear to fly by, it can also be measured in the extraordinary successes — and challenges — that have taken place throughout our campus and neighboring communities. So as the year concludes, let’s take time to celebrate our collective achievements and acknowledge the work we still have ahead of us. Students, you amaze me. Your achievements are endless, from serving as Nazareth's lead ambassadors through academic, extra-curricular, and community engagement activities, to the grants, awards, and honors you've earned. Many of you have participated in individual and faculty-led research, creative and professional activity, and global and domestic study that will be invaluable to your life’s work. We came together for hundreds of campus events running the gamut from fun and whimsical to thought-provoking and awe-inspiring. And at the heart of your engagement and accomp

Every day, we hear about significant advancements in artificial intelligence. There is a lot of curiosity about ChatGPT and other emerging AI tools and many questions about what these developments mean for our lives and society.  Jeff Allan — our Institute for Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and Society, or ITAS, director — hosts Silicon Valley strategist and best-selling author Travis Steffen on campus Wednesday night, April 26, to give a free public talk about AI and the future of marketing.  Ahead of the visit, Travis and Jeff joined me for a Prez Paul Podcast interview to explore what will help all of us as strategic changemakers who imagine and create our future with AI.  What an engaging conversation! I invite you to: Listen to this new episode of the  Prez Paul Podcast . Sign up to attend  AI in Marketing: Growing Your Business Into the Future  with Jeff and Travis, starting at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Arts Center.

We live in heavy times, marked by violence, mental health struggles, and a deep sense of discomfort with politics and race. While much wonder exists in our world, it often seems that negativity and injustice overshadow the beauty in our lives and the greatness of our humanity. I sometimes worry that I add to this shadow by repeatedly addressing these topics with the campus community. But ignoring injustice does no good, and calling attention to it exemplifies Nazareth’s unique relevance to society’s challenges. Since our founding, the changemaking action of Naz students, faculty, staff, and alumni have been an antidote for society’s illnesses. But deciding what, when, and how to discuss these issues isn’t easy. Nazareth can’t comment on every tragedy — there are simply too many. Waiting for a given situation to settle before commenting helps, but not always. While lines between right and wrong may seem clear, details are usually murky. Who or what to blame can shift, and potenti

  Today marks one of the nation’s most solemn milestones, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In present day 2023, it’s important to acknowledge that the future Dr. King referenced in one of his most famous speeches – a “promised land” he could see from “the mountaintop” – was hoped to be well-established by now. A world defined by human rights for all people, regardless of the color of their skin.  While today is about appreciating the civil rights advances made in Dr. King’s time and in the decades since, it’s also about taking an honest look at where we as a society have fallen short. Civil rights for many Americans have improved since Dr. King spoke so eloquently of his dream, but his hope that people “not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” remains elusive for far too many. Sometimes, to appreciate the present-day advances and challenges of civil rights in America, one has to delve back into the past. Our Martin Luther King Jr. Day speaker, Simeon B