Follett Higher Education Group to begin managing Campus Bookstore in Spring

Saint Xavier University is proud to announce its newest partnership with Follett Higher Education Group (FHEG). FHEG was chosen by a selection committee consisting of SXU administrators and faculty, and approved by the SXU Board of Directors. Follett was identified as a company with the best experience, resources, technology, and course material offerings to support Saint Xavier University’s students, faculty, and staff. Follett is scheduled to begin managing the SXU Campus Bookstore on Mon., March 11.

“Through this wonderful partnership with Follett, we’ll be able to provide an exceptional local, full-service campus bookstore that offers affordable course materials for both our school and student’s individual needs. We’re confident that Follett, who has demonstrated a strong ability to drive new programs, will positively impact our classrooms and the communities they serve,” said SXU President Christine M. Wiseman, J.D.

With this new partnership, Follett will bring the largest inventory of course materials and a network of more than 8,000 publishers and providers to offer students the greatest selection of affordable course material options. The company also operates the nation’s largest online textbook portal, www.efollett.com, giving students the convenience of shopping online or in-store.

To help lower the costs of higher education, SXU students will have access to Follett’s popular Rent-A-Text program that provides, on average, 50 percent or more off the price of a new textbook. In just three years, the program has saved students more than $300 million nationwide.

In addition to its robust rental program, Follett provides access to the largest selection of digital solutions, including 35,000 CafeScribe® digital titles. Follett is also the largest distributor of Inkling® digital textbooks, the leading platform for interactive learning content. Follett manages more than 900 other college and university bookstores across the U.S. and Canada.

“We’re excited to be serving Saint Xavier University,” commented Thomas Christopher, president, Follett Higher Education Group. “At Follett, we’re committed to driving student success and we look forward to working with Saint Xavier University to identify solutions that make course materials affordable and accessible for students.”

For more information regarding Follett’s services and locations please visit www.fheg.follett.com. To learn more about Follett’s affordable textbook rental and digital programs please visit www.rentatext.com and www.cafescribe.com.

SXU's redesigned Educational Administration and Leadership program approved by Illinois State Board of Education

Saint Xavier University's School of Education is pleased to announce its newly redesigned Educational Administration and Leadership master's program was approved by the Illinois State Board of Education on Dec. 7.

School of Education faculty members, in light of the mission, vision, and strategic goals of the University, revised the program to address criteria established by the Illinois State Board of Education. This enhanced program integrates best practices and cutting-edge research to suit the complex, ever-changing role of modern school principals. It focuses on instructional leadership, school management, staff development, and leadership in school improvement.

The program is aligned with the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium Standards and the Southern Regional Education Board’s Critical Success Factors for Principals.

SXU looks forward to addressing the needs of future school leaders and our community partners. For more information, please contact the School of Education at (773) 298-3200.

WXAV’s award-winning “God Matters” radio program returns on Sun., Dec. 9

Saint Xavier University’s award-winning public affairs program “God Matters” returns with all-new episodes at 9:30 a.m. on Sun., Dec. 9 on WXAV 88.3FM. Listen to the program online at www.wxav.com on Sunday mornings. The episodes also will be posted to iTunes and available for downloading as podcasts.

“God Matters” examines the complexities of everyday life, as well as how faith and values can affect our decisions. The program took second place in the 2003 Silver Dome Awards for Best Public Affairs Programming, beating out WGN.

Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archbishop Emeritus of Los Angeles, will join Sr. Joy Clough, RSM, SXU’s Director of the Office for University Mission and Heritage and of the Center for Religion and Public Discourse, to discuss immigration reform in the United States in a two-part series that will air on Dec. 9 and Dec. 16.

Brother Guy Consolmagno, S.J., a research astronomer and planetary scientist at the Vatican Observatory, will sit down with WXAV General Manager Peter Kreten to discuss the relationship between religion and science for another two-part series on Dec. 23 and Dec. 30.

Finally, the Jan. 6 edition will feature a lecture by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Professor Rajmohan Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, about non-violence.

For more information about “God Matters,” please contact WXAV at (773) 298-3375.

Former "Poetry" magazine editor Joseph Parisi to receive honorary doctorate at SXU's 2012 Winter Commencement

Saint Xavier University is pleased to announce that former editor of “Poetry” magazine and noted author, editor, critic, and public speaker Joseph Parisi, Ph.D., will receive an honorary doctorate at the University’s Winter Commencement on Sat., Dec. 15. Parisi also will deliver the commencement address to more than 500 graduates. The ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. in the Shannon Center at the University’s Chicago campus, 3700 W. 103rd St.

For 20 years, Parisi was editor-in-chief of "Poetry" magazine, the world's premier poetry publication, currently celebrating its 100^th anniversary. As editor with a tenure second only to founding editor Harriet Monroe, Parisi is credited with discovering many influential poets, including former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins and Pulitzer Prize winners Mary Oliver, W.S. Merwin, and Lisel Mueller. While at “Poetry,” Parisi also was executive director of the Modern Poetry Association (now the Poetry Foundation) and worked to establish the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize and Ruth Lilly Fellowships, two of poetry’s most prestigious prizes.

Parisi has published nine books, and his articles, critical essays, and reviews have appeared in diverse popular periodicals and literary journals. He is now completing work on an extensive study titled "Venice Now & Then," which describes the city’s perilous present-day life and uncertain future against its rich, indeed unparalleled, artistic and economic history.

Parisi holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Chicago, where he received a three-year fellowship and a traveling scholarship to Europe. Among other awards, he has held a Fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation (2000-01) and was elected a By-Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge (2004). His last regular academic appointment was at the University of Illinois-Chicago (1978-1987).

Over the last decade, he has given two public lectures at Saint Xavier and has served on the Library Advisory Committee. He has been a guest speaker and visiting scholar at several other institutions, including the Universities of Michigan, Wisconsin, Virginia, Indiana, Delaware, Texas, Georgia, Vermont, Florida, Chicago, Basel (Switzerland), and at King’s College, Cambridge, as well as many colleges. He continues to give well-attended presentations – on literary history, modern poetry, and popular culture – across the United States and abroad. He has also participated in numerous local and national radio and television broadcasts, particularly on PBS and NPR.

For more information about SXU's 2012 Winter Commencement, please visit www.sxu.edu, keyword: commencement or contact commencement@sxu.edu.

How will changing demographics shape America? Read Prof. Reza Varjavand’s SouthtownStar column to learn more

America has experienced large changes to its demographics, as evidenced by the recent presidential election. Graham School of Management Professor Reza Varjavand examines this issue in his recent SouthtownStar column. Read the Nov. 16 article online here.

SXU receives $100,000 grant to create Center for the Study of Financial Markets and Derivatives

Saint Xavier University recently received a $100,000 grant from the CME Group Foundation to institute a Center for the Study of Financial Markets and Derivatives (CSFMD) at the Graham School of Management.

Using real-world applications and innovative teaching techniques, the Center will provide students with an in-depth education about trading, risk-management, and other financial concepts, and will provide collaborative research opportunities for students and faculty members. The Center, which is expected to be operational for the Spring 2013 semester, will be equipped with portable equipment for in-class lectures and demonstrations, and a hands-on laboratory where students can work on projects such as simulated financial portfolios. Ultimately, students will manage a real-time investment portfolio for the Graham School of Management. 

The CSFMD also will strengthen SXU's ties with the community by enhancing the Graham School’s existing opportunities to consult with local businesses. In addition, plans are underway to partner with local high schools so that high school students can learn basic financial concepts.

"We are grateful to the CME Group Foundation for their advocacy on behalf of Saint Xavier University," said SXU President Christine M. Wiseman, J.D. "We appreciate the Foundation’s efforts to increase student and community understanding about finance and financial markets, and are pleased to have their support in developing this exciting new Center."

The CME Group Foundation enhances economic opportunity by supporting academic initiatives and activities in the Chicago region, including those that promote research, teaching, and learning in financial markets, futures, and derivatives. It also promotes the education of disadvantaged children and youth. In partnership with the Big Shoulders Fund, Saint Xavier University is already engaged in a project to improve and support teaching of early mathematics in urban Catholic elementary schools.

For more information about the Graham School of Management, please contact (773) 298-3600.