ALLEGANY, N.Y. — The School of Franciscan Studies at St. Bonaventure University has released its 2012 summer program that includes a range of enrichment programs, as well as for-credit graduate courses delivered by world-class Franciscan scholars.
“Our summer program continues to serve a wide range of constituents, from internationally recognized medieval and Franciscan scholars to Franciscan religious and lay leaders,” said F. Edward Coughlin, OFM, interim dean of the School of Franciscan Studies.
“As we launch the new strategic plan for the School of Franciscan Studies and the Franciscan Institute, this program is a fitting representation of the strengths of the past, as well as the future direction of excellence for the School and the Institute,” he said in a recent SBU news release.
Information about the 2012 summer program, which includes courses taught by Edward, as well as Dominic Monti, OFM, and David Haack, OFM, is available online.
Study Results
The institute also recently concluded a nine-month study to determine the optimal organization and financial grounding for its future. The project included 32 interviews, three focus groups, and an online survey with 420 completed online questionnaires, 96 of which were from those who took courses in Franciscan studies.
Two major actions arose from this study.
“Our goal is to hire a director with strong managerial and financial management skills to advance both the research and the publication mission of the institute and its publishing and research administration mission,” said Peggy Burke, associate vice president for academic affairs, who will supervise the institute.
In addition, the School for Franciscan Studies has been “administratively separated from the Franciscan Institute and will focus its attention on the development of courses and programs that seek to make the riches of the Franciscan intellectual spiritual tradition more readily available and accessible to a wide variety of others both on and off campus,” according to the news release. This plan includes Ed’s continued work as interim dean for the 2012-13 academic year.
“With these changes in place, I am confident that the Franciscan Institute will be solidly equipped to lead important new research, publish well-received journals and books, and continue to grow its endowment,” he said.
New Publication
Perhaps one of those well-received books will be a new book in honor of Sr. Ingrid Peterson, OSF, a scholar distinguished in the field of Franciscan studies for her work on St. Clare and the women of the early Franciscan movement.
Her Bright Merits: Essays Honoring Ingrid J. Peterson, OSF, edited by Mary Walsh Meany and Sr. Felicity Doresett, OSF, is a collection of essays on Clare and the early Franciscan women by several of the leading scholars in the field. Sr. Ingrid has been an adjunct faculty member of the Franciscan Institute. Her writing is included in The Writings of Clare of Assisi: Letters, Form of Life, Testament and Blessing, edited by Michael Blastic, OFM, Jay Hammond and Fr. Wayne Hellmann, OFM Conv.
— Rebecca Doel is communications coordinator for Holy Name Province.