IMPACT clarifies to both internal and external audiences what is most relevant, authentic and distinctive about a Bellarmine education. Because you, our alumni, are our most authentic ambassadors, I wanted to share it with you so that you can share it with your communities.
You have probably heard references to “the Bellarmine difference” in the past. But if you asked 10 different people what that difference was, you might get 10 different answers. IMPACT explains, in clearer and more concrete terms, how we are different and why that difference makes us such an appealing choice for prospective students and their families.
The Bellarmine IMPACT is twofold: It’s Bellarmine’s impact on students while they
are here, and it’s the impact that they will have in the world after they graduate,
ready for fulfilling lives and careers. It builds on our mission
as an inclusive Catholic university and our institutional strengths, such as academic
excellence, while expanding the high-impact wraparound supports available to students
that ensure their overall success. We guarantee a four-year, student-centered educational
experience that provides: Engagement. A highly personalized pathway and intentional success plan for every student begins
with application for admission and carries through career attainment or post-graduate
study, with highly engaged learning, one-on-one attention from
excellent faculty and seamless transitions in advising and other areas of student
support. Our faculty’s commitment to students results in benefits such as the opportunity
to do undergraduate research that would ordinarily be conducted only
at the graduate level elsewhere. Belonging. Issues of belonging and finding one’s true self are foregrounded in the new Core
Curriculum designed by faculty, which will be released next year. In addition, vibrant
campus life and an inclusive and welcoming community for all
students are ensured by such initiatives as our First 50 Days campaign, which provides
outreach programming for all students in the first six weeks of the fall semester. Wellness. We are committed to educating students in mind, body and spirit. Coordinated health
and wellness services support, facilitate and educate the Bellarmine community about
lifelong health and wellness, while courses ranging from Exercise
Science to Psychology and Theology and Financial Literacy imbue holistic wellness
in their curriculum. Purpose. Galvanized in the classroom by questions of meaning and purpose and supported by
mentors, hands-on experiential learning and the Career Center, students focus on their
individual callings, as well as the lifelong value of an undergraduate
liberal arts education. For each of these areas, students are supported by faculty
and professional advisors and career and peer coaches. Collectively, these are known
as the IMPACT Network. At Bellarmine, we are uniquely positioned in the higher education
landscape. We are large enough to offer an excellent liberal arts education led by
top faculty as well as a rich array of extracurricular activities. But we are also
small enough to offer
each student a personalized experience and the support to ensure their success. I
hope that the Bellarmine IMPACT helps you to describe what makes Bellarmine special
when you are speaking with prospective students and their families. I’d also love
to hear about the impact that Bellarmine has had on your life. Please share at
president@bellarmine.edu.