Dear Alumni, Parents, and Friends,

With the first semester practically behind us, I realize that it has been a very active few months. Although I have spoken with many of you at various Saint Anselm events, I do not want the semester to end without some news from the college. Here are some highlights of life on campus:

• This year, for the first time, Saint Anselm College is included in The Princeton Review's book The Best 345 Colleges , also known as "the smart student's guide to colleges." More than 3,500 institutions are eligible, and those selected represent fewer than 10 percent of the total—what the editors call the "cream of the crop." I am, of course, pleased by the distinction; it is always gratifying when others notice the exceptional work that we do.
  
  
• This fall, we welcomed the Class of 2006, a group of 572 freshmen that stood out among their peers in the largest applicant pool in the college's history. Upon their arrival, these talented and motivated students began their college careers in true Saint Anselm fashion—by serving others. Led by 40 upperclassmen, members of the freshman class flocked to 27 sites to clean up parks, paint homes, and prepare meals. At Saint Anselm, we take service seriously and hope these new students will become part of the more than 40 percent on campus who regularly volunteer to serve their community.
  
  
• A new residence hall opened in September, adding 86 beds to our student housing offerings. With increasingly more students choosing to live on campus (currently 87 percent of our total enrollment), housing has been a challenge for us in recent years. This new residence hall helps us to address the situation, but further evaluation will continue as we aim to relieve overcrowding.
  
  
• Members of our campus community are celebrating a host of milestones, including my confreres at Saint Anselm Abbey, which this year marks 75 years as an independent monastery. Also in the Abbey, Father Michael recently celebrated his 92nd birthday, the first member of our community ever to reach that age. Other equally important milestones include 50 years of the Nursing Program, 35 years of the Criminal Justice major and 25 years of the Humanities Program Portraits of Human Greatness . This cornerstone of our curriculum that has earned national praise will also undergo a three-year assessment funded by the Davis Educational Foundation. We think it's important to stay ahead of the curve by evaluating teaching resources, our objectives and our approach, as well as student learning outcomes. I will keep you informed of this developing initiative.
  
  
• The Campaign for Saint Anselm College continues to gain momentum in year three of a six-year effort to raise $50 million, most of which is dedicated to building our endowment. Most recently, the College received an unprecedented gift of land from The Flatley Company, of Braintree, Mass. The 38-acre parcel located about two miles from campus is valued at $11.2 million and has added a significant asset to our portfolio. President and CEO Thomas Flatley is a respected businessman and a leading Catholic philanthropist. We are humbled by his gift and proud to know that he believes in our mission and our vision for Catholic higher education.
  
  
• Construction of the $7.9-million multi-purpose arena is progressing rapidly and is on track to be completed in April 2003 on time and on budget. While a considerable amount of fundraising has gone into this much needed facility, we are still about $1.6 million short of the goal. As many of you already know, the arena will give our men's hockey program home ice for the first time in its 32-year history. It will also allow the college to add women's ice hockey as a varsity sport. This fall, a committee began the process that will lead to the introduction of women's ice hockey.
  
  
• The college's New Hampshire Institute of Politics has been a hotbed of activity with political debates and thought-provoking speakers on campus this semester. During one stretch, the institute hosted Nobel Laureate and former President of Costa Rica Oscar Arias Sanchez, then six days later broadcasted the first televised debate between US Senate candidates John Sununu and Jeanne Shaheen. We expect the pace will only increase as New Hampshire gears up for the 2004 Presidential Primary season.
  
  
• While I believe our students are among the finest anywhere, sometimes problems do arise that catch the attention of the press. This Halloween provided one of those occasions when a number of our underage students chose to attend an off-campus party that ultimately resulted in intervention by the local police. Both the police and college will deal with the students who were responsible for hosting the party and with those students who exercised the poor judgment to attend. Parental support for doing the right thing is always appreciated.
  
  
• On the technology front, the college's World Wide Web presence is in the midst of a makeover. This month, the college will begin to review preliminary designs for a new home page and interior templates. The redesigned site, which is expected to be complete in early 2003, will feature a new look with new content, including profiles of students, faculty, and alumni. Other features will include a campus-wide events calendar and a faculty/staff directory. Our look will change but our address will remain www.anselm.edu.
  
  
• As we are all well aware, financing an education can be a daunting task for families, and at Saint Anselm we never want finances to prevent a bright student from enrolling. One of our most pressing and complicated issues is financial aid and the college's ability to "bridge the gap." There is a significant gap between what it costs to educate our students and what families are able to pay. This has a major impact on the revenue the college receives from students and their families. The vast majority of our students receive some type of aid, and I want to emphasize that one of our top priorities in the Campaign for Saint Anselm College is increasing our ability to assist families financially.

As always, I welcome your feedback on any of the topics I have mentioned or any others regarding the college. Please feel free to e-mail (president@anselm.edu) or write me with your thoughts. I hope this begins what will become a regular series of updates to keep you informed about some of our most important issues.

As we approach our national day of Thanksgiving, please know that you and your families remain in the prayers of gratitude that I offer with those of my Benedictine brothers.

Sincerely,

(Rev.) Jonathan DeFelice, O.S.B.
President