The unveiling of the new Benedictine website is cause for celebration. It took hard work, critical thinking, and a hefty dose of courage to create something that must define who we are, what we do and what we believe. I want to thank everyone involved – and there were many – for creating a website we can all be proud of and with certainty say if you want to know more about Benedictine University, this is a wonderful place to start.
The past few years have been the most challenging and at the same time most transformational in Benedictine history. The adaptations and adjustments we have made to cope with the pandemic have triggered significant changes to our teaching methods and practices. And while we have contemplated and enacted change wherever needed, one thing we have clung to – and always will – are the core values and academic mission that brings us together and gives us our reason to be.
If you learn just one thing about us, please let it be this: Benedictine will always provide values-based learning that is essential to producing young men and women prepared to be problem solvers and achievers at a time when they are greatly needed. By whatever new tactics are necessary, we believe learning must delve deeper into the ideals, morals, and principles of every subject matter so that our students grow as individuals, ready to make meaningful contributions to our community and the world.
This may sound ambitious but let me assure you it is achievable if we believe and work together to make it a reality. Or as we say at Benedictine, if we all follow the Red Thread.
I recently toured our Lisle campus with an old friend who at the conclusion of his visit said he noticed numerous people wearing the same red bracelet. I took great satisfaction in this because of all the things there are to see and experience at Benedictine, these bracelets may be most important.
Given to everyone who becomes part of our University, it is these simple Red Threads that connect us all through academic, professional, and social interactions, and binds our collective cultures and experiences, stitching us together as one family. They might not give us superpowers, but they do remind us of the values we hold sacred, and the mission we so passionately pursue.
So, as you look through this new website, and consider the next steps in your life, please know you are invited to take hold of the Red Thread and become a member of the Benedictine family. A bracelet is waiting for you.
Thank you,
Charles Gregory
President, Benedictine University
