Each year, The Wood Word grades Marywood on an A-F scale, based on our coverage throughout the year. This year, we reported on several stories that we see as improvements, however there are several developing stories that we believe cannot be accurately deemed as positive or negative. Because of this, we have decided to add a category to our report this year, titled, “To Be Determined.” These are stories that we will continue to follow throughout next year and will monitor how they affect the Marywood community.

Last year, Marywood faced several challenges: Voluntary Separation Offers to faculty, lack of staffing in key departments on campus and student concerns about safety on campus. These challenges earned Marywood a “D.”

This year, although not void of challenges, there were certainly positive improvements in the student experience, raising the grade nearly 2 full letter grades.

As a disclaimer: These opinions are our own and were decided upon unanimously by the entire Wood Word Staff. As always, readers are welcome to write a Letter to the Editor to share their thoughts and opinions as well.

The Good

Marywood successfully appointed a new president. Following Sr. Mary Persico’s retirement announcement, the presidential search committee acted promptly to find her replacement. The presidential search included open forum discussions with candidates and the Marywood community, where students, faculty and staff were encouraged to ask questions to the candidates over a series of town-hall style discussions. This transparency and community involvement made us as students feel like an integral part of the selection process. Lisa A. Lori, J.D. was named Marywood’s 13th president on April 9. Lori has 10 years of experience as a board member of Marywood’s Board of Trustees and eight years of experience as Chair of the Board. Her goals include continuing to build the financial health of the university and assessing the needs of faculty and staff to succeed.

Marywood outsourced housing functions to an external corporation, Capstone On-Campus Management (COCM). Erica Armstrong, now the director of housing and residence life, hoped that the resources that COCM could provide Marywood would help streamline and modernize the housing department. Housing selection for the 2024-25 school year went out in early April, about a month earlier than last year. The application process also seemed much more structured and organized than in years past. We have definitely noticed an improvement in the housing process.

Marywood’s international student population increased in the Fall 2023 semester. Marywood offers academic opportunities, American cultural experiences and programs for students who are interested in English reading, writing, speaking, grammar and research skills. Associate Provost for Global Education Dr. David Kang hopes to increase the number of international students to eventually be 10% of the entire student population. We’re optimistic that the Global Education Office will reach these goals and will continue to grow this program that benefits both international and domestic students.

Marywood’s Library received an award from prominent diversity magazine, Insight into Diversity, in its March 2024 issue. The magazine awarded the Library with the “Library Excellence in Access and Diversity” recognition. The award celebrates libraries that highlight representation and inclusion in their book displays. In a climate where diversity, equity, and inclusion programs are experiencing significant cuts, we’re happy to see that Marywood’s library is committed to educational efforts related to diversity.

The Office of Student Engagement hosted Marywood’s first Dance Marathon to benefit the Lehigh Valley Reilly’s Children Hospital in Allentown. The fundraiser ended up raising over $15,000. The Dance Marathon event itself featured dancing, bingo, arts and crafts and other activities. Organizers say getting the word out there about the event and getting students to participate was a challenge, but that the event ultimately brought students together for a good cause.

In an effort to make student resources more accessible, Marywood rearranged some offices and created “The Hub.” The Office of Military and Veteran Services, Office of Academic Success (formerly the Office of Retention and Advising) and Career Services were moved to the newly renovated “Hub.” The Hub is located on the first floor of the Learning Commons, just down the hall from Study Grounds. Efforts to make resources more accessible to students are positive in our book

The Iffy

At the beginning of the Fall 2023 semester, Marywood announced the unveiling of the Amazon Go “Pacer Nation” convenience storefront. The store is unique in the sense that it uses Amazon Go technology that allows customers to simply scan their payment method, grab what they want from the store and walk out. The store was the first of its kind in Pennsylvania and only third outlet in the nation on a college campus. It is unclear how much it cost to build and maintain the store, and it is unclear whether or not the store is profitable.

The Bad:

The Veterans Resource Center was moved from Bethany Hall to “The Hub”, a section of the first floor of the Learning Commons to make more room for resident housing. Several students were upset about the move, as it was a significant downsizing. Although The Hub is designed to be more central and accessible on campus, students expressed that the move felt abrupt and that the new space is very different from the space they were used to in Bethany Hall.

According to the 2023 Campus Safety report, alcohol policy violations on campus have increased when compared to previous years. We have concerns about how Campus Safety will address liquor law violations on campus, especially with talks of a bar on campus. We specifically are concerned about how Campus Safety will enforce age restrictions and how university residence hall policies will be affected by the sale of alcohol on campus. The Wood Word will continue to follow the development of “Pacer Pub” and how the Pub may impact policy violations on campus.

To Be Determined:

Although the number of applicants for the fall 2024 semester seemed to be doing slightly better than the previous year, applications do not necessarily guarantee commitments. The Admissions Office hopes to make the process of transferring to Marywood easier to help boost the number of transfer student enrollment, but at this point in time it is unclear how many applicants will end up attending Marywood in the fall.

The new core curriculum is set to take effect in the Fall 2024 semester. The new core is designed to be more integrated to fit better with individual programs. The core is also designed to include courses that include a writing requirement, an oral requirement and a quantitative requirement to provide students with a well-rounded and comprehensive academic foundation. It is unclear how the new core will be received by students, but The Wood Word will continue to follow the roll out of the new core.

The hottest topic of the Spring Semester was Marywood’s application for a liquor license. The license, posted on the bright orange poster on Nazareth Dining Hall, indicates that license is for a retail space called “Pacer Pub” and includes the exterior patio at Nazareth Dining Hall. Marywood has not been able to provide any details about where the Pub will be located or when the pub will officially open. We have mixed feelings about the idea of a bar on campus. On the one hand, it sounds like a nice opportunity for students who are of the legal drinking age to spend time with one another, but on the other hand we are concerned about student safety and the way in which university alcohol policies will be enforced.

Contact the Editorial Board: [email protected]