Category: News Release

“I had one thing that I was most certain of, which is that morality is something we have a duty to”

Mary Continues to Thrive and Grow as the New School Year Begins Today   BISMARCK, ND — The University of Mary in Bismarck reached a milestone for new freshmen and transfers by eclipsing the 600 mark for the first time in school history. That news comes as the 2015-2016 school year begins today with students from 31 states and five foreign countries. Of those, over 52-percent are from out of state. Michael McMahon, assistant vice president for Enrollment Services, attributes the growth increase to several reasons. “Our new incoming students and their parents tell us we are one of the most affordable Catholic universities in the country, which is something we’ve known for some time. But it goes deeper than that. As a Christian, Catholic and Benedictine school we pride ourselves in being welcoming to people of all faiths and prepare them for the whole of life. Our faculty, and curriculum they adhere to, are some of the best in the world. Students enjoy the small class sizes and our placement rate when they graduate is one of the best.” Also, a draw for new incoming students and appealing to their parents’ is the new and innovative Year-Round Campus option that begins this school year. It’s a revolutionary degree path making it even more affordable for students to obtain a high-quality, private education. Leaving the four-year degree option intact for...

Pope Francis’ recent Laudato Si encyclical helps provide direction and instruction BISMARCK, ND — “Everything is connected” are words Pope Francis repeats throughout his most recent encyclical called Laudato Si. The document he published on June 18, 2015, is one of the most authoritative forms of papal instruction on the world’s “environment.” Pope Francis likens bioethics to Pope Benedict XVI’s writings that spoke of the “ecology of man” based on the fact that “man too has a nature that he must respect and that he cannot manipulate at will.” Pope Francis goes on by saying, “The social environment has also suffered damage … the notion that there are no indisputable truths to guide our lives, and hence human freedom is limitless.” It’s that “social environment” language that provides a partial framework for the annual two-day bioethics seminar August 28-29 at the University of Mary in Bismarck. The event is in partnership with the National Catholic Bioethics Center. The NCBC seminar is open to all those involved in today’s pressing healthcare ethics issues and is ideal for undergraduates pursuing careers in healthcare; graduate students in fields including medicine, law, business, and public affairs; priests, ordained ministers, deacons and religious of all faiths; as well as health care professionals concerned with medicine and ethics. Anyone who is interested in attending this two-day seminar may register at the NCBC website. “People from...

NEW YORK – Four University of Mary seniors earned spots on the 26th annual USA College Football D-II Preseason All-American team. Safety Preston Tescher and linebacker Seth Walton claimed first team recognition. Quarterback Zach Roberson was placed on the second team and offensive lineman Deon Paulson was an honorable mention selection. USA College Football recognized just four percent of NCAA Division II football players – 750 student-athletes total – with pre-season All-American status. A two-time All-Northern Sun North Division first team selection, Tescher posted a team-high 60 solo stops and accumulated a career-high 89 tackles as a junior in 2014. The Bismarck, N.D., native also recorded 3.0 tackles for loss, had an interception, recovered a fumble and broke up six passes while finishing 15th in the Northern Sun in total tackles and fourth in solo tackles. In three of his last four games of the year, Tescher posted double digit tackle numbers and twice had 10 solo tackles during the season. Tescher saw considerable action as a true freshman and will be a three-year starter in 2015. Walton earned All-NSIC North Division honorable mention honors after finishing among the tackle leaders in the conference. The outside linebacker from Pleasant Hill, Calif., made 64 tackles, including 29 solo stops, and was third on the Marauders in tackles. Walton had 4.0 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, an interception, and two forced...

BISMARCK, ND — The Association of Benedictine Colleges and Universities (ABCU) elected University of Mary President, Monsignor James Shea, to its board of directors’ executive committee. Shea is honored to continue the mission of the pioneering Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery, the founders and sponsors of the University of Mary. He accepted his new position at the recent ABCU annual meeting in Atchison, KS. Shea fills the spot vacated by Dr. Larry Goodwin, who announced he is retiring as president of the College of St. Scholastica in June of 2016. Shea also joins retired University of Mary faculty member Jeannine Saabye who serves as the new executive director of the ABCU, a leadership consortium of 14 Benedictine colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada. The ABCU is committed to academic and professional excellence while holding true to the Gospel values as interpreted by the Rule of Saint...