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January 2025
Dear Faculty, Staff and Students in the Klingler College of Arts & Sciences,
Happy New Year! I hope that 2025 is off to a great start for you.
The beginning of a new year is a good time to look back and look ahead. What milestones
led to the present moment? What commitments will you make for the year ahead? It’s
helpful to reflect specifically about challenges and achievements from the Fall semester
and goals for the Spring. Collectively, we will continue to pursue the bold aims of
Marquette’s strategic plan for 2031, “Guided by Mission, Inspired to Change,” by helping students to thrive, nurturing a healthier campus and caring for the
world. I continue to be inspired by your efforts in research, teaching and learning,
community engagement and student success. Thanks for everything that you do to make
our college great.
As you’ve seen in other University communications, this is a special year in the life
of the Catholic Church. Pope Francis has announced a Jubilee Year, a time of forgiveness
and reconciliation. The 2025 theme is “Pilgrims of Hope.” A theological virtue, hope is central to the Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus, particularly in the call to accompany young people in the
creation of a hope-filled future. I believe that one of the principal responsibilities
for us as staff and faculty is to help students and one another look ahead with hope.
One of the challenges in this task is to avoid confusing hope with optimism. Pope
Francis writes that “hope is not naïve optimism but a gift of grace.” Optimism extrapolates
from past and present experience, “guided by the belief that events can be explained
as effects of previous causes” as theologian Miroslav Volf puts it. He praises Jürgen Moltmann’s book Theology of Hope for showing that “hope, unlike optimism, is independent of people’s circumstances.”
In our world, optimism is often related to assessing probability, to managing fear
and risk. Perhaps as you look back over the past year, you’re feeling down about politics,
or polarization, or suffering whether close to home or on the other side of the world:
such realities can erode our optimism. But unlike optimism, “hope does not disappoint”
(Rom 5:5). Even a pessimist can be hopeful. As Pope Francis remarks: “In the heart
of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come,
despite our not knowing what the future may bring.” What can we do to support others’
hopefulness? One excellent resource is a document by Dr. Melissa Shew in Marquette’s
Center for Teaching and Learning called “Designing a Syllabus for Hope.” To honor this Jubilee Year, I’m embarking upon my own pilgrimage of hope. I’d like
your help in this endeavor: would you please share any thoughts about what gives you
hope?
It always fills me with hope to visit with former, current or future students. Earlier
this month, I got to spend some time in Chicago with Arts & Sciences alumni. I met
with Biological Sciences majors who went on to pursue careers in medicine or finance.
An alum who majored in English and minored in philosophy and French shared her experiences
as a leader in public relations. Another alum studied criminology and law studies
with a minor in Spanish and is now President and CEO of a law firm. While in Chicago
I also had the pleasure of meeting with several prospective students. Many of you
will play an active role in helping to recruit the Class of 2029 over the coming months.
Thanks in advance for everything you’ll do to welcome these students and families
to campus!
As always, please feel free to contact me with questions, concerns or suggestions. I appreciate hearing from you and exploring
ways we can all work together for the common good.
Dr. Heidi Bostic
Dean, Klingler College of Arts and Sciences
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