President's Office
Inauguration
When Joan Lescinski, CSJ, PhD, became the 13th president of St. Ambrose University in 2007, it was a turning point for the university: She became the first new president in 20 years and Ambrose’s first female president. And in her first year, Lescinski has already demonstrated her commitment to the success of the institution and the well-being of its community.
Getting to Know You
A long history of working with private, Catholic institutions has allowed Lescinski to smoothly transition into this leadership position. “I’m committed to Catholicism, and enjoy the spirit and pace of the Midwest and the rootedness of the people who live here. I see all these things in St. Ambrose,” she says.
In her first year, she met with every faculty and staff group, got to know the members of Ambrose’s Board of Directors, and dedicated much of her time to learning and listening.
“I’ve been in a learning posture this year. My understanding of what it means to be Ambrosian stems from my observation of faculty members and staff who possess a spirit of service and reach out to others to help them develop to the fullest extent. That is how I came to understand this call to service, community and academic excellence that are so vital to the university. These are the criteria by which I challenge people to become more Ambrosian.”
Eats-and-greets
One way she has been able to engage with Ambrosians is through a new tradition she introduced to reach out to her new family.
“When I started at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, I was a total stranger and needed a way to connect with the students. People always enjoy a meal and sociability, so I began inviting eight to 10 students to have dinner with me once a month. This was a marvelous experience, and I was eager to bring my monthly suppers to St. Ambrose. I set a menu at the beginning of the year, and every month the Student Government Association selects a group of students to join me. I get to pick their brains and get to know them in a casual setting.”
Looking to the future
Immersing herself in the university’s culture has helped Lescinski continue to move it forward. In August 2008, the university unveiled a new vision statement that will guide the direction Ambrose will take in the next decade in regard to size, programming and place in the community and region.
“The entire St. Ambrose community was invited to help shape this vision and to move strategic planning forward. I believe this statement will challenge people to continue this movement, using education as personal empowerment and as a way to serve the community. It represents our first collective work together,” Lescinski says.
A teaching president
A specialist in the 19th-century British novel, the president and professor of English has always enjoyed relating to students in the classroom. In fall 2008, she began teaching a general education course called “Austen into Film.” The class studies all six of Jane Austen’s completed novels, how they get turned into film and the kinds of decisions the filmmakers make as they complete the transformation.
“About 15 years ago, I taught a Shakespeare course and my students were having a difficult time getting it,” she observes. “Someone said, ‘If we can just see this, it would help.’ I played a clip of the film version for them in class and they got it! Of course, Shakespeare was meant to be seen, not read. Watching the play and discussing it immediately afterwards tapped into some emotional reservoirs that reading sometimes doesn’t do.”
Lescinski’s approach to teaching reflects many of the same guiding principles and values embodied by St. Ambrose. By encouraging her students to approach the text openly and to discuss it in an inclusive setting, she is showing them, in a personal way, how to be Ambrosian.
