Issues

Newman began a process of planning for the future during the first year of Kathleen Jagger’s presidency in 2020. Over the past year, that future came into clearer focus with the creation of the university’s 2022-2025 Strategic Plan which included input and feedback from various internal and external stakeholders. The resulting blueprint centers on two main areas — University Thriving and Cultivating Student Success.

Newman University students are without a doubt making a big impact, readying them to enact change even after they graduate. Four such students teamed up last fall to collect clothing items and hygiene products for The Women’s Network, which offers job readiness and educational opportunities to survivors of domestic violence.

Professor Emeritus Surendra Singh, Ph.D., had never experienced Kansas before applying for a job as a professor at Newman. He recalls looking out of the airplane window upon its descent and seeing nothing but corn and wheat fields — two familiar qualities of his hometown in India.“It just felt very much like coming back home,” Singh said. “I believe that God guided me to come here.”

One of the most popular schools at Newman University took on a brand new name in the summer of 2022: the School of Healthcare Professions. The School of Healthcare Professions encompasses degrees ranging from associate to doctoral levels, in health care science, nursing, radiologic technology, sonography, respiratory care and nurse anesthesia.

The center of the Newman campus, Sacred Heart Hall, is in the midst of celebrating 100 years. The oldest building on university grounds was being constructed a century ago and on Sept. 12, 1922, the community marked a special occasion — the laying of the structure’s cornerstone. Sacred Heart was dedicated nine months later on June 24, 1923. The building is more than just a structure; it has served as a home and constant presence throughout every stage of Newman University’s history.