I am pleased to extend an invitation for you to sign up for a breakfast or lunch with Reverend Dennis Dease, University President, during spring semester 2007. This breakfast and lunch series, known as "Conversations with Fr. Dease," are held with a group of 11 students, Fr. Dease, and myself at Morrison House (the President’s residence). Conversations with Fr. Dease are designed to stimulate intellectual inquiry and to empower students to express views respectfully in the spirit of open-mindedness. This initiative engages multicultural and majority students in discussion and exchange with the University’s president. Conversations are an opportunity for reflection and exchange to share differing views about ideas and values across cultures.

The Conversations series is designed to coincide with upcoming diversity initiatives. Our seven Convictions will serve as a platform for this new diversity initiative. The Convictions are broad enough so that participants can interpret them in a way meaningful to herself or himself. In many ways our Convictions highlight the work of our faculty and students, promote interdisciplinary dialogue about matters of importance to us all, encourage discussion of the future of our university, and provide opportunities to use our thinking and discussion as steps to action.

The series is strictly voluntary. Interested students must contact Helen Hunter, in the Office of Institutional Diversity, at hohunter@stthomas.edu or 962-5200 to register for one breakfast or lunch no later than two days before the actual event.  Space is limited and you are encouraged to sign up early. A reminder notice will be emailed to students 24 hours prior to the event. If you attended a breakfast or lunch during fall semester 2006, you may be placed on a waiting list. We would like to give as many students an opportunity to meet with the President as possible.

The first breakfast for spring 2007 is Thursday, February 15, 8-9 a.m. You will need to RSVP no later than Monday, February 12, by 2:00 p.m.
 
Please see the attached flyer for more details.

Lawrence T. Potter, Jr., Ph.D.
Executive Director
Office of Institutional Diversity