As 2023 comes to a close, Saint Anselm College is looking back at the many highlights of the past calendar year in which the college has celebrated and reflected on the past, launched new initiatives, and enjoyed long-held traditions.
Here are a few highlights from 2023:
- Saint Anselm hosted its annual Martin Luther King, Jr. dinner with keynote speaker, Dwight Davis, chair of the New Hampshire Center for Justice and Equality, who shared some of his experiences and hardships.
- On Fri., Feb. 3, 88 nursing students in the class of 2025 gathered in the Abbey Church for a special blessing of the hands ceremony in preparation for their first clinical experiences. The ceremony is a beloved tradition for the college's future nurses, connecting the Benedictine values at the center of their college experience to their future work.
- On March 4, the Men's Ice Hockey team and the Men's Basketball team captured NE10 Championships, with the hockey team beating Saint Michael’s 5-1 and the basketball team defeating New Haven 65-54.
- Saint Anselm College announced the addition of three new programs – a graphic design major, design thinking innovation minor, and special education minor.
- In May, the class of 2023 was conferred their diplomas during commencement, along with the college’s two graduate degrees, a Master’s in Criminology and Criminal Justice and the first-ever Master’s in Education with licensure in special education.
- The college appointed Dr. Diane Uzarski as the inaugural dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences. She began her new role on July 24, 2023.
- On July 28, 2023, the Anselmian community gathered for the blessing and dedication of the new Grappone Humanities Institute. The event acknowledged the many people and organizations who made the new building possible, celebrated that accomplishment, and made the case for the humanities.
- In August, 44 Saint Anselm students participated in the 24th annual Road for Hope, embarking on an eight day journey to provide for their community and others in need.
- On Friday, September 8, Saint Anselm College kicked off the 2023-2024 year with an academic convocation celebrating a significant milestone—more than 50 years of women's education at the college.
- In a first, a bi-partisan group of four sitting U.S. Governors came to campus to discuss Climate Change with students. The program was part of an initiative to model civic discourse and healthy conflict.
- On Friday, October 13, 2023 members of the Saint Anselm College community celebrated breaking ground on Grappone Hall, a new building that will house the Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences.
- On November 10 and 12, The Abbey Players performed “Clue on Stage,” a hilarious murder mystery based on the beloved board game, as part of their celebration of 75 years since the start of the program.
- To end the year, the College announced that it would once again host a Presidential Primary debate on campus.