St. Joseph’s College faculty members Jo Anne Durovich, Ph.D.; Amy Poland, Ph.D.; and Rachel Schwartz, Ph.D., this month presented their published article, “Let us Roll Up Our Sleeves,” an analysis about the collaborative female leadership model of the Sisters of St. Joseph.
The article was presented to an assortment of faculty and staff at institutions across the Association of the Colleges of the Sisters of St. Joseph (ACCSJ), a consortium of colleges and universities across the nation founded in the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph.
During the initial phase of the discussion, the St. Joseph’s faculty members discussed how the pandemic brought them together and how during this time they regularly cited the Sisters and their example of collaborative female leadership as foundational to their own personal growth.
“When we were all working to bring our classes and programs online, each of us brought up our own unique yet similar experiences we had during our careers where a Sister would encourage and push us to be better,” Dr. Durovich said during the March 3 presentation. “By replicating the mentorship we received over the years, we were able to use the pandemic to collaborate in ways that we would have never imagined earlier.”
After the SJC faculty elaborated on their experiences, they moderated breakout sessions where faculty and staff of several of the institutions shared how they worked to keep the unique charisms and traditions of the Sisters of St. Joseph at the center of their missions.
“Sisters Week is a time for the ACSSJ community to celebrate and reflect upon the dynamic legacy and tradition given to us by the Sisters of St. Joseph,” said St. Joseph’s College President and ACSSJ board Chair Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D., referring to this month’s Catholic Sisters Week.
“Jo Ann, Amy and Rachel rendered all of us a great service with their work, bringing the ACSSJ community together to discuss how they live and share these timeless values with students, faculty and staff at our nine unique institutions across the country,” Dr. Boomgaarden said.
