Mission beyond buildings
Center for Social Concerns
For a More Just and Humane World
I want to respond to two questions which have been asked by students, faculty, staff and alumni in the past few weeks about the Center for Social Concerns (CSC). I briefly will clarify how our mission is beyond buildings and offices.
Question one: Has the CSC moved? The answer is both "no" and "yes." The "no" answer affirms that the Center for Social Concerns, as a building, remains where it was dedicated in the spring semester, 1983. The CSC is the small building (previously WNDU Studio) between Hesburgh Library and Breen-Phillips near the North and East Quads. Most of the faculty, staff, student assistants, interns and partners or visitors will continue to appreciate this space as our central hub for meetings.
For example, last Friday afternoon I entered the front door and encountered 30 Notre Dame students in animated conversations about their upcoming eight-week International Summer Service Learning Projects in 14 different sites in 11 countries. Quickly they left with staff and student interns and went to Camp Friedenswald in Michigan for a 28-hour orientation retreat.
I had the privilege of celebrating the Eucharist with them Saturday evening after they had spent hours of sharing, learning, enjoying and appreciating the opportunity where they will represent Notre Dame and the CSC in sites beyond our borders and buildings. In other words, they left the front door of the CSC hoping to experience cross-cultural and transformative educational experiences with partners in Michigan and later in other parts of the world.
Planning and networking in the CSC building facilitated this program and multiple other programs of "experiential and service learning." The "no" answer above affirms the importance of the current CSC building as a central space for networking dedicated to our mission, which can only be lived out in "creative partnerships" with others on and off campus.
The following "yes" answer affirms that the CSC has moved into a 300 square foot satellite office in the Coleman Family Center for Campus Ministry in the corridor near the south entrance. We are grateful to continue collaboration and share relationships and space with Campus Ministry, First Year of Studies and Academic Services for Student Athletes.
This space will enable a combination of student assistants and staff to share information, interact with persons in the building and provide social concerns related photos, quotes, resources, et cetera. Since I live in McGlinn Hall, I can appreciate that this closer space for the South and West Quads can lead to more "drop in" conversations and immediate dissemination of information about current and new programs and initiatives. We hope to encourage faculty involvement as well.
Question two: Is the CSC located in other locations or spaces on and off campus? The answer is "yes." I am referring to people and relationships more than physical space.
For example, on campus there are hall-based social concerns commissioners who work closely with us in enhancing the Notre Dame and CSC mission. Off campus in Michiana, we have multiple community-based learning coordinators who work with community groups and share part of their time to assist us in linking Notre Dame learners and resources (students and faculty) with their missions (e.g., South Bend Center for the Homeless, the Robinson Community Learning Center, et cetera).
We also have a special grant-partnership with the South Bend Heritage Foundation, which allows two Notre Dame-CSC related staff to engage the community from the sites. I relish that multiple partners open their doors and hearts to hundreds of CSC-linked students and alumni involved in service and learning nationally and internationally during all semester and summer breaks.
I assume there will always be a few students who enter the CSC building asking if this is the Center for Continuing Education (CCE) for a class. I hope the CSC response to the above two questions will be to you an invitation to visit, become engaged and move with us in our challenging mission to "bring about a more just and humane world." This mission is impossible to achieve without partners and moving beyond the CSC building and other buildings on and off campus.
"For a More Just and Humane World" is a bi-weekly column in The Observer. The author, Don McNeill, C.S.C., Notre Dame class of '58, is Executive Director of the Center for Social Concerns, a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross and a resident in McGlinn Hall.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
All Viewpoint Stories for Wednesday, March 28, 2001
