Sister Catherine and her team at Clarke College not only met the original mandate, but, by nearly every measure, they have built a stronger institution. Enrollment has been on a trajectory since the dedication of a new campus hub that was created with the input of students, faculty, alumni and townspeople. The College computerized its library catalog before many of its peers. An innovative, evening degree program for working adults developed shortly after the fire was cited recently as a national model by U.S. Secretary of Education Dick Riley. Student services and facilities have been dramatically expanded to meet the needs of today s students.
Budgets remain balanced.
The rest is history. Even without such a tragedy, many in higher education say it is increasingly difficult to survive without these attributes. A long-time trustee for Clarke and Loyola University of Chicago, Sister Helen believes that not every institution could survive what Clarke endured. Those with a shallow sense of identity, mission and tradition could not do it. While it was a tragedy for some, it was obviously a turning point for the institution .