Newmanian Numbers

CHRONICLE.COM,  June 30 — In a feature story on the Cardinal Newman Society, the website of higher education’s leading trade publication relates how the society’s founder, Patrick Reilly, came to embrace direct-mail solicitation.

“At first, the direct-mail company didn’t think Catholic higher education was ‘red-meat enough’ for that kind of marketing,” reported the Chronicle. “It thought people would yawn” at an effort to steer Catholic colleges closer to orthodoxy.

However, since starting the marketing campaign, the society has grown from 3,000 members to nearly 20,000.

Annual donations have risen from $30,000 a few years ago to close to $1 million this year. It also attracted a handful of donors willing to write $25,000 checks.

“Mr. Reilly quit his day job,” says the report. “He now has seven employees.”

Patients First

BOSTON BUSINESS JOURNAL, June 23 — An advanced program in nursing practices, the first doctoral program offered by Regis College, will begin in January.

The program offered by the Catholic college in Weston, Mass., is designed to increase the number of doctorate-degree recipients among nursing faculties.

While most nursing-doctorate programs are focused on research, the Regis program will emphasize patient-care issues, reported the newspaper.

Voucher Veer

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, June 22 — Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano became the first Democrat to preside over a new voucher program as she signed into law a bill allowing disadvantaged children to attend private schools.

In an op-ed piece, Clint Bolick, president and general counsel of the Alliance for School Choice, said “this is not an aberration,” as school choice programs have experienced “unprecedented legislative success over the past two years.”

Bolick credits the success to a “smarter” strategy in which advocates push for small and targeted programs “that are difficult for politicians to oppose.” Noting that “choice begets choice,” he points out that it is has also been easier to renew or expand existing programs than to start from scratch.

Finally, increasing numbers of Democrats have found their way to endorse some aspect of school choice with Arizona offering “powerful symbolic evidence” that a shift is underway.

Partnering Sisters

THE REPUBLICAN, June 27 — Elms College, the only four-year, co-educational Catholic college in western Massachusetts, will provide academic programs for lay leaders and ministers in the Diocese of Springfield.

The program, which can lead to either a certificate of study in five related fields or a master’s degree, is the second joint effort announced within a week by the Sisters of St. Joseph college and the diocese.

The other partnership involves Holyoke Catholic High School, a diocesan school, which will move into the former Assumption School adjoining the Elms campus.

Elms College was founded in 1899 as Our Lady of the Elms, a high-school academy for girls.

Applications Accepted

CASPER STAR TRIBUNE, June 27 — Wyoming Catholic College is now accepting applications for its first class in August 2007.

The college has produced promotional materials and all necessary application documents highlighting its liberal-arts program built around the “Great and Good Books.”

More information on the school, which was featured in the Register’s May 18-24 issue, is available at wyomingcatholiccollege.com.