Team from Peer Jesuit Institutions Visits SLU as Part of Review of University's Mission
10/28/2024
ST. LOUIS – Saint Louis University wrapped its year-long institutional process of discernment with an on-site peer visit this week. The visit was conducted by colleagues from three peer Jesuit universities.
The three-person team was chaired by Mardell A. Wilson, Ed.D., provost at Creighton University. Wilson served as the Dean of the Edward and Margaret Doisy College of Health Sciences at SLU from 2014 to 2020. Additional reviewers include Daniel R. J. Joyce, S.J., vice president of Mission and Ministry at Saint Joseph’s University, and Michael Serazio, Ph.D., professor of Communication at Boston College.
From left, Daniel R. J. Joyce, S.J., vice president of Mission and Ministry at Saint Joseph’s University, and Thomas Curran, S.J., provincial co-assistant for higher education, during a meeting with Student Development on Wednesday, Oct. 30. Photo by Maggie Rotermund.
The Mission Priority Examen (MPE) is a self-led process intended to reaffirm a Jesuit university’s commitment to its Catholic, Jesuit mission and the ways the University might continue to live out the mission in the future. The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) and the North American Jesuit Provincials have established the MPE for Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States and Belize, a process requested by the Superior General of the Society of Jesus.
“The four days with the peer review team were a tremendous experience of the shared commitment to SLU’s mission, and the interaction with the four members of the team was meaningful, valuable, and hopeful,” said Virginia Herbers, director of mission formation at SLU and MPE steering committee co-chair. “Thank you to all who showed up for those sessions.”
Students from SLU's Catholic Studies Center talk with the MPE team during a site visit on Wednesday, Oct. 30. Photo by Maggie Rotermund.
The MPE process was launched in December 2023, at the invitation of Thomas P. Greene, S.J., provincial superior of the Central and Southern Province.
Read more about the MPE process
The MPE process is grounded in the examen, a practice of Ignatian reflection, and invites the campus community to reflect upon areas of strength in embodying SLU’s Jesuit, Catholic identity and opportunities for deepening SLU’s mission. SLU last conducted the MPE in 2018-19.
Saint Louis University
Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Catholic institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers more than 15,200 students a rigorous, transformative education of the whole person. At the core of the University’s diverse community of scholars is SLU’s service-focused mission, which challenges and prepares students to make the world a better, more just place.
Latest Newslink
- SLU to Co-Host the 2026 Summit for Water Exploring Water in One HealthSaint Louis University's WATER Institute, the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center, and the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation are co-hosting the 2026 SLU Summit for Water: Water in One Health: The Environmental, Animal, and Human Health Nexus.
- Creative Excellence: SLU Staffers Win Design and Photography AccoladesSaint Louis University designers and photographers from Marketing and Communications and Enrollment Management earned several awards for their creative work in 2025.
- Saint Louis University Honored for Excellence in Integrating International EducationSaint Louis University has been awarded a 2026 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization by NAFSA: Association of International Education. Named after the late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon of Illinois, the annual NAFSA Simon Awards celebrate outstanding commitment and accomplishment in campus internationalization.
- Gary Wayne Barker: 1963-2026Gary Wayne Barker, professor of theatre and associate dean for administration and undergraduate affairs in the College of Arts and Sciences at Saint Louis University, died Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. He was 62.
- Campus Read Speaker Series Invites Participants to Discuss the Writings of Jhumpa LahiriAs part of the St. Louis Literary Award series of programs honoring the 2026 award recipient Jhumpa Lahiri, the Saint Louis University 2026 Campus Read Speaker Series will highlight Lahiri's work, with a focus on her award-winning work "Interpreter of Maladies."
- ‘A Model Human Being’: SLU Pediatrician Cared for Children with CancerDennis "Denny" M. O'Connor, M.D. (A&S '63, Med '67), professor emeritus of pediatrics at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, died Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. He was 83 years old. O'Connor dedicated more than 50 years to pediatric care, specializing in treating children with cancer, blood disorders and infectious diseases.
