April 2021
Saint Joseph's College (Indiana), a Catholic college founded and sponsored by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, pledges itself to a tradition of excellence and to a liberal education that is a united endeavor of intelligence and faith.
Letter from the Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Happy spring, Pumas! The changing of the seasons brings new life and growth not only to our world, but to our beloved Saint Joe. As promised, I would like to share with you updates on campus activity and plans for new things coming soon. I also hope to put to rest any rumors or falsehoods that may have been shared with our alumni and friends.
The 128 Core Partners initiative was a fundraising campaign to cover the expenses of SJC’s journey back to health and vitality. With the support of the 128 Core Partners, that gave us the time we need to execute a viable, comprehensive plan to bring life back to the Rensselaer campus. It will help us find a way to continue the SJC mission in a form that is sustainable in the 21st century. The campaign’s purpose was to provide operating support over a three-year period to restructure, restart and rebuild.
To date, we have not had to use any 128 Core campaign payments to fund our operations. The $772,567 actual dollars received are being held in a money market account awaiting future use. We are thankful for the continued support of our Core 128 donors. To the contrary of what you may read in social media, only a small fraction of Core 128 donors have requested a return of their gift. We have not called anyone to release their Core 128 funds nor have we indicated the school is not on a path to revitalization. We continue to develop certification programs and other partnership we are forming with educational institutions. We continue to host ongoing Zoom meetings with Core 128 partners and Rensselaer and Jasper County leadership to inform them of the College’s progress, answer their questions, and listen to their suggestions.
As part of the rebuilding plan, the certificate programs, approved by the state of Indiana and solely SJC, are graduating students and are earning tuition revenue. We have four, State approved, certificate programs – Certified Clinical Medical Assistant, Certified Nursing Assistant, Phlebotomy Technician, and Electrocardiogram Technician. Our second CNA class just finished, our fourth class of CCMA and second group of CPT student’s finish in May.
We are enrolling for the next round of classes to start the end of May and beginning of June. As we build these programs, we are looking to add accelerated weekend programs for working students or those who might live further away. This year we will be adding Billing and Coding and by the end of April we will be a Red Cross CPR training site. Later this year and spring 2022, we are considering adding QMA, Certified Medical Administrative Assistant, Patient Care Technician, and Pharmacy Technician.
As you may recall, Ivy Tech partnered with SJC to use our facilities to teach their classes. Due to COVID this partnership was put on hold as all classes went virtual. The SJC leadership are currently working with the leadership at Ivy Tech to resume this partnership when COVID lifts. We are also in talks with Marian University and Calumet College of Saint Joseph’s for additional partnerships and new programs. Should the operating need arise to continue the initiatives as outlined in the CORE 128 campaign, those funds may be used for these initiatives in the future.
Through the House of Grace Program, we are fulfilling our mission by serving the underserved and supporting and engaging with the community. House of Grace is paying rent to the College and using only one apartment. The intent is for those individuals in the House of Grace program to enroll in our certificate programs as we continue the mission of education and serving the underserved.
We are pleased to report we operate on a balanced budget and are continually finding ways to reduce cost without inhibiting our progress. The SJC CFO provides monthly, detailed balance sheets, income statements, and budget to actual results to the finance committee and additionally supplies cash projections and Core 128 updates monthly to the Board of Trustees. There has never been a request since the school suspended operations in 2017 from limiting a trustee access to the financial and operational records.
As we continue to move forward and grow, we invite you to share your thoughts and ideas. We have received multiple ideas and proposals, all of which were shared with the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees along with the SJC staff give full consideration and much time spent vetting proposals. If the proposal is sound and in line with the mission of the College, the Board of Trustees may choose to pursue further. It is with the great help from our successful and brilliant alumni that we have come this far.
As COVID restrictions continue to ease, we will be hosting on campus open houses and tours. The SJC staff and I are working with the Alumni Association to consider a gathering on campus this coming fall. More information about this will be shared as it becomes available. In the meantime, if you have questions please reach out to our Director of Communications and Development, Beth Graf, and she would be glad to answer your questions or share with the appropriate person. She can be reached by cell (219) 863-3839 or email bgraf@saintjoe.edu.
Blessings to you,
Mike Van Eekeren
Chairman of the Board
Saint Joseph’s College
Contact Us
Saint Joseph’s College PO Box 300 Rensselaer, IN 47978
Beth Graf, Director of Communications and Development
Email: bgraf@saintjoe.edu
Phone: 219-866-6000 ext 2014