Posted 01/24/07

St. Michael's College considers Calareso
Seeking a formidable replacement for vanderHeyden

Colin Vallance| photo editor
cvallance@smcvt.edu

Calareso is the current president of Ohio Dominican University (ODU), located in Columbus, Ohio. The liberal arts institution is similar to St. Michael's College in regards to its residential, undergraduate program of more than 3,000 students.

Calareso has held many administrative positions at Catholic institutions across the country and holds a doctorate in educational leadership and administration from Marquette University, Wis. As a native of Boston, he looks at the possible move to Vermont as a home coming of sorts.

“I am a native of New England and really am excited to not only have the opportunity to serve this great institution, but the opportunity to come back home,” Calareso says.

Prior to his move to ODU in 2001, Calareso held the presidency and was a professor of education at Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa from 1999 to 2001. Between 1996 and 1999 he was vice president for academic affairs and professor of education at Merrimack College, North Andover, Mass. Additionally, Calareso spent seven years beginning in 1989 at the College of Saint Rose in Albany, N.Y. During his time at Saint Rose he was vice president for academic affairs and professor of education from 1993 to 1996. Prior to this he was the dean of the school of education and professor of education from 1990 to 1993.

What did the St. Michael's population want to know?

On Friday, Jan. 19, Calareso was on the St. Michael’s College campus partaking in a question-based conference with faculty, staff, and students at the McCarthy Arts Center. Leading the discussion with a laid back, comical tone, Calareso answered questions ranging from student financial concerns to questions regarding why he wants to leave Ohio Dominican for St. Michael’s.

“I’m not sure that I want to leave Ohio Dominican. We like Columbus , we’ve done great things, and there are more things that we are trying to do, but this is the part of the country we think of as home,” Calareso says.

Calareso also explained the other aspects that drew him to St. Michael’s.

“First and foremost, the institution. The quality of the institution. There are 250 Catholic colleges in America and this is among the best," says Calareso. "And then the second reason, being a native New Englander, the opportunity to not only be involved in a great institution, but a great institution in Vermont.”

Calareso says the two biggest challenges that St. Michael’s is currently facing are “sustaining the quality of the student population as well as developing crucial resources that the institution consumes with a veracious appetite.”

Where'd all the students go?

Mallory Wood, a St. Michael’s junior, was among the few students who attended and spoke at the conference. Wood was only able to attend the first and last speakers due to conflicts with her class schedule. She raised concerns about financial burdens that students may face as the school looks for funding.

In response to this question, Calareso says, “The tuition can’t rise exponentially, that’s not fair for students and not healthy for the institution. We’re going to have to find other resources to achieve our goals.”

Two other questions that were raised by students included athletics issues and the housing crunch on campus. “If we believe in holistic education, then we agree that we need to have things beyond the classroom that provide the student with that holistic educational experience,” Calareso says. He was not able to comment on the school’s athletic program possibly moving from the second to the third division.

In respect to the housing situation, Calareso says he will not allow students to live off-campus. “I think that students should live on campus. I think there’s a real educational value to providing a residential experience for four years,” he says.

Wood says that Calareso seemed like a good candidate. “I was impressed by the energy that Calareso had. He seemed to have a genuine interest when people were asking questions. The spirit of the discussion was informative because I felt he tried to answer everyone’s questions as best he could.”

As one of the few students who attended, Wood says she felt like a minority. “The student turn out was awful. I was disappointed that more people didn’t show up. I talked to a lot of students who would have liked to have gone but didn’t realize they were so welcome.”

An Ohio Dominican perspective

Dave Archibald, vice president for enrollment management and marketing at Ohio Dominican, is the only administrator at the school who was there prior to Calareso’s selection and has worked alongside him for his entire tenure.

Archibald says Calareso enhanced the institution during his five and a half year tenure. “The University has changed significantly in a number of positive ways. Enrollment increased by 50 percent and a number of new programs were implemented. All of these changes were significant and well received.”

In regards to how Calareso interacts within the school, Archibald says he treats it like a full-time job.

“He spends a lot of time on campus. Most days he arrives around 6 a.m. and will be there until the beginning of the evening, usually around 6 p.m.”

He adds, “His door is always open; he is very accessible to faculty and staff. Although he may not always be in the cafeteria with the students, it is usually because he is hosting fundraising lunches and dinners.”

Archibald says if Calareso is appointed and accepts the position, he will be a difficult president to replace. “He has an enticing style; he’s an initiator and an innovator. He sets a high pace for the rest of the faculty while keeping high standards.”