OMAHA, Neb. – College of Saint Mary (CSM) President Maryanne Stevens announced her retirement following the May 2023 commencement.
“I have cherished my time at College of Saint Mary, and I can look back with pride at all that has been accomplished in the last 25 years,” Stevens said.
Stevens is CSM’s longest-serving president of the college. According to the American Council on Education, the average length of service for college presidents is 6.5 years.
In the late 1990’s, Stevens, then the Creighton University theology program chair, excused herself from a CSM board meeting and returned to a room of loyalists who hoped the university professor would agree to step up and turn the school around. The surprised Stevens, after some deep thought and prayer, decided to leave the classroom to take on this new challenge. On June 1, 1996, she began her presidency to pursue a mission of higher education opportunities for women.
Stevens took what was a struggling, debt-ridden institution in the mid-1990s and transformed it into the thriving, financially-sound University it is today.
“It’s hard to imagine that anyone has ever modeled Mother Catherine McAuley’s call to ‘the careful education of women’ more successfully, inclusively and creatively than Dr. Maryanne Stevens,” said Deb Macdonald, chair of the CSM Board of Directors. “Dr. Stevens is the most dynamic leader I’ve worked with, whether in education or the business world. Continuous improvement is her true north, and she motivates everyone around her to join in the journey.”
Under Stevens’ guidance, CSM has developed several innovative programs, specifically, a residence hall allowing college-age single mothers to live with their children on campus; Marie Curie scholarships for low-income women majoring in math or science; the Latina and African-American Summer Academies for high school girls; graduate programs in education, physician assistant studies, occupational therapy, kinesiology and organizational leadership as well as a unique doctoral program in physicial therapy.
Stevens’ passion for education and advancement of women cannot be more evidenced than by her leadership of numerous capital campaigns and scholarship initiatives that have allowed CSM to take its rightful place in the regional landscape of higher education. Most recently, CSM completed a $40 million Striding Forward Campaign in just four years, allowing for growth in the endowment, new scholarships, and the building of an addition to its fitness center.
Affordability and transparency have always been important to Stevens. In 2013, all student fees were rolled into the tuition so students knew what they would pay. And in the fall of 2017, CSM slashed undergraduate tuition by 33%, or approximately $10,000. The move was in accordance with the institution’s mission of providing access and affordability to women who seek higher education. As a result, students borrow less and follow more direct – and cost-effective – paths to their careers. Since the tuition reset, students’ average annual loan borrowings decreased 43% from $11,224 to $6,357. This year, Stevens is raising money to respond to a $2 million challenge grant from the Harper Family Foundation to provide nursing students with a debt-free path.
Stevens served on several community and national boards, including the Council of Independent Nebraska Colleges, Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, Nebraska Educational Finance Authority, Council of Independent Nebraska Colleges Foundation, the Tri-Faith Initiative, and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities.
The Women’s Fund of Greater Omaha, the Aksarben Foundation, the League of Women Voters, Girls Inc., Essential Pregnancy Services, Women’s Center for Advancement, Mercy High School, Roncalli High School, the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) all have honored Dr. Stevens for her leadership and dedication to the education of women.
Stevens joined the Sisters of Mercy in 1966 after graduating from Mercy High School. She has a bachelor’s degree in math and sociology from Misericordia University in Dallas, Pa., a master’s degree in theology from St. Louis University, and a Ph.D. in religion and education from Boston College.
The CSM Board of Directors formed a search committee, which utilized an external search firm to pursue Stevens’ successor.
Stevens Receives President Emerita Title
Stevens received a new title upon her retirement Friday, June 30. During a retirement celebration Tuesday, June 27, Stevens was awarded the status of President Emerita.
The designation is reserved to honor a president who has provided outstanding and distinguished service to CSM, including going beyond the normal duties and responsibilities, leading to an extraordinary impact on the University and the broader community. The president must have served at least 10 years.
“It is my honor and privilege to announce that, during the May meeting, the College of Saint Mary Board of Directors unanimously voted to designate the status of President Emerita to Dr. Maryanne Stevens,” board member Steve Eulie said.
The designation provides a listing in the University catalog and website; use of the title “President Emerita” in the community and professional activities; and the current president may call upon the President Emerita to provide counsel or serve in various volunteer roles to support the University.
Stevens began her presidency to pursue a mission of higher education opportunities for women on June 1, 1996. Under her leadership, CSM has developed several innovative programs, specifically, a residence hall allowing single mothers to live with their children on campus; Marie Curie scholarships for low-income women majoring in math or science; the Summer Academies for high school girls; graduate programs in education, physician assistant studies, occupational therapy, kinesiology and exercise science, and organizational leadership, as well as a unique doctoral program in physical therapy.
Residence Hall Named After Stevens
CSM will rename its residence hall for single mothers and their children in honor of Stevens.
The renaming of Madonna Hall to Stevens Hall is thanks to the generous donation of $250,000 from the Lozier Foundation to support the Mothers Living and Learning (MLL) program, which allows single mothers to pursue college degrees full-time while living on campus with their children.
“We are grateful for this gift from the Lozier Foundation to continue the important work started by Sr. Maryanne,” said Terri Campbell, vice president for alumni and donor relations.
Stevens helped found the MLL program after a student approached her about having to leave college because she was pregnant. CSM has offered on-campus housing to single mothers since 2000. A dedicated residence hall was built for $10 million in 2012. Since its inception, 205 mothers have participated in the MLL program.
In addition to housing, single mothers have access to all the resources and opportunities on campus, including the Spellman Child Development Center and our unique Single Parent Success program. That program includes parenting workshops, a required class, Successful Single Mother, and the Student Mother Advisory Board, which provides support and growth through leadership, learning and community engagement.