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About 150 Freshmen, 115 Transfers Enroll for Fall Semester

(Leavenworth, Kan.)—The »¨½·Ö±²¥ welcomed a modern record of new students Aug. 26 with matriculation ceremonies in the Annunciation Chapel on the university's main campus in Leavenworth.

About 150 freshmen and 115 transfer students were invited to participate in the long-standing ceremony. The size of the incoming class required the university to – for the first time – split the event into two sessions.

Following a greeting from USM President Sister Diane Steele, students lit candles at the altar and then formed a "circle of light" around the building's interior. The candlelight symbolized the potential of students and the university's mission being carried out into the world.

"You, our new students, have the next four years, to nourish and foster the light within," Steele said. "As you explore the light within, you will discover dimensions of yourself that you had never dreamed of, never thought possible. You see a glimpse of who you really are and who you are called to be."

USM is one of only a handful of American universities with a formal matriculation ceremony. The higher education tradition dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries. USM began holding its version in the 1980s. 

As is tradition, matriculation preceded the official start of fall classes on Aug. 27.

 

The »¨½·Ö±²¥ is a Catholic co-educational applied liberal arts university founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. The University of »¨½·Ö±²¥ main campus is located at 4100 South 4th Street, Leavenworth, Kan. USM's Overland Park Campus at 4500 College Boulevard offers evening accelerated graduate and undergraduate degree-completion programs. The university also offers online programs. Visit  for more information.