Alumni Support of Mount Retirees

Class of 2014

The taking of this benifit has caused a great deal of hardship for many people

​As a proud alum of Mount St. Mary’s, I’ve always counted myself incredibly blessed to share in the legacy of a university that has prided itself on the pillars of faith, leadership, discovery and community. The Mount is a place in which rigorous academics and strong support from both staff, professors, and peers is fostered and encouraged under the gaze of our beloved Blessed Mother, whose serene presence above the mountains signals that this is not only a place of learning, but also a sacred place where “saints have trod.” It is in this holy legacy that our community resides and flourishes, and fosters a real sense of family and of connectedness that is truly unique to the Mount. ​Today, I write with concern about our community. Learning about the termination of retirement benefits for retirees from the Mount has come as a shock. From what I understand, this change affects both professors as well as staff who have retired from the Mount, and this change is particularly alarming due to not only the many years of service given to the Mount by these beloved members of our community, but also because it seems to contradict the very loyalty and unity that was so defining of my experience as a student at the Mount. The Mount is undeniably a family--ask any of the students, past or present, and they will tell you that it is this community that has made the most lasting marks upon their time on Mary’s mountain. ​I know that I am personally indebted to these staff and professors, and my experience at the Mount would have been far less meaningful to me without their tireless work and presence. I understand that I do not know everything about the situation, and that it is a difficult and complex matter. However, this decision must be revisited, and ideally, reversed. I will always cherish my time at the Mount, and I will always see that beloved mountain as a second home. We must continue to keep Mount St. Mary’s strong in her Catholic values that tell her to care for and b

I am both saddened and disappointed to hear the news about the termination of the retiree health benefits at the Mount. It is my hope that the current administration will reconsider this decision. Everyone has worked tirelessly to make the Mount the wonderful school that it is. I would urge the current board members to reconsider this decision and also be more transparent in their decisions in the future to both faculty, staff, students, and alumni. - B. Olivia Gorman C'14

The news of the Mount's termination of retiree health benefits impacts me in an uniquely upfront way, as I am both a Mount alumnus (C'13) and a current part-time employee on the main campus. Suffice to say I am appalled at the new Presidency's poor form and utter disrespect for a benefit that has long since entered into faculty and staff members' retirement calculations and planning. More specifically, I am appalled how my instructors and colleagues will suffer from it. As an indication of general trends, this decision, combined with the way in which it has been communicated, does not bode well for a university that has already (without the Presidency's sweeping reforms) provided such strong undergraduate educations. Put positively, this decision and the form of its communication are downright ominous. They should spark concern in anyone who cares about Mount St. Mary's University and its employees.

As someone who attended the Mount for 4 years, as well as donated to the Mount over my years since graduation, I am deeply saddened and disappointed by this recent decision concerning the termination of retiree health benefits. Although it is currently a time of desperation with regards to finances for many institutions, cuts could have been made in different areas that would have been less detrimental to the integrity of this institution. Christina Carter C'11.

I owe nearly every good aspect of my life to the Mount community. I met my wife there along with most of my best friends, and I truly grew as a person in my four years there. The Mount is truly special to each of us because of the people that dedicate their lives to it. Since graduating from the Mount, I have studied at two other universities and I can say without hesitation that the experience of studying at the Mount is vastly superior to the impersonal experience most undergraduates get sitting in massive lecture halls at larger universities. This would not be possible without hard working faculty and employees who truly care about the students and their well-being; they are the very core of this community. To mistreat them is to neglect the people who do the most to make the Mount a school worth attending. We should all be upset by this, not just because it’s a downright slimy thing to do, but because it reveals serious incompetence in the university leadership. I cannot think of a worse way to make a decision like this than to keep the rationale for it a secret from the community and to leave it to someone else to inform everyone impacted by it. If the financial situation truly called for an action like this, then the administration would be in a position to justify its actions by demonstrating the need and showing us that other options had been exhausted. Instead, they have risked alienating people who have been touched by anyone impacted by this decision.

I am very saddened by these developments and hope that the administration would reconsider. Retirees of the Mount don't deserve this treatment. -Angela, C'02

Those who worked so hard for the University, should not be punished for the poor financial decisions of others. I had a wonderful education at Mount St. Mary's, one which I will be paying for until I am 50. I do not want my school to be one that continues to not take care of it's own and spends money on needless statues and things. The faculty, staff and students are what made the school so great. Do not take away from that culture, there are other means of cutting costs, and generating revenue. Certainly this decision, will alienate many donors that currently contribute to the school, and will deter future donors (yours truly) from donating as they progress in their careers. Mike Urgo BA, MBA, MS ~ Class of 2009

As a member for the Class of 2004, and a donor to the Mount, this information disgusts me and makes me reconsider my future financial decisions.

While I am saddened by the decision and truly hope it is reversed for the good of those who made the Mount what it was for me, the strong evidence of Mount spirit, community and values that it has evoked really overwhelm me. I'm proud to be part of it and hope it has a profound effect on the President and his advisors. There's some positive spin, President Newman.... a positive story within which to couch an announcement on the reversal of this bad decision

Class o 2009

MSM BA '02, VLS JD '08

Class of 1984. MBA

The faculty and staff at The Mount are a large part of what makes it the exceptional. They are mentors. They are colleagues. They are cheerleaders. They are friends. They are so much more than this. Please do right by them. Please also remember that in this age of social media that the truth will out. Alumni, current students, and the community encourage you to honor your commitments. Rebecca Walker Shoemaker, C'03

MSM extend these benefits! Class of 2007, MBA class of 2008

The Mount taught us to respect the core fundamental values of Catholic Social Teaching. Allow me to NOW REMIND YOU!!!! Catholic social teaching is the body of doctrine developed by the Catholic Church on matters of social justice, involving issues of poverty and wealth, economics, social organization and the role of the state.

Class of 2009

The professors at the Mount had a lot to do with the man I have become. We preach Christian values, but this action is opposite of the Catholic tradition that the Mount stands for and has stood for so long. Please re-institute these benefits for the retired Mount faculty and staff,

Class of 2008