Category: News

OLLU Welcomes Shobi Sivadasan as Vice President for Enrollment and Strategy

Our Lady of the Lake University is pleased to announce the appointment of Shobi Sivadasan as Vice President for Enrollment and Strategy.

Sivadasan joined OLLU in early May as a consultant and quickly made an impact, bringing a strategic and results-oriented approach to the university’s Enrollment division. In a short time, she has led efforts to restructure the division for optimal performance and has begun laying the foundation for a renewed approach to recruiting and retaining students.

“Shobi has demonstrated a command of enrollment strategy that has been unmistakable,” said OLLU President Abel Chávez. “We are utilizing rigor, discipline and accountability in reshaping how we recruit and retain students. Her appointment reflects my belief in OLLU, my belief in our faculty and staff, and our shared responsibility to move forward with focus, execution, discipline, accountability and urgency.”

Under Sivadasan’s leadership, the university is taking a comprehensive look at its enrollment processes, practices and strategies, with the goal of building a stronger and more sustainable enrollment operation.

“This is about much more than enrollment numbers,” Chávez said. “It is about our future and our mission. We believe OLLU belongs, and we must make Catholic education more attainable for the students we exist to serve. As a tuition-dependent institution, our ability to recruit, retain and graduate students is inseparable from our ability to fulfill that mission.”

Sivadasan’s appointment marks an important step in OLLU’s continued efforts to strengthen enrollment and position the university for a successful future. Her leadership will help guide this work with a clear focus on serving students, advancing the university’s mission and ensuring that an OLLU education remains attainable for the students who need it most.

Every Saint Counts: OLLU Reaches 1,577 Enrolled for Fall 2026

OLLU’s Fall 2026 enrollment momentum continues! We have now reached 1,577 enrolled students as we work toward our goal of 1,800 Saints.

That means we’re 223 students away from reaching our goal—and every person in the OLLU community has a role in getting us there.

From faculty and staff to students, alumni, coaches and ambassadors, everyone plays a part. A conversation with a prospective student, a referral to a friend or family member, sharing an OLLU story, welcoming a visitor to campus or simply helping someone see why OLLU could be their home can make a difference.

We’re in the final stretch, and now is the time to keep the momentum going.

1,577 enrolled. 1,800 is the goal. 223 Saints to go.

Let’s continue showing prospective students what it means to be a Saint. Every conversation counts. Every connection matters. Every Saint brings us closer.

Together, we can reach 1,800.

Help Welcome the Class of 2030: New Student Convocation and Providence Path

All OLLU staff and faculty are invited to join the community in welcoming OLLU’s 131st Incoming Class at this year’s New Student Convocation on Friday, August 14, 2026 at 11 a.m. in Sacred Heart Conventual Chapel. We will conclude this cherished tradition with Providence Path, where the community lines the hallway of Main Building to cheer on and welcome in our newest Saints.

Participating administration, faculty, and staff are asked to arrive by 10:45 a.m. on the 2nd Floor of Main Building.

Dress Code: Faculty, please wear regalia.

Staff: Please wear OLLU polos or similar.

Everyone is invited to join us for the New Student Convocation Reception immediately following New Student Convocation/Providence Path on Friday, Aug. 14, at 12:15 p.m. in the Mall Area. This is a wonderful opportunity to mingle with our incoming students and their families, extend a warm OLLU welcome, and help them feel part of our community from day one. Light appetizers will be served. We hope you can join us in celebrating the start of their OLLU journey! We look forward to seeing you there!

Welcome Back! Join Us for UPDD Week, August 10–14, and Don’t Miss the Mandatory Convocation – State of the University on August 11

Welcome Back! UPDD Week Kicks Off August 10–14

The start of a new academic year is almost here, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back for University Professional Development Days (UPDD), August 10–14! Join us for a week of learning, collaboration, connection, and plenty of fun as we prepare for an exciting 2026–2027 academic year. Throughout the week, you’ll find engaging sessions, opportunities to connect with colleagues, games, prizes, and a few surprises along the way.

Don’t Miss Convocation – State of the University (Mandatory)

The University Professional Development Days keynote speaker, Norman Wirzba, will deliver an inspiring and thought-provoking address. Faculty and staff are invited to attend the session from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Please remember that while most UPDD activities are encouraged but not mandatory, Convocation – State of the University on Tuesday, August 11, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. is a mandatory gathering for all faculty and staff. This important annual event will provide updates on the university’s direction, priorities, and vision for the year ahead and marks the official start of the new academic year together as one OLLU community.

Whether you’re attending one session or many, we hope you’ll take advantage of this opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, celebrate our shared mission, and build momentum for the semester ahead.

Celebrating Community

In addition to administrative updates, each quarterly gathering will recognize university accomplishments and milestones. This year’s Convocation will also mark the debut of the Customer Service Excellence Award, a new recognition honoring staff members that create a welcoming, respectful, and caring environment for students, colleagues, visitors, and the university community.

REMINDER: Submit a nomination by August 4th by 5pm below.
(If your nominee was not selected, please know that their contributions are valued and they may be considered during a future nomination period.)

Submit nominations here

We look forward to seeing you August 10–14—and kicking off an incredible 2026–2027 academic year together!

If You Get Spam… Send It Phishing! 🎣

Cybercriminals are getting more sophisticated, and phishing emails can look surprisingly convincing. If you receive a suspicious email, don’t forward it—especially not as an “FYI” to Paul Patillo or the IT team.

Instead, help keep our campus secure by reporting it directly:

  1. Open the suspicious email.
  2. Click the three dots button on the right-hand side of your email.
  3. Select PhishNotify.

Reporting suspicious messages through the Phish button allows IT to investigate and protect the OLLU community more quickly and efficiently.

When in doubt, don’t click—report it! Every reported phishing email helps make our inboxes safer.

OLLU Employee Summer Volunteer Day: A Garden Dedicted To St. Francis!

This Friday, August 7th, the OLLU Center for Service-Learning and Volunteerism and the Biology and Environmental Science and Sustainability Programs are partnering with the San Antonio River Authority to start a native pollinator garden on our campus.  This new garden will be dedicated to St Francis of Assisi, for whom we are celebrating a Jubilee Year in 2026, and will be located on OLLU land behind our softball fields and alongside Elmendorf Lake Park.  Last semester, we partnered with the Bexar County Audubon Society to build Bexar county’s first chimney swift tower on this area, this structure provides important shelter for locally threatened birds.

This week we are going to begin preparing the lot for future planting in October and we need your help!  We will be “solarizing” the ground which means laying down cardboard and covering with mulch to allow the August sun to kill the undesirable plants underneath.  This will allow us to start fresh with selected native flowers and shrubs.  After lunch, come on out and join us – you should be prepared for the sun and to work with your hands, but we will provide gloves, sunscreen, tools, and plenty of ice cold water!  If you have an OLLU t-shirt please wear it.  Feel free to bring your family or friends, all are welcome!  You can park by the softball fields or on Cesar Chavez Blvd near the Worden Building or walk over.

If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to Jesse at joharasta@ollusa.edu or at (210) 431-3990.

Sueltenfuss Library Awarded $350,000 National Endowment for Humanities Grant

Our Lady of the Lake University has received a $350,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to preserve and expand access to archival records of San Antonio’s missions and related collections documenting the early history of Texas and the American Southwest.

OLLU was one of only 33 organizations funded nationwide through the NEH’s Rediscovering Our Revolutionary Tradition program—and the only NEH grant recipient in Texas during this funding cycle.

The project includes the only accessible research copies of many original handwritten records related to San Antonio’s five historic missions, including the Alamo. The two-year grant, beginning in January 2027, will support improved preservation and storage of the collections and make high-resolution digital images searchable online, with tools to assist researchers in transcribing and translating the records.

The proposal and vision for the project were developed by Maria Cabaniss, Director of the Sueltenfuss Library, and Liana Morales, Archives and Special Collections Librarian. Liana Morales will serve as Project Director.

Congratulations to the Sueltenfuss Library and on this extraordinary achievement!

Momentum Continues: OLLU Reaches 1,554 Enrolled for Fall 2026

OLLU’s Fall 2026 enrollment continues its steady climb, reaching 1,554 students as we work toward our goal of 1,800. Every new Saint represents another life transformed through education and brings us one step closer to achieving our enrollment goal.

This milestone reflects the collective efforts of the entire OLLU community. From faculty and staff to student ambassadors, alumni and coaches, every conversation, campus visit, referral and shared experience helps prospective students discover what makes OLLU unique.

As we enter the final stretch of the enrollment cycle, your continued support remains essential. Whether you’re participating in the internal enrollment challenge, connecting with prospective students, sharing your OLLU story or simply extending a warm welcome to visitors on campus, your efforts make a meaningful difference.

With 246 students remaining to reach our Fall 2026 goal, every interaction counts. Thank you for your dedication, enthusiasm and commitment to helping future Saints find their home at OLLU. Together, we are building a stronger university—one student at a time.

Taking a Fresh Look at Campus-Wide Email Communications

If it seems like your inbox has been filling up with more campus-wide emails lately, you’re not alone. That’s one of the reasons Our Lady of the Lake University is taking a fresh look at who can send broadcast emails to the entire campus community.

Right now, 56 individuals and offices are authorized to send messages to all faculty and staff. As part of this review, the university will be updating that list to reflect current roles and organizational changes. In some cases, authorized senders are no longer with the university or represent offices that no longer exist.

The goal isn’t simply to reduce the number of emails—it’s to make campus-wide communication more meaningful. By ensuring that broadcast emails are reserved for information that truly affects the entire university community, important announcements will be easier to recognize and less likely to get lost in a crowded inbox. At the same time, more targeted messages can continue to reach the people who need them most.

This review will also help establish thoughtful guidelines and consistent practices for campus-wide communications moving forward, making it easier for everyone to know when a message is intended for the entire OLLU community.

As this work continues, we’ll keep the campus informed about what’s being considered and invite feedback along the way. Your input will help shape a communication process that better serves everyone across the university.

OLLU Alumna Cassandra Valdez Earns Spot on National Team

Our Lady of the Lake University proudly celebrates Cassandra “Cassie” Valdez, a two-time OLLU graduate and former Saints softball standout, on earning a spot on the National Team for the upcoming Central American and Caribbean Games.

Valdez, who recently joined the OLLU softball program as an assistant coach, continues to build on an impressive athletic career while inspiring the next generation of Saints. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from OLLU, most recently crossing the commencement stage as a Spring 2026 graduate.

Looking ahead, Valdez is working toward earning a place on the Mexican National Team as it pursues qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games.

Congratulations, Cassie, on this outstanding achievement. The OLLU community is cheering you on as you represent your team and continue your journey on the international stage.