Students from the Newman Catholic Student Center in Iowa City pose with a canoe-themed homecoming parade float in this file photo.
By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger
IOWA CITY — Despite fewer self-identified Catholics enrolling at the University of Iowa in recent years, the number of students who choose to make Newman Catholic Student Center part of their college experience is rising.
Personalized, intentional outreach is key to welcoming incoming students to Catholic life on campus, said Christine Wissink, director of outreach and faith formation. “We know that person-to-person contact and invitation is the most powerful way to evangelize. We do all we can to connect with students across many mediums in order to get the information out there that we exist and are there for them.”
Located near the heart of campus, Newman Center aims to help students become disciples for the Church and the world through educational programs, social justice activities, retreats, active participation in the liturgy and leadership opportunities.
As part of the Iowa Religious Advisors Association, the University of Iowa Admissions Office sends Newman Center the list of incoming and transfer students who indicate a religious preference on their college entrance exams “so that we can reach out to welcome them,” Wissink said. The number of names has dropped from about 1,000 to 200 in the past 10 years. Simply put, “we have less known Catholics to contact.”
Wissink also reaches out to parishes and Catholic schools to see if any recent graduates are planning to attend the University of Iowa. She also works with Newman Ministry, which collects information from students who are interested in participating in Catholic life at their respective college or university.
Newman Center staff and student outreach team members are constantly working to welcome new, current and prospective students. The University of Iowa hosts about 15 prospective students events each year, and Newman Center takes part in all of them, Wissink said. Families also come on their own to check out the campus. Newman Center began hiring student front desk workers about a year ago so that prospective students have peers to greet them and give tours.
The summer before classes begin, Wissink sends a series of postcards to incoming students with a message of welcome from the priest director, information about Welcome Week and Becoming a Hawkeye events and links to Newman Center’s social media pages. “The postcards are nice because they are physical, and so the whole household can see” what Newman Center has to offer, Wissink said. Student Outreach Team members get involved by reaching out to each incoming student in late July or early August to welcome them and invite them to Newman Center.
Newman Center works to make its presence known in the first few weeks of fall semester, as staff and student leaders know this is a crucial time for new students who are looking for a place to belong. Incoming freshmen and transfer students can participate in a variety of Newman Center-hosted activities during the university’s Welcome Week Aug.17-23, including trivia, volleyball and yard games, Mass, Eucharistic adoration and a bonfire. Students can continue building connections by working on Newman Center’s homecoming parade float, attending Mass and Bible studies, and participating in activities and retreats.
Wissink sends weekly emails to Catholic students to let them know what’s going on. “Outreach and meeting incoming students happens all year round here.”
