Deans rarely look to the past to shape the vision of their respective colleges, but newly selected Matteo Ricci Dean Michael Andrews has decided to focus on the college’s namesake as the inspiration for the college’s new direction.
“Our humanities college has a unique mission to complete the work of Matteo Ricci,” Andrews said, “to take seriously a global education.”
President Stephen Sundborg, S.J. and Provost Isiaah Crawford selected Andrews as dean of Matteo Ricci Sept. 18. He previously served for three years as associate dean of the college and as a philosophy professor at Seattle U.
Andrews recently came back from a year-long sabbatical in Rome, Italy where he lectured as a senior research fellow on the translation of 17th century philosophical texts.
As a professor, Andrews focused on feminology and deconstructionism. But he also has a deep passion for studying the Jesuit imagination stemming from his time spent as a Jesuit scholastic in the 1990s.
“I have a very special love for the Jesuit philosophy and education,” Andrews said.
This love for Jesuit education has led Dean Andrews to examine the college’s Jesuit namesake Matteo Ricci for inspiration for his new vision of the school.
Matteo Ricci was a Jesuit Italian missionary who shared European astronomy and cartography techniques with the Chinese in the 16th century. Scholars credit Ricci with the creation of the first map of China, and he is the only westerner buried within the Forbidden City in Beijing, China.
“Matteo Ricci is a great model for international dialogue,” Andrews said. “He really was the first global citizen of the world.”
Andrews believes in the importance of a humanities education to better both the university as a whole and the larger global community.
“I see the college being a spokesperson for the humanities on campus,” Andrews said.
Andrews said the college is unique in that it stands poised to benefit the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle. Through their program Jumpstart, the college offers a bachelor’s degree in humanities to high school students coming from Seattle area Catholic schools, including Seattle Preparatory School, with which the college has an especially close relationship.
“I am very proud of that degree because it serves Catholic youth,” Andrews said. “Matteo Ricci College directly impacts the families within the Archdiocese of Seattle and serves as an extension between the community and Seattle University.”
Andrews also intends to expand the college’s involvement in both the local and global community and to help shape the college into the college’s Jesuit foundation. The college’s humanities for teaching degree, according to Andrews, serves as proof of the college’s Jesuit focus.
“The degree helps students see teaching as a vocation,” Andrews said, “which fits in with the Jesuit understanding of education.”
Seattle University Spectator > News
Matteo Ricci Dean Andrews looks toward past for guidance
Published: Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Updated: Wednesday, November 4, 2009
 "Photo: Sonya Ekstrom | The Spectator")
Sonya Ekstrom | The Spectator
Dean Michael Andrews
1 comments
Paul Yih
I salute this new direction of the university -- indeed, as a cross cultural psychologist, and where I have my first exposure with the Jesuits in Macao, with the Ricci group , even today, there are on going human mission work being conducted and continued on by Fr. Luiz Ruiz of Casa Ricci -- over fifty thousand Chinese lepers and also HIV patients are being tended to by Fr. Luiz Ruiz and being done so anonymously. And more over, Matteo Ricci 's great debate in his translation of the term "god" into Chinese had the longest struggle with both the Franciscans and Dominicans in China. Ricci's in depth knowledge of Chinese and his love and respect for the Chinese culture can be the best of the best role model for anyone who are engaged in all Cross-Cultural studies.
