St. John's News

Following two very successful meetings of the St. John’s University Community Dialogue Groups, one on Staten Island on January 24th and, the second one in Queens on January 31st, 2007, Joseph Sciame, Vice President for Community Relations, stated: “We are off to a very positive start in calendar year 2007 in terms of sound and collaborative community relations.” He based his opinion on the joint meetings that are held bi-monthly with members of the various civic organizations, community boards, police precincts, local assembly, state senatorial and municipal representatives.

Most recently, and at the Staten Island Campus, representatives of Wagner College’s Student Life Residence program and their security force shared in the St. John’s discussions with local neighbors, concerning matters relative to students residing in the Grymes Hill apartment complex. Unique to both St. John’s and Wagner is the fact that some resident students “live in the community” and not on campus, thereby affording future collegiate graduates the opportunity of living in a real community of full time workers and families alike. It becomes a learning experience in the true sense of the word.

At the Queens campus STJCDG meeting, held for the first time off-campus, and at the Psychological Services Center on Union Tpke., members of the community were afforded an opportunity to view at first hand the facilities where St. John’s provides reduce cost services to the greater Queens community. Representatives from the community boards, merchants’ association, civic organizations and others attended the meeting with a good number of STJ reps, and were enlighten about the Queens campus future and various facility changes, student life and resident life issues, parking as well as security coverage. Additionally, the new efforts to combat drugs and alcohol abuse were shared in learning more about the Sober 24/7 Program.

Members of the Community Relation’s “team” in addition to Sciame, include: Kevin Ryan, JD, Associate and Margaret Cashin, Assistant, as well as two student workers. Sciame applauded the University’s outreach and efforts to maintain sound relations in the community. “Many ask why St. John’s University exerts so much effort in working in and with the community. To that end, we respond it is within our mission to be Catholic, Vincentian, metropolitan, global and always concerned about the local and greater community.” For more information, please see: www.stjohns.edu/community.