Dear Friends of St. John’s University,
As President of St. John’s, I take special pleasure in
presenting this report of the major achievements of the 2006-2007
academic year. While these clearly indicate the broad diversity of
activities in which members of our University community have been
engaged, there are several themes that unify those activities and
underscore the identity of this institution.
First, is a commitment to serving our students. St. John’s is a
University within which teaching and learning remain preeminent.
All that we do — from the establishment of new academic programs,
to development of a new study abroad site in Paris and an expanded
international presence in Rome, to creation of a state-of-the-art
Financial Information Laboratory, to the implementation of creative
service learning and internship opportunities — is designed to
provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to function
effectively within the global marketplace as well as the vision and
values needed to make a difference in the world.
Second, an abiding dedication to the Vincentian mission that
shapes our university and distinguishes it from other institutions
of higher education. That mission has served as a centerpiece for
past annual reports, and it pervades this one as well. St. Vincent
de Paul’s zeal for service is modeled in the assistance that Law
School students have provided for victims of Hurricane Katrina and
the trip that undergraduates took to Lourdes, France, to assist
pilgrims. It is the animating force behind the innovative new
Ozanam Scholars program, named for Frederic Ozanam, a 19th-century
disciple of St. Vincent. Ozanam Scholars are undergraduates who
come to St. John’s with an already-established record of service
and who engage, throughout their four years of study, in
service-learning and research projects designed to study and
attempt to ameliorate the causes and effects of poverty. As
Professor James Keane, Director of the program, is quoted as
saying, “Ozanam scholars are preparing to be secular Vincentians —
outstanding citizens who go on to become professors, doctors,
lawyers, etc. — but who retain a lifelong dedication to helping the
poor and doing pro bono work.”
The third theme, which encompasses the previous two, is the
accelerating globalization of our University. While we have, in
fact, deepened our roots in the New York City metropolitan area by,
for example, assuming responsibility for the Bread and Life program
in Bedford-Stuyvesant and joining Mayor Bloomberg’s Green campaign,
we have also extended our outreach to nations and continents beyond
Europe. The name of our study abroad program — Discover the World —
evidences this as do the activities that have taken faculty and
students to areas as far-flung as Vietnam and the Dominican
Republic.
I trust that this report will convey not only what we have
achieved during the past year but also the creativity, energy and
commitment of the University community that has made these
accomplishments possible. We are thankful for all who help us to
serve our students and to make our world a better place.
Sincerely,
Donald J. Harrington, C.M.
President