January 13, 2011
Earning further recognition for its Vincentian commitment to
making a positive difference through service, St. John’s University
is one of only 115 colleges and universities selected for the 2010
Community Engagement Classification by the Carnegie Foundation
for the Advancement of Teaching.
According to Anthony S. Bryk, President of the Carnegie Foundation,
St. John’s was chosen for “excellent alignment among mission,
culture, leadership, resources and practices that support dynamic
and noteworthy community engagement.”
St. John’s
was one of 154 applicants for this year’s classification, which
lasts through 2015. The 115 winners bring the number of recognized
institutions to 315 nationwide.
The Carnegie Foundation created the classification in 2006 to
acknowledge institutions’ service and collaboration with “their
larger communities . . . for the mutually beneficial exchange of
knowledge and resources.”
St. John’s selection is one of several recent honors the University
has received for engagement and service. Last March, St. John’s was
named to the
2009 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll
— the highest federal recognition a college or university can
receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and
civic engagement. In June, St. John’s won first place among 18
local institutions in the inaugural New York
City College Challenge.
“St. John’s is honored to be recognized by the Carnegie
Foundation,” said Rev.
James J. Maher, C.M., Executive Vice President for Mission and
Executive Director of the Vincentian
Institute for Social Action (VISA) at St. John’s. “It is both
gratifying and edifying to work with so many faculty, students,
administrators and staff who exhibit such dedication and excellence
in manifesting our Catholic and Vincentian mission.”
“We look forward to building upon this recognition and deepening
our commitment to excellence in academic and community engagement,”
Fr. Maher added.
Through VISA, St. John’s has forged many strategic partnerships
with local communities and New York City itself. For example, the
Advantage Academy, with the Department of Homeless Services,
offers educational opportunities to New Yorkers from homeless and
formerly homeless single-parent families.
The Afternoon All-Stars, a program with the City’s Housing
Authority, helps disadvantaged children to enhance their learning
skills and social development. Sustainability efforts include St.
John’s partnership with the City and New York Restoration Project’s
“MillionTreesNYC” initiative.
About the Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching
Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1905 and chartered in 1906 by an Act
of Congress, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of
Teaching is an independent policy and research center. Its current
mission is to support needed transformations in American education
through tighter connections between teaching practice, evidence of
student learning, the communication and use of this evidence and
structured opportunities to build knowledge.
About St. John’s University
St. John's is one of America's leading Catholic universities —
nationally ranked (by The Princeton Review and U.S.
News & World Report) and recognized for its quality
academic programs, focus on global studies, New York vitality and
BIG EAST athletics. Founded in 1870 by the Vincentian Community,
the University enrolls more than 20,000 undergraduate and graduate
students from 46 states and 111 countries. The University has six
campus locations (Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, in
New York City; Oakdale, NY; Rome, Italy; and
Paris, France).
St. John’s values its investment in education through the resources
to support student scholarships,
faculty and academic programs, technological
advances and the building and modernization of new facilities (both
academic and athletic). St. John’s is the right choice for an
affordable, high-quality private education that blends academics,
service learning, professional preparation and real-world
experience.