Professor and Administrator: Dean Finds
Dual Role Gratifying
Rosette Allegretti ’00C, ’04G, ’10Ed.D., Assistant Dean in The School of Education at
St. John's University's Staten Island campus, wears two hats—as an
administrator and a teacher—and feels her dual role strikes a
perfect balance. “I find teaching to be a very rewarding and
enriching experience,” she said. “I love having that additional,
hands-on student interaction.”
At the same time, as an administrator, Allegretti is responsible
for the graduate education programs run by The School of Education.
“I do a lot of the course planning and consulting with the
chairpersons on the Queens campus, as well as a good deal of
student advising,” she said, adding that her role also includes
marketing and event planning. “It's a little bit of
everything.”
Enjoying the opportunity to keep students engaged, Allegretti
teaches Literature in a Global Context, a required freshman course.
“We discuss horror literature from the 1800s, and how it inspired
modern authors,” she explained. “I love discovering what they like
to read and to teach them new ways of looking at it.”
“A teaching position opened literally as I received my master's
degree,” she said. “I was thrust into the classroom right off the
bat and I discovered very quickly how much I loved to teach. Now I
have the best of both worlds. I get to teach and work here full
time.”
Along with teaching, Allegretti values the role the Vincentian
mission plays on campus and in her life. “It's part of who I am
personally,” she said, “and how I approach my job in terms of
helping students and advising them properly.”
That mission, she added, is evident in efforts to serve communities
beyond the campus. For example, through St. John’s chapter of Kappa Delta
Pi, the international education honor society, The School of
Education offers educational opportunities for children from local
schools. “We bring them to campus for a number of literacy events
targeted to low-income families,” she said.
Allegretti also enjoys her work with Digital
Literacies, which is offered only at Staten Island. The one-day
summer workshop—for students, teachers, and local principals—was
developed by three of Allegretti’s colleagues: Sandra Abrams,
Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Curriculum and Instruction; Aliya
Holmes, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Curriculum and Instruction; and
Deborah E. Greh, Ed.D., Professor, Mass Communications. “It's our
third year,” said Allegretti, “and we're still growing.”
Above all, Allegretti noted, the Staten Island campus is
distinguished by a close-knit atmosphere that benefits students and
faculty alike. “Administrators and faculty know each other very
well, so we can quickly get things done for the benefit of
students,” she said. “At the same time, students all know us and
where our offices are. Having that personal connection sets our
campus apart, and the students who need that small environment and
extra attention and care can get it here.”