St. John's University is Catholic,
Vincentian, and Metropolitan.
As a university,
we commit ourselves to academic excellence and the pursuit of
wisdom which flows from free inquiry, religious values and human
experience. We strive to preserve and enhance an atmosphere in
which scholarly research, imaginative methodology, global awareness
and an enthusiastic quest for truth serve as the basis of a vital
teaching-learning process and the development of lifelong learning.
Our core curriculum in the liberal arts and sciences aims to enrich
lives as well as professions and serves to unify the undergraduate
experience. Graduate and professional schools express our
commitment to research, rigorous standards, and innovative
application of knowledge. We aim not only to be excellent
professionals with an ability to analyze and articulate clearly
what is, but also to develop the ethical and aesthetic values to
imagine and help realize what might be.
St. John’s is a Catholic
university,
founded in 1870 in response to an invitation of the first Bishop of
Brooklyn, John Loughlin, to provide the youth of the city with an
intellectual and moral education. We embrace the Judeo-Christian
ideals of respect for the rights and dignity of every person and
each individual’s responsibility for the world in which we live. We
commit ourselves to create a climate patterned on the life and
teaching of Jesus Christ as embodied in the traditions and
practices of the Roman Catholic Church. Our community which
comprises members of many faiths, strives for an openness which is
“wholly directed to all that is true, all that deserves respect,
all that is honest, pure, admirable, decent, virtuous, or worthy of
praise” (Philippians 4:8). Thus, the university is a place where
the Church reflects upon itself and the world as it engages in
dialogue with other religious traditions.
St. John’s is a Vincentian
university,
inspired by St. Vincent de Paul’s compassion and zeal for service.
We strive to provide excellent education for all people, especially
those lacking economic, physical, or social advantages. Community
service programs combine with reflective learning to enlarge the
classroom experience. Wherever possible, we devote our intellectual
and physical resources to search out the causes of poverty and
social injustice and to encourage solutions which are adaptable,
effective, and concrete. In the Vincentian tradition, we seek to
foster a world view and to further efforts toward global harmony
and development, by creating an atmosphere in which all may imbibe
and embody the spirit of compassionate concern for others so
characteristic of Vincent.
St. John’s is a metropolitan
university.
We benefit from New York City’s cultural diversity, its
intellectual and artistic resources, and the unique professional
educational opportunities offered by New York, Rome and other
cities throughout the world where our students study and serve.
With this richness comes responsibility. We seek and welcome
opportunities to partner and plan with our metropolitan
communities. We encourage them to use our intellectual
resources and professional expertise in developing solutions that
address strategic issues of mutual concern. On the local,
state, national and international levels, our alumni serve as
effective leaders and responsible citizens. We pledge to foster
those qualities required for anticipating and responding to the
educational, ethical, cultural, social, professional, and religious
needs of a dynamic world.
Mission Statement of St. John’s
University, New York
Approved by the Board of Trustees, March 13, 2008