Provost's Welcome

St. John’s 142 year-old academic heritage is an excellent foundation for the University’s future goals. Our faculties provide an outstanding education that prepares our graduates for leadership in a new and changing society. The academic leadership is making this vision come to life by focusing on our centers of excellence, degree programs and departments whose cutting edge research and teaching establish our reputation. Institution-wide program review continues to strengthen the best of our outstanding programs.

Highlighting Undergraduate Education
Undergraduate education is the heartbeat of St. John’s University – a humanistic tradition alive with the questions, resources, and diverse experiences of contemporary society. From their first year, students are plunged into the rich culture of New York City through our Discover New York course, a centerpiece of the core curriculum. Recognizing the extraordinary talents of many of our students, St. John’s University has recently increased its investment in the Honors Program, enhancing the experience for the special community of learners.

Education in the Vincentian Spirit
St. John’s founding community, the Vincentian Fathers, inspire the University’s mission and activities with their charism of concern for the poor. Faculty and students in every school have connected their academic investigations with service to those in need through the service-learning program. Special support for research into the causes of poverty from the Vincentian Center for Church and Society brings many faculty together to lecture and publish on social justice, as well as host the biannual Poverty Conference.

Catholic Education for a Pluralistic World
As one of the nation’s largest Catholic universities with five campuses--including campuses in Rome, Italy, and Paris, France--St. John’s has a strong commitment to its identity within the Catholic tradition and also as an academic institution where free inquiry into ideas flourishes. The privilege of sharing this identity with a truly multicultural and international student body is both a responsibility and a source of great dynamism for University life.

October 15, 2008 - Elizabeth Gavin Lecture Series