June 03, 2009
St. John’s
University’s Office
of Community Relations (OCR) held its spring Queens and Staten
Island Community Dialogue Group (CDG) meetings and commemorated
their tenth year of cooperation and communication between the
University’s administration, students, the Queens and Staten Island
communities and area neighbors.
At its most recent Queens meeting, matters pertaining to the
pavement of a local street, improved lighting emanating from the
campus into the community, responding to student behavior issues,
placement of greenery owing to the NYC Mayor’s Million Trees
program, and an off site dormitory facility, were all discussed
with a view at working with and in the community-at-large.
The ten year milestone was also commemorated with a full tour of
the Queens campus affording members of the CDG and other neighbors
a chance to see the many new developments and beautification of the
campus.
Creating a
forum for strong communications between St. John's and its
neighbors, OCR established the Community Dialogue Groups in Queens
and Staten Island in 1999 and 2000, respectively. Members of
the Dialogue Groups include representation from: community boards,
civic associations, borough hall officials, state and assembly
liaisons, merchant associations, local police precincts, student
and resident life representatives and various University officials
in the areas of public safety, facilities and student
affairs.
The bi-monthly meetings of the CDG began a decade ago to provide a
forum and direct communication with representatives of the local
neighbors to hear their opinions, praise and concerns. University
administrators in various departments from both campuses keep the
community readily informed on developments and achievements that
may be of interest. Members of St. John's University’s
Student Government, Inc. also represent the student body at CDG
meetings.
“For more than 139 years, from its early days in Bedford
Stuyvesant, St. John's University has fostered a strong sense of
commitment toward its neighbors,” said Joseph Sciame, Vice
President for Community Relations at St. John’s University.
“Accordingly, the Office of Community Relations is dedicated to
understanding and serving the communities that border its campuses
in the greater New York areas of Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan
and Oakdale.”
Through its community outreach, OCR has been able to maintain
strong lines of communication with community boards, civic
associations, local elected leaders, churches and borough
halls. The Office of Community Relations also oversees
several outreach projects that help to address community needs,
such as blood drives, charity events and cultural enrichment.
As well, the University is represented on a variety of external
boards, such as the Chambers of Commerce for Jamaica, Queens and
Staten Island, and others such as the Queens Symphony and Richmond
County Orchestras, just to name a few.
For more information on the Community Dialogue Groups, call the
Office of Community Relations at 718-990-1941 or visit www.stjohns.edu/community.