Letter from the President
Our 2019–20 academic year begins with the historic announcement that the College of Professional Studies has been renamed The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies in recognition of an extraordinary gift commitment from Lesley H. Collins (’83SVC) and William L. Collins ’76C, ’12HON.
As generous St. John’s University alumni, Lesley and Bill are especially devoted to their alma mater. Their years at St. John’s prepared them to be successful in their chosen careers, while instilling the important Vincentian philosophy of making a difference in the lives of others. For decades, they have demonstrated that and more to the St. John’s family. The personal support of Lesley and Bill, and alumni like them, fills me with gratitude and pride and helps the University remain faithful to our founding mission.
In this issue of The President’s Newsletter, you will read about our incoming first-year class and how the University continues to attract some of the best and brightest high school students from across the country and around the world. The academic profile of our incoming students continues to improve; St. John’s remains a sought-after destination for students both inside and outside of our primary recruiting market.
Our efforts to ensure student success have proven to be successful as the four-year graduation rate for the 2015 entering class of full-time, baccalaureate degree-seeking, first-time students is the highest in 30 years, when the University began tracking this information.
I invite you to get to know some of the new members of our leadership team, including our new Chair of the Board of Trustees—William J. Janetschek ’84CBA, ’17HON; new Trustee, Catherine M. Verrelli ’00TCB, ’01MS; new Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Simon Geir Møller, Ph.D.; new Dean of The School of Education, David L. Bell, Ed.D., and our new Men’s Head Basketball Coach, Mike Anderson.
Over the last few years, positive organizational changes implemented at St. John's and a steadfast commitment to our Strategic Priorities have helped us to rapidly respond to new challenges in higher education while remaining true to our founding Catholic and Vincentian mission. Being faithful to the mission is what enables St. John’s University to be the life-changing institution that it has been for almost 150 years. With your continued support, our mission will endure, thrive, and grow—just as St. John’s University has done since its humble beginnings in 1870.
Sincerely,
Conrado “Bobby” Gempesaw, Ph.D.
President