Rosette Allegretti

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.”