The University (SJNY Brooklyn)

Mission and Goals of St. Joseph’s University

The mission of St. Joseph’s University is to provide a strong academic and value-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, rooted in a liberal arts tradition that supports provision for career preparation and enhancement. The University aims in this way to prepare each student for a life characterized by integrity, intellectual and spiritual values, social responsibility, and service-a life that is worthy of the University’s motto, Esse non videri: “To be, not to seem.”

Independent and coeducational, St. Joseph’s University provides affordable private education that serves a diverse population of academically eligible students.

St. Joseph’s University affirms the dignity, freedom, and inherent value of each person. This affirmation is realized through a student-centered environment wherein the faculty’s primary commitment is to excellence in teaching. In this open, supportive atmosphere, students are challenged to develop their full potential and are encouraged to acquire a spirit of inquiry and a joy in learning.

To accomplish this mission, St. Joseph’s University has established the following goals:

• to offer curricula that foster the knowledge and intellectual skills associated with the liberally educated person;
• to encourage students to develop personal value systems and responsible self-direction;
• to foster committed participation in the local and global communities;
• to help students develop as whole persons by providing individual attention, interactive teaching, and opportunities for active participation in academic and extracurricular programs;
• to prepare students for their careers by offering the necessary professional and pre-professional education;
• to provide for the needs of a diversified student population with varied educational and professional experiences;
• to foster an environment of openness to the exploration and understanding of diverse ideas, traditions and cultures;
• to support educational programs and services that will contribute to the vitality of the communities served by the Brooklyn and Suffolk Campuses.

History

St. Joseph’s University for Women, as it was then known, was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood, in response to the need for a day University for young women. In order to receive a charter from New York state in a time when there were anti-Catholic sentiments and women did not have influence, the Sisters established a Board of Trustees as the governing structure. The University received its provisional charter from the Regents of the University of the State of New York on February 24, 1916.

From its earliest days, the University articulated its mission reflecting the mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph to foster unity through love of God and neighbor without distinction. So from its inception, the University was committed to academic quality, value orientation and career preparation. These values, coupled with the gift of the original buildings by the Sisters of St. Joseph along with their leadership, brought early success. The University quickly outgrew its original facilities at 286 Washington Avenue. In 1918, the University moved to its present site at 245 Clinton Avenue, and the first baccalaureate degrees were conferred on twelve 12 graduates on June 17, 1920. The University was accredited in 1928 by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Universitys and Secondary Schools. The Regents granted St. Joseph’s University an Absolute Charter in 1929. Msgr. William T. Dillon, J.D., professor of philosophy, who served as dean of the University and later its president, guided its growth during the significant years that followed.

Under the visionary leadership of Msgr. Dillon, the University placed great emphasis on the holistic development of each student, encouraging personal independence and integrity. This student-centered culture continues to characterize the University. Academically, the University pioneered in the study of child development, and in 1934 opened a laboratory pre-school, now the renowned Dillon Child Study Center.

With a reputation for strong academic programs and a faculty dedicated to excellence in teaching, the University undertook its first extensive building program during the presidency of Sister Vincent Therese Tuohy. McEntegart Hall Library opened in 1965 and the present home of the Dillon Child Study Center opened in 1968.

Sister George Aquin O’Connor’s presidency, 1969-1997, coincided with a period of radical change in higher education. Faithful to the tradition of the Sisters of St. Joseph to meet the needs of the neighborhood and aware of new societal needs, the University admitted men to full matriculation; established the Suffolk Campus in Patchogue, Long Island; created the School of Professional and Graduate Studies for adult students; and introduced undergraduate programs in accounting, business, nursing and health professions, and a master’s program in child study. In support of these programs and for the enrichment of student life on the Suffolk Campus, the Callahan Library was constructed in 1988 and the Danzi Athletic Center opened in 1997.

Sister Elizabeth A. Hill, C.S.J., J.D., president from 1997-2014, emphasized the importance of both continuity and change. The continuity always reflected the founding values of academic excellence, career preparation and enhancement, respect and exploration of diversity and participation in local and global communities. Undergraduate programs continued to grow even as the University introduced new master’s programs in management, business administration, literacy, nursing, special education, human resource management, hospitality and tourism management and an M.F.A. in creative writing. Reflecting the digital world in which we live, all University classrooms were equipped with the latest technological support, and the two campuses were connected with videoconferencing, enabling a number of courses to be taught simultaneously on both campuses.

On the Suffolk Campus, the Business Technology Center opened in 2002 and a 25-acre Outdoor Field Complex was added in 2012.  In Brooklyn, the purchase of the St. Angela Hall property in 2001 made possible major renovations in the University’s landmark-status buildings, and ground was broken for The Hill Center in August 2012.

Jack P. Calareso, Ph.D., president from 2014-2017, was the first layman to serve as president of St. Joseph’s University. As the University reached its centennial, a renewed commitment to its mission, vision and values prepared the path for the century ahead. A new strategic plan was created, from which arose the following: the Office of Marketing and Communication, additional new academic programs and a fully online division of the University called SJNY Online. A redesigned website was launched to serve the new tripartite model: St. Joseph’s University Brooklyn, St. Joseph’s University Long Island and St. Joseph’s University Online. The Hill Center, completed in 2014, was awarded the 2015 Building Brooklyn Award and earned LEED Gold certification in 2016.

Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D., the eighth president of St. Joseph’s University, most recently served as the provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Scranton in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Before arriving at Scranton, he was the dean of the University of Music and Fine Arts and David P. Swanzy Distinguished Professor of Music at Loyola University New Orleans, the only University devoted solely to the preforming arts in the entire 28-university Jesuit system. Dr. Boomgaarden is committed to the unique mission of St. Joseph’s and  engaged the entire University community in drafting a strategic plan entitled “Living Our Mission” to advance the University’s standing as a dynamic institution committed to academic excellence linked to promoting a values-oriented education. Integral to this plan is the awareness and understanding of the core values flowing from the foundation of the University by the Sisters of St. Joseph.

Effective April 12, 2022, the New York State Regents, along with the New York State Department of Education, has officially granted St. Joseph’s university status.

Location

St. Joseph’s University has three campuses: the main campus (SJNY Brooklyn), is located in the residential, historic Clinton Hill section of Brooklyn; SJNY Long Island is located in Patchogue, Suffolk County, Long Island; and SJNY Online is a fully digital online campus.

SJNY Brooklyn is spread over four city blocks and offers easy access to all transit lines, to the Long Island Expressway, to all bridges in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens, as well as to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to Staten Island. This convenient location brings students from every part of the Greater New York Metropolitan area to the University each day, where they enjoy the freedom of campus life while profiting from the many cultural advantages of New York City. Within the space of one half hour, students leaving St. Joseph’s University may find themselves in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the 42nd Street Library, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, the Broadway theatre district, Madison Square Garden, Citi Field or Barclays Center.

The University itself stands in the center of one of the nation’s most diversified academic communities, consisting of six Universitys and universities within a two-mile radius of each other. St. Joseph’s University offers its students easy access to the other Universitys and such cultural facilities as the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Brooklyn Public Library, and the Brooklyn Museum of Art.

SJNY Long Island is located in Patchogue. The thirty-two acre campus is bounded on the south by West Roe Boulevard and on the north by Sunrise Highway. It is easily accessible from the south shore locations via Southern State, Sunrise Highway (Exit 52), and from central and northern Long Island via Veterans Highway, Patchogue-Holbrook Road, Nicolls Road or Route 112.

SJNY Online can be accessed at SJNYny.edu/online.

Facilities- SJNY Brooklyn

Sister Vincent Therese Tuohy Hall

Named in memory of a late President of the University, the Administration Building contains classrooms, an auditorium, computer facilities, student government offices, student lounges and administrative offices. The chemistry and physics laboratories, and the art studio are on the third floor. The Office of Student Involvement and Leadership, the Office of Career Development and Engagement, the Council for the Arts, Campus Ministry, and the University nurse and psychologist are also housed here.

Burns Hall

This beautiful Federal-style building contains formal parlors, a formal dining room, a chapel, the Admissions Offices, student lounge and kitchen, and the biology instructional and research laboratories.

St. Joseph’s Hall

This five story building houses the Office of Institutional Advancement, the Alumni Office and the Director of Security. The beautiful Bloodgood garden, located behind St. Joseph’s Hall, provides space for alumni reunions, student gatherings, and receptions.

Lorenzo Hall

Lorenzo Hall, located at 265 Clinton Avenue, houses the administrative offices of the Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Office of Graduate Management Studies and several academic department offices.

McEntegart Hall

McEntegart Hall, a fully air-conditioned five-story structure, houses the University Library, the Academic Center, the Academic Advisement Center, a nursing education laboratory, and a video conference room.  There are also smart-classrooms, computer labs, a chapel, cafeteria, and faculty and student lounges.

On the first floor of McEntegart Hall Library are a large reading area, student lounge, and numerous study carrels that provide an excellent research environment in addition to the Reference Collection.  There are twenty-four PC desktop computers available for use in the Library in the main Reading Room as well as ten Macintosh desktop computers available for use at the “Computer Bar.”  The Library Information Technology Center (LITC) is also located on the first floor of the Library, this classroom provides students access to twenty-four PC desktop computers and also one PC desktop computer for instructor use.  A copier and book scanner are provided as well.  There are three private Group Study Rooms where students and faculty can connect a laptop to the flat screen televisions for easier viewing and use the white board wall to facilitate learning.  Laptops, cables for audio-visual connection to the televisions and white board supplies are all available to borrow from the Library.  Also located on the first floor of the Library is a Faculty Resource Center where faculty enjoy the use of computers and private work space.

The Library’s collection contains over 209,280 items, including books, audio-visual materials, serial back files, e-books and other paper materials.  The circulating collection is housed on the 2^nd and 3^rd floors of the building.  There are two special collections:  The Local History and Rare Book Collections both located on the first floor of the Library.  Patrons have access to numerous full-text electronic databases in a variety of subjects and access can be enjoyed 24/7 both on-site and off.  In addition to these resources, the Library offers the use of laptop computers.  The Curriculum Library, located on the third floor of McEntegart Hall, includes centralized children’s books and textbooks, provides support to the Child Study curriculum.  Adjacent to the Curriculum Library there is a seminar room available for private study.

The web-based OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) encompasses the Callahan (Patchogue) and McEntegart collections and may be searched by students and faculty at both campuses. Librarians provide library and information literacy instruction throughout the academic program from orientation sessions through thesis preparation. Faculty-selected course materials are available through the Electronic Reserve System and librarian-published LibGuides (online research guides for disciplines/courses offered) are regularly updated. The hours of library service are adjusted throughout the year to meet student needs and are posted in the lobby as well as on the library website

McEntegart Hall Library is a member of Academic Libraries of Brooklyn (ALB) and Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO), which grants students access to libraries throughout the city and provides resource sharing on a regional basis.  Full membership in OCLC (On line Computer Library Center), allows limitless access to all types of resources.  In addition, the Library is a member of the Catholic Research Resources Alliance (CRRA) which allows our patrons to borrow materials from other member libraries in the area.  The Library provides reference and instruction services to all patrons in-person, via chat, email, and telephone.  

McEntegart Hall also houses the University Archive, located on the second floor.  The Archive contain more than 3,200 images, Footprints (the SJNY Brooklyn yearbook) and Horizons (the SJNY Long Island yearbook), newspaper clippings from 1916-present, and the original University charters.  Other Archive collections include the Board of Trustee meeting minutes, University publications such as Loria, 245, SJNY University Magazine, Alumnagram, and the course catalogs.

The Library’s website (http://www.SJNYny.edu/brooklyn/library) provides constantly updated information to Library patrons.

St. Angela Hall

This former elementary and high school was acquired in 2001 and contains sixteen classrooms, the ACES Center, some faculty offices, an auditorium, video conference room and lounge.

Computer Facilities

A high-speed, fiber optic intra-campus and inter-campus network connects all offices, classrooms, computer labs and libraries on both the SJNY Brooklyn and SJNY Long Island campuses. The network provides both wired and wireless internet access to all students, faculty and staff. All classrooms are equipped with projectors, computers, speakers, and touchscreen control panels that provide our faculty with an easy tool to display content to their students. Several of our classrooms are outfitted with SMART’s interactive whiteboards that allow professors to save their whiteboard notes and distribute to students easily.

Two real telepresence video conference classrooms, connect the two campuses, allowing for a real-time distance learning experience. The rooms are equipped with  interactive boards, high definition video cameras, televisions, document camera, and computers.

MySJNY Portal, is a single sign-on portal that gives students a convenient way to access their personal records including billing, grades, financial aid, class schedules, Google Apps email, Learning Management system and more.

Students are provided with a Google Apps accounts for communication and collaboration which includes unlimited storage and the power of Gmail, Google Hangouts, Google Calendar, and Google Drive.  They also receive access to Office 365 and unlimited storage on One Drive with the ability to download 5 copies of the Microsoft Office Suite at no charge.

Dillon Child Study Center

The Dillon Child Study Center offers toddler, preschool and kindergarten programs based on the child development approach to the education of young children. Located on St. Joseph’s University campus in the Clinton Hill section of Brooklyn, Dillon, founded in 1934, is historically one of the first University preschools on the East Coast.

The Outdoor Theatre

Overlooking the Mall is the Molloy Memorial Outdoor Theatre.

The Hill Center

Located on Vanderbilt Avenue, between Willoughby and DeKalb avenues, the new 43,623 square-foot Brooklyn multipurpose building features a 270-seat NCAA regulation basketball and volleyball court, a fully equipped fitness center, locker rooms, an athletic training room, multipurpose room and parking. The Hill Center was awarded LEED Gold Certification, which serves as an example of our commitment to sustainability as an institution.

 Accreditation and Memberships

Accreditation

St. Joseph’s University is accredited by the following:

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

The University’s Nursing programs are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)

The University’s teacher education programs (Early Childhood, Childhood, Early Childhood: Disabilities: and Adolescence Education: Biology, Chemistry, English, Mathematics, Social Studies and Spanish) are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)

The University’s Recreation and Leisure Studies program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions (COAPRT).

The University’s programs are registered with the

The University’s programs are approved by the New York State Education Department for the training of veterans.

Membership

The University is a member of many associations, including the following:

The Association of Universitys of Sisters of Saint Joseph

Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Universitys

Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce

Commission on Independent Universitys and Universities

Council for Adult and Experiential Learning

Council for Higher Education Accreditation

Council of Independent Universitys

Downtown Brooklyn Partnership

Long Island Association

Long Island Regional Advisory Council on Higher Education

National Association of University and University Business Officers

National League for Nursing

NCAA Division III

Servicemembers Opportunity Universitys Degree Network System (Core Member)

Skyline Conference