Recap of the February 2024 Board of Trustees Meeting

We are pleased to share some topics, highlights, and action items discussed at the St. John’s University Board of Trustees meeting held on Wednesday, February 28, 2024. We will continue to share additional information on these and other initiatives in the months ahead.

Facilities and Construction Update
Yesterday, we sent an Internal Communication to the campus community about the Campus Recreation Center and new Basketball Practice Facility. Helping the University chart the future of our physical campus infrastructure, Brian C. Baumer, Associate Vice President Campus Facilities and Services, presented conceptual plans to create a best-in-class campus recreation center for the University community. The plan includes constructing a top-tier basketball practice facility, followed by the renovation and conversion of Taffner Field House and the current Basketball Annex to a recreation center for students and employees. The proposed timing of the plan has been developed in such a way as to maintain the continued and uninterrupted operation of Campus Recreation programs and access to intramural, recreational sports, and student wellness. The estimated completion date of the new basketball practice facility is Spring 2027; the Student Recreation Center is scheduled to be completed in Fall 2028. St. John’s is actively engaged in a collaborative exercise to evaluate current campus space needs, envision future possibilities, and create and implement a shared vision that resonates with the University’s values and long-term aspirations.

Mission Update
To ensure that the Catholic and Vincentian mission always remains in the forefront of the ongoing identity and operational practices of St. John’s, Rev. Aidan R. Rooney, C.M., M.Div., M.Th. ’78NDC, Executive Vice President for Mission, shared a presentation on a “New Model for Ecclesial Sponsorship of the University.” As the number of active members of the Congregation of the Mission (the Vincentians) declines, the University and the Vincentians are innovatively preparing for tangible and structural ways to maintain St. John's Catholic and Vincentian identity. Other religious organizations and Catholic entities facing similar challenges have transferred to a lay sponsorship model. The Code of Canon Law allows for creating a Public Juridic Person (PJP), a recognized organization that allows several similar religious communities to share the responsibility of sponsorship thus strengthening the University’s identity and competitive position. This process includes ongoing dialogue regarding organizational structure and leadership with the Vatican, the Diocese of Brooklyn, the Congregation of the Mission, and the University. The Board will continue to explore mutually acceptable legal alternatives.

Provost Update
Simon G. Møller, Ph.D., Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, shared updates on enrollment trends, ongoing student recruitment challenges faced, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) process, and international locations.

Enrollment
Our early enrollment metrics for fall 2024 are favorable to date with higher application, admitted student, and deposit numbers. However, across the United States—especially in the Northeast—college recruitment and enrollment are increasingly competitive and shifts in attitudes towards cost, value, tuition discounting, and population trends all present short and long-term challenges. An ongoing delay at the federal level in implementing the revised Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA) form has complicated student financial aid decisions. Tuition-dependent institutions like St. John’s must remain nimble in our targeted recruitment strategies. To that end, enhanced marketing and communications, focused graduate enrollment strategies with an expansion of online course offerings, and strategic use of campus facilities for course offerings is underway.

MSCHE Self-Study Update
The Middle States Self-Study process continues. Additional MSCHE town halls are scheduled this spring; two have already occurred. Our internal MSCHE team will write a draft of the Self-Study report over the summer and release it to the University community in the fall. This draft will be followed by public comments, additional town halls, and a revised Self-Study Draft will be sent to the MSCHE Team Chair. The University is preparing for a preliminary campus visit by the MSCHE Team Chair in the fall, followed by final report submission and full site visit the following spring.

International Locations
A 15-year lease agreement extension for the Paris, France location has been executed. The partnership with Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, Ireland has been extended through the 2024-2025 academic year.

Leadership Membership and Appreciation
The Board approved the election of new Trustees Steven J. Gartner ’84L and Salvatore J. Zizza ’67UC, ’72MBA, ’07HON.

The Board approved the title of Trustee Emeritus to Robert F. Kalenka ’84CBA, ’91MBA.

Damon Young ’93CBA is reappointed Chair of the Board of Governors, and Rev. Patrick Flanagan, C.M., Ph.D., is reappointed as Vice Chair.

New members of the Board of Governors include:

Junior R. Harewood ’94C, Matthew R. Kuczwaj ’91C, ’93G, James P. Walsh ’83CBA, ’86MBA and Mohamed Youssef, ’97CBA.

Yenniry “Jenny” Alonzo ’87SVC, Raymond P. Donovan ’93SVC, Melissa Sanchez, Esq. ’07CPS, and Thomas F. Scaturro ’86CBA were all renewed for a final three-year term on the Board of Governors.

The Board offered a moment of silence to acknowledge the recent passing of former Board member and Trustee Emerita, Peggy G. Murrain,’83Ed.D., ’HON’98.

The Board also offered a moment of silence to acknowledge the recent passing of John V. Brennan ’63C, ’66L, ’93HON, a loyal alumnus and supporter of St. John’s whose extraordinary generosity made St. Thomas More Church possible on the Queens campus.   

A special tribute resolution was offered for Robert J. McGuire, ’61L who, for the last 27 years, served as the Special Counsel to the Board of Trustees. Mr. McGuire served with dedication, expertise, and unwavering commitment to St. John’s. He was lauded for his exemplary legal acumen, providing invaluable guidance and strategic counsel to the Board of Trustees, executive leadership, and the entire University.

Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for May 15, 2024.