Friends,
As the President of a college during these challenging and divisive times, I feel compelled to comment on the protests we are seeing across the country, especially on many other college campuses. As we fully support free speech, I am often asked: “Are we seeing violence on our campus … are students feeling threatened … are their views not respected by others … do they feel unsafe?”
The simple answer is:
“St. Thomas Aquinas College students are caring, actively engaged, and promote peace.”
We are so proud of the support, respect, and care that our students have demonstrated this past year. Of course, a major part of the college experience is for our highly skilled faculty team to engage students in open conversations about a variety of challenging and difficult issues, while teaching respect for positions other than their own, mutual understanding even when they may continue to disagree, and to speak with knowledge and reason instead of simply emotion. Back in October, at the start of the tragic Middle East conflict and during the ongoing War in Ukraine, we held a special Gathering for Peace with our students and community at our “Peace Pole.” We encouraged them to bridge gaps of conflict and to offer collective prayers for peace.
We are fortunate that our Mission Statement calls us to prepare our students to make a "profound difference in the world" and we challenge our new students every year at Convocation to take the “Spartan Pledge” and commit to service to the community. Please read below to learn about how St. Thomas Aquinas College students are demonstrating this commitment — through mental health awareness, environmental stewardship, and community service — while researching such important issues as cancer prevention, sustainability, diversity, support for Veterans, and care for the elderly and impoverished.
Our students are active and engaged — in a peaceful way — and are now prepared to lead us into the future as we approach our blessed May 10 Commencement.
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Join us! 67th Commencement and "After-Party" on May 10 |
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St. Thomas Aquinas College's 67th Commencement Exercises will be held in person on Friday, May 10, 2024, at 2:00 PM. The Ceremony will take place at Clover Stadium in Pomona, NY — home of the New York Boulders — and the Spartans Men's Baseball team!
All students, alumni, and employees are invited to join us for food, refreshments, music — and a baseball game! — at the 5:00 PM "After Party." Commencement will be a wonderful event to celebrate the most important occasion in our students’ lives as we look forward to congratulating the Class of 2024!
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Ignite Your Curiosity: Students Present Research on Campus |
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Students in Dr. Tracy Tully's "Psychology 301: Abnormal Psychology" course worked to create an idiographic poster project. Groups were assigned a mental health diagnosis to explore in detail and outlined information regarding the prevalence, impact, and treatment modalities for a particular mental health condition. Students presented their research on-campus to fellow college students, faculty, staff, and administrators, and raised awareness during “Stress Awareness Month”.
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Ignite your curiosity. Ignite your imagination. Students presented their research findings and projects at our 9th Annual IGNITE Art, Design, and Scholarship Exhibition in the Azarian-McCullough Art Gallery and Costello Hall!
Students presented on topics such as literacy, cancer prevention, veterans support, and sustainability. There was even an opportunity to ride a bike in a virtual reality setting. Learn more at stac.edu/ignite2024.
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Mental Health Awareness and Wellness Events Held on Campus |
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On Saturday, April 6, the College hosted its “Out of the Darkness Campus Walk” for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) with over 200 participants, while raising over $11,000.
Thank you to all who coordinated, donated, and participated in this special Walk.
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Spartans "Keep the Beat" was an incredible day for our students and campus community where Spartans focus on self-care and mental health awareness, taking a moment to unplug, recharge, and reset. Students enjoyed massage chairs, comfort food, calming music, therapy dogs, and much more!
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IBESCC Case Study Team Students Earned 1st Place in Division |
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The St. Thomas Aquinas College Case Study team competed in Los Angeles, California at Loyola Marymount University. The team earned 1st place in their division in the 2024 International Business Ethics and Sustainability Case Competition (IBESCC) 10 Minute Competition, which focused on the business ethics of their sustainable business solution.
Spartans Tricia Possell, Natalie Odén, Gino Gandzior, Julia Abreu, Andrew Alameda, and Hanna Jung participated and prepared under the guidance of Professor Christine Cahill. Thank you to all who supported our teams through our Experiential Learning Opportunity Fund (ELOF).
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Our annual Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 20 was a success! The half-day event allowed nearly 2,000 members of the community to celebrate our planet, learn about sustainability, connect with local environmental organizations, participate in various nature and science activities, and enjoy a wonderful day with family and friends! We are proud of our students from the School of Business and the School of STEM under the leadership of Professor Angela McDonnell and Dean Bianca Wentzell who all came together to organize and run this event for our community.
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Honors Convocation Held on April 9 |
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The College hosted its annual Honors Convocation on April 9 and inducted nearly 200 students into Honors Societies. Students on the Distinguished Dean's List - who have achieved GPAs above 3.5 for three consecutive semesters - were also honored for their accomplishments.
Donald Ruff, CEO Eagle Academy, was this year's Honors Convocation speaker and delivered an inspirational message of hard work and determination to our students. We awarded Honorary Doctorate of Public Service degrees to Trustee Virginia Ripp and her husband Joseph, who first met on the College's campus more than 50 years ago! Congratulations to all of our Spartans and honorees.
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"Eye to the Sky" - Solar Eclipse Class Expedition |
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As all eyes were on the sky when St. Thomas Aquinas College students and faculty seized the moment for an unforgettable experiential learning journey during the total Solar Eclipse!
Led by Dr. Heather Rave and Dr. Meghan De Witt from the School of STEM, 40 students embarked on an interactive trip to Tupper Lake, NY. The excursion, which included a series of experiments conducted by students, was a testament to the College's commitment to hands-on education.
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Men's Volleyball Wins ECC Championship in First Season |
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History has been made! The top-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas College Men's Volleyball team claimed the East Coast Conference Tournament Championship in their first season on April 21 during a five-set thriller to take a 3-2 decision over Dominican University, in front of a raucous crowd at the Hennessy Center on the opposing Chargers' campus. Congratulations to Coach Thiago Lopes and our Spartans!
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Join Us for a Certificate and Graduate Information Session |
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ADVANCE your career at St. Thomas Aquinas College with our discounted Certificate and Graduate Programs for Lifelong Learners.
Join us for one of our Graduate Events to learn more about our in-demand graduate programs in Education, Business, and Public Administration (MPA), all designed to advance your career forward.
May 1 at 1:00 PM - Virtual Graduate Information Session
May 4 at 10:00 AM - On Campus Graduate Information Session
In an academic community that energizes you for success, discover new possibilities to propel you forward as you pursue a certificate or graduate program, ignite the passion within, and advance your career.
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STEM Exploration Summer Program: Applications Open |
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Applications for our highly acclaimed STEM Exploration Summer Program, made possible by the generous grant renewal and support from Veolia, are now being accepted! This annual program, now in its third year, promises an exhilarating one-week residential experience designed to ignite passion for STEM in rising junior and senior high school students, with scholarships available.
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Spartan Stories: Professor Emeritae Edition |
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The title of Professor Emerita was awarded to Professor Barbara Vano, Dr. Susan Marell, and Dr. Suzanne Reynolds at Honors Convocation. They will be retiring at the end of this academic year after a combined 101 years of service to our students. The College community pays tribute to their years of consistent dedication to improving the lives of so many Spartans. Congratulations!
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